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Emperor scorpions have cemented their place as one of the gentlest of their species, making them particularly sought after amongst the growing popularity of other scorpions as pets.

While the emperor scorpion stands out as one of the largest scorpion breeds, measuring in at a whopping 23cm in some cases, it is incredibly docile and much more likely to pinch than sting.

Despite the emperor scorpion’s temperament and ease of care, it is still essential to understand the species’ needs to elongate its life span.

Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau

Size

20 – 23 cm in length

Life Span

Keeping in line with other scorpion species that are somewhat long-lived when compared to other invertebrates, the emperor scorpion can survive for anywhere between five to ten years when kept as a pet.

Enclosure

When creating a habitat for your emperor scorpion is vital to remember that the species lives and thrives in hot and humid conditions.

Therefore any habitat should mimic these conditions to ensure that your pet has a long and comfortable life. In particular, emperor scorpions require a 75% humidity level to effectively replicate the conditions of their natural habitat.

To help retain any moisture added to the habitat, keepers can utilize sphagnum moss to cover and protect the liquid added to whatever material is used as the base for the enclosure.

One of the best options for housing emperor scorpions is the use of glass aquariums. Not only does this approach allow you to easily monitor your pet, but it can also help you to quickly identify areas of mold that may accumulate on your journey to provide the perfect humidity for your pet.

Emperor scorpions can be kept as a single pet or as a group. In the case of a single scorpion, a 10-gallon tank would be appropriate. However, for groups, the glass tank should be at least 20-gallons.

As emperor scorpions like to burrow and hide, soil and peat should be available to an appropriate degree to allow the scorpion to retreat to its safe spot if required. As such, no less than three inches of the material should be on hand at any time within the enclosure.

As emperor scorpions use their environment in the wild to hide from both predator and prey, it is essential to provide such an environment when the species is kept in captivity. Pieces of wood, cage decorations, and reptile hides should be added to the enclosure.

Your scorpion will often rearrange the pieces provided to mimic the safe places it could find in the wild, and thus, you should try not to disturb these arrangements unless it is unavoidable.

Heating & Lighting

Temperature is critical when caring for your emperor scorpion. As the species are cold-blooded, they require temperatures that range between 70 degrees Fahrenheit to 90 degrees Fahrenheit to function.

These temperatures can be achieved and maintained through the use of reptile-geared heating mats. The mats should be sized and positioned in such a way that your scorpion can quickly move from a warmer area to a cooler section of its tank if required.

In addition to heat, daily misting with warm unchlorinated water should be practiced to maintain the previously mentioned 75% humidity that your emperor scorpion needs to simulate its natural environment and promote extended lifespans.

Water

The scorpion enclosure should also contain a water bowl that is not deep enough for the emperor scorpion to drown in. Water should be kept clean and changed regularly.

Diet

Emperor scorpions are what are known as opportunistic eaters. This simply means that they will feast on a wide variety of creatures when in the wild. An emperor scorpion’s feeding list includes:

Insects

Mice

Other Arthropods

Lizards

Crickets

In captivity, most owners base their emperor scorpion’s diet around crickets and mealworms, with the occasional mouse or lizard thrown in depending on the scorpion’s size.

Young emperor scorpions require a much more intensive diet than adults, with feeding needed two to four times per week to ensure proper growth.

On the other hand, adults can be fed once or twice per week with calcium-dusted insects to keep the pet hale and healthy.

As emperor scorpions are nocturnal, feeding should be done at night. It is also essential to gauge the size of your scorpion when introducing live prey to avoid any potential injury.

It should also be noted that scorpions will not eat while molting.

Handling

Emperor scorpions utilize two approaches to protection and aggression, that is the use of their pedipalps, better known as their claws, and their stinger.

While emperor scorpions are not particularly aggressive when they feel threatened, they will react. Usually, this reaction takes the form of a pinch.

Using their large claws, emperor scorpions will seek to clamp down on any threat within their vicinity.

While a pinch will hurt, it is often no more dangerous than a nip from a kitten or a puppy, functioning more as a warning than an actual source of danger.

In rare cases, emperor scorpions will use their stingers, but much like a bee sting, this is only ever dangerous to people who are allergic to the venom. Usually, emperor scorpion stings require no medical attention.

However, despite these two defense mechanisms, emperor scorpions typically will not seek to cause any harm to a handler.

This docility has led to a rapid increase in desire for the species as a pet. Still, it is recommended that beginners acknowledge that while not aggressive, the scorpion rarely enjoys handling and should be left alone unless absolutely necessary.