How To Care For The Emperor Scorpion Pandinus imperator

How do you take care of the emperor scorpion? Well I'm going to tell you everything I know right now. My name is Richard and today I'm going to tell you everything I know about taking care of the emperor scorpion, known scientifically as the Pandanus imperator. So let's get into it. The Pandanus imperator or emperor scorpion is a large species that is native to Africa. This is one of the most popular scorpions in the hobby and you can regularly find it in pet stores or at reptile expos as it is favored as a great beginner species due to the size, temperament, ease of care, and low venom potency. They are not great for handling but they are amazing to watch. This species looks very similar to its cousin the Pandanus vitoris or the red cave scorpion that is also from Africa but the red cave scorpion seems to be a little smaller in size and their claws are more red in color with hints of blue. This species is also often mistaken for the Asian forest scorpion with many pet stores mislabeling them and selling Asian forest scorpions as emperor scorpions. Now Asian forest scorpions are a little bit smaller and they're more territorial so they're slightly more aggressive than the pea imperator. Emperor scorpions have rough pincers which also tend to be shorter but thicker than the Asian forest. The Asian forest scorpion lacks the red coloration that emperor scorpion pincers often exhibit and their telson and aculeus are black while emperor scorpions tend to have yellow to a reddish yellow amber telson as juveniles that turn red as they mature. Even as babies there's a distinct visual difference as emperor scorpion babies usually show quite visible red pigmentation in their pincers which is completely absent in baby Asian forest scorpions as they are very black. The emperor scorpion grows about six inches in size with some claiming up to over seven and a half inches and they can live between six to eight years. They may be the largest scorpion in the world but the longest scorpion is actually the flat rock scorpion. Compared to other scorpions the emperor scorpion is not nearly as hot as other species meaning its venom is not as dangerous or painful if you were to get stung. In fact you probably won't feel much discomfort or have any serious problems unless you're allergic and have an anaphylactic reaction. In my experience they seem much more likely to pinch you than try to sting you. What's very interesting is some molecules that make up their venom are currently under research as scientists believe they could have properties that would be They have large powerful claws so a pinch could be painful but they are a mostly docile species and only attempt to pinch or sting when they feel threatened. The risk of handling the species is more due to the harm that could come to the scorpion than the harm they could inflict on the handler. Like tarantulas scorpions can bolt short distances usually faster than you can react and they have an exoskeleton that is not designed to handle falls from substantial heights. They spend most of their time burrowed underground and coming out at night to crawl around on the surface. They are not arboreal meaning they aren't normally climbing high into trees so when handling a scorpion if it were to suddenly bolt it is very possible that it could fall off your hand or arm and risk rupture once it hits the ground. So it is always best to avoid handling unless you take precautions like handling over a table or while sitting on the ground to greatly reduce the distance of a fall should the scorpion attempt to get away from you. Pea imperators can be found in Africa and live in areas that are warm and humid. Naturally they prefer living in small burrows that were made by small rodents or snakes and sometimes they'll dig them out themselves. So when you set up their enclosure these are two facts you need to keep in mind. I keep my adult emperors in a 10-gallon aquarium filled at least halfway or more with substrate. Knowing that they need a little more humidity and will be digging burrows I tend to use a mix of slightly damp cocoa fiber mixed half and half with peat moss. I have also had a lot of success using creature soil or jungle mix as pre-made substrates and mixing in a little sand and a few handfuls of sphagnum moss. I dampen the substrate so that it feels wet but water does not come out when I squeeze it in my fist. I pack the substrate down slightly and provide two hides on opposite sides of the enclosure. I provide a large but shallow water dish that I keep full of water. You don't want to use a deep water dish or one that the scorpion will have issues getting in and out of because they can drown if they get trapped in a large water dish. I will link the types of water dishes that I've had success with down below in the description. Now these can be a bit of a hassle due to the fact that the water evaporates quickly because it's so shallow but it is for the safety of your scorpion. I use two hides because I keep a dry side and a damp side in their enclosures. On the damp side I also add a nice nest of sphagnum moss in the corner to help keep humidity up and when I notice the substrate is drying out I will water down that side so that it gets saturated but never swampy. The other side I will let dry out