Handling

I finally got to handle Mortiis a few days ago, thanks to Scott for giving me a hand and showing me how to grapple the little bugger!

He calmed down pretty well with his feet on the ground (or hand...) so now I'll be able to handle him more often.

Yes, loads of junk from work piled on the cabinet!

I've just ordered a larger tank for him so when I get a female there will be plenty of room. I'll probably use The Spider Shop again for the female, hopefully get the same decent service!

Maybe not...

I tried to pick up Mortiis earlier andit didn't go well, he spun round pretty fast, obviously I wasn't fast enough.

I tried with the tweezer/forceps and he totally went for them, grabbing and swinging his tail about at them. He really doesn't want to be picked up.

I think its best to leave him too it, I would like the possibility of handling him in the future but if hes not going to be calm or placid enough for me to pick him up, so be it.

Man Bits!

Well, I'm pretty sure that Mortiis is a he.

When he was up the side of the tank, I got a decent look at his underside. The pectine's are quite long, feathery and slightly overhanging his sides and his operculum is very much oval shaped, not pointy/heart shaped which would distinguish a female.

I used a few sites to get a decent guess, you can see an example here.

He's been pretty placid at the moment, nowhere near as jumpy as when I first got him so I might give handling a go at some point.

Home Wrecker

Terrarium Update

Here's how the tank looked before Mortiis moved in, complete with sphagnum moss, thermo/hydrometers and heat mat. A bit misty as well, I'd been trying to get the humidity up before I put him in.

It's not as neat and tidy now, Mortiis has taken a liking to shifting moss all over the place, especially in his bowl where it soaks up all the water.

The Spider Shop

I actually bought Mortiis and lots of other scorpion gear from an online store, The Spider Shop.

It was really easy to find what I needed and they are just a phone call away for any advice or updates on your order.

As you can see from my previous post, everything was really well packaged and came by next day special delivery.

They also guarantee a live and healthy scorpion on delivery, which obviously wasn't a problem for me but some other places might not give you this security, especially when making a risk ordering online.

I will be using them again for my next scorpion purchase and probably for any other bits I need in the future.

Highly reccomended anyway!

First Mortiis Pics

Here's a few pics of Mortiis, on his (or her) first day in his (or her?) new tank :

Apologies on the quality and the water on some of them, as its pretty humid in the tank.

Any help with possible sex would be appreciated, I can't get a good enough look at the pectines or anything on the underside for that matter! I don't want to go poking around to have a look when its just settling in.

Arrival

My package finally arrived today but I had to wait HOURS, till I finished work and could get home and start unpacking!

Here's how its came:

A nice sturdy box, marked fragile (for obvious reasons) and had a few air holes dotted around.

LOADS of poly-chips for insulation.

Crickets on the left, Heat Pad in the middle and the Scorpion on the right.

Although not very clear on this pic, the scorpions package has clear labels with species, location, environment suitability and 'open with care' (again, for obvious reasons!)

And the final part of the unpacking process, the scorpion!

I've decided to name the scorpion 'Mortiis' whether it turns out to be male or female, Kudos to anyone that gets the reason for the name.

I also had quite a few other items in the package, if it did seem very large for what you can see!

Comfirmation!

My order has been dispatched today and will be with me tomorrow!

*Well Excited*

Early Terrarium Pics

This is my terrarium set up for my P.Imperator when he (or she) arrives.

I have a couple of finishing touches to sort, like the heat mat and a thermometer/hygrometer but those will have to wait the the scorpion arrives, as they will be in the same package!

The tank itself is a large size, plastic Exoterra Faunarium, which should be big enough for the single scorpion I will be keeping, for now :D

The substrate is 100% coco fiber and the two hides are french limestone, which go right through to the left side of the tank, they have hidden supports to help prevent collapse. I also covered most of the air vent/holes in the lid with clear laminating plastic to keep humidity up.

The Sensible Choice

The scorpion I have gone for is the Pandinus Imperator commonly known as the Emperor or Imperial scorpion.

I have come to understand they are quite a good choice for a beginner as they are not very aggressive and are a forgiving species, in the sense that if I mess up I should be able to rectify any problems, without harming or killing the scorpion. Hopefully it won't come to that!

I was originally going to get a Hadrurus Arizonensis (Desert Hairy Scorpion) but they rely heavily on a dry environment and might not be the best choice for a beginner, as they don't think twice about stinging, maybe next time though!

Research

I've done a lot of research, before actually buying my scorpion and I've been all over the net but the one place I've been lurking the most is The Arachnoboards forum.

They have loads of enthusiasts and noobs alike, talking about keeping scorpions, tarantulas and other creepy-crawlies. The best thing is that nearly everyone knows their stuff and if not, someone is there to tell them!

I've probably learnt 90% of what I know from the members there so I can say they've been a great help, even though they don't know it yet.

I haven't started posting on the forum myself but will be soon and definitely recommend you check it out.

My Username: BreakingMyself

Greetings :D

Howdy!

I'm setting up this blog because very soon I will be getting myself a scorpion, this will be a new experience and I'd like to share it.

I will be adding updates and various other things as I go, keeping up to date with new pictures and videos when possible so watch this space!