and I find my scorpion will alternate which hide it spends its time in based on their preference for humidity at the time. For the most part this species can be kept at room temperature between 69 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit but some people prefer to add a little additional heat for their scorpions. If you keep their enclosures in the basement like I do or in a cool part of your house or maybe it's just winter and the room temperatures are on the lower end of the acceptable range you may consider adding an under tank heater. This seems to be hotly debated in the scorpion community because it can be dangerous if it's not done right. To escape heat and to cool off scorpions will usually retreat to their burrow and dig deeper because the deeper they go the cooler it normally gets. If you use an under tank heater and actually place it under the tank then it will get warmer the deeper the scorpion digs. So it is recommended you place the heat pad on the side of the enclosure to get a horizontal temperature gradient. The side the heat pad is on will be warmest right up against the glass and cooler on the other side against the wall. Having hides on either side of the enclosure gives them the choice of not only a damp hide and a dry hide but also a warm side and a cool side. Another important factor when using an under tank heater is that they are always on. So you should use a thermostat and place the sensor at the level your scorpion will be in its hide and then plug the heat mat into that thermostat and set the temperature around 85 to 90 degrees. I avoid using any heat lights in my enclosures as it's very difficult to regulate the temperature and I find that the heat light seems to dry the air out considerably. You also need to make sure that you have a tight fitting lid that can lock and is very sturdy. These scorpions are strong and can lift the lid of an enclosure that isn't tightly locked down and squeeze through the small spaces. As far as feeding is concerned I base it mostly off the appearance of the scorpion at all stages of life. For adults I will feed them three to four large crickets or a medium dubia roach once every week or two. Once they begin to start looking plump I will cut back on the amount as well as the frequency but if they are looking thin and seem very excited to take down their prey I will increase the amount or size of the feeders that I give them. For young scorpions it is important to never attempt to feed them prey that is larger than they are. I typically use feeders that are half their size or no more than three quarters their size. If they don't eat the prey within 12 to 24 hours then I remove the prey so it doesn't provide unneeded stress and then I'll try again in a week. Due to the tropical environment in the enclosure it's important to remove dead and uneaten prey or any leftovers as soon as possible as that can attract mites, mold and gnats. Another viable option is to keep this species in a bioactive enclosure. Springtails will thrive in the damp substrate and work as a cleanup crew to help break down any organic materials. Some people like to also include isopods but that can be a little risky as isopods need calcium in their diet and there are some reports of certain species of isopods turning to the scorpion especially once it's molting to feed on them for their calcium and if you create a bioactive enclosure with living plants they will need a light source so you will need plenty of dark hides for your scorpion to retreat to. There are some reports that this species can be kept in a communal enclosure successfully but usually it is not recommended. Like most scorpions they can be territorial and exhibit cannibalism if not well fed and kept in close proximity. If you keep four or five of them in a 20 gallon enclosure with a few more hides than there are scorpions and keep them well fed you may be successful. Another reason it may not be recommended to keep them communally is because when you have male and females together you may end up with a lot of baby scorpions more than you're prepared to care for so only consider keeping them communally if you've done your research and have successfully kept one single specimen for an extended amount of time. Overall this is an awesome species and very easy to take care of. They are hardy, large and fairly docile not to mention that they're gorgeous and a lot of fun to keep and to watch. If you're looking for your very first scorpion the emperor scorpion would be fairly high on my list of suggestions. Well hopefully this video answered a lot of your care and husbandry questions but if there's something that I didn't cover make sure to ask that question down below in the comments. If you have any experience keeping this species either individually or as a communal please share your experience down below in the comments as well. It would be great to get a husbandry conversation started down below. If you want to see other videos I've done on different scorpion species just check out this playlist right here and if you want to catch up on all the past episodes from the Exotic Pet Collective check out this playlist right here. Be sure to subscribe if you want to see more content and hit that notification bell to turn on all notifications so you get an alert anytime I upload new videos.