Pregnant Scorpion, time period until i should remove scorplings?

from wikipedia

Reproduction

Emperors, like all scorpions, give live birth to their young. Gestation can last 9 to 18 months depending on temperature and food availability, when an average of 12 young are born. Baby scorpions, called scorplings, are born very vulnerable and unable to fend for themselves. The mother emperor cares for her babies in a number of ways, such as fiercely defending them and killing prey for them. Like all scorpions, the young emperors ride on the mother's back when very small. As they molt and grow, they will begin to venture off their mothers back, explore the world and attempt to catch prey. For a few months the scorplings will return to their mothers back when frightened, until eventually the scorplings make burrows of their own and become independent.

damn why didn't i think of wiki!

Hmm so the gestation could be a while, not sure how long the previous owner thought it had possibly been pregnant for, i think they said a few months. So i could be in for a wait.

gosh and months of dependance not just weeks! I knew the mother shared food with them and cared for them but i assumed that was for 3-4 weeks while they stayed mainly on her back not them returning to her back even after a couple of moults. Will be interesting to see.

I like the word 'scorplings'

I'll answer this in the morning when I am sober.

And that time is now.

I had an emp that was pregnant. Be aware, as the Wiki info said, it can take 9-12 months to give birth. Mine gave birth a few months afer I got her.

Basically, she will look very fat. Then, towards the end, the last few weeks/months she will stop eating, and will become more aggressive. Then, one day, you'll go to her tank to find 1 or more little scorplings on her back, pure white.

It is vital you dont disturb at this stage, as she may well eat them. Keep the temperature nice and high (around 30C on the warm end), give her some deep substrate, like eco earth, keep it moist, and some nice hides, and keep it very very humid. You're really looking at approaching 100% humidity whilst the babies are on the back, else the babies are liable to not be able to moult, and die.

Offer food whilst the babies are on her back, but dont disturb her. Probably best to try pre-killed cricks. Remove any uneaten food every couple of days. The babies will stay on the mothers back until their first moult (ie, until they are 2I). My babies (she had 27!) took 11 days to moult, and then 2 more days to come off her back. That pic above is post-first moult, ie 2I.

Once they start coming off her back, seperate them into individual tubs, with small water bowl, and hide for each (like a bottle lid). Feed appropriately sized crickets every 5-7 days. Be careful not to let them get too fat, I have found that seemed to make them more likely to have problems moulting from 2I-3I. 5/27 of mine died.

And, good luck Post some pics for us all to see!

Ash

Ash....RFUK? PM me man!

I'll answer this in the morning when I am sober. I had an emp scorp that had 27 babies, so I should be able to help.



Gimme a few hours

That is entire image is sooo ugly! Fascinating But ugly!
How long have you been keeping scorpians, Ash?

Aww, how mean! I think they're cute In a "big bundle of leggy baby arachnids" sort of way.

Erm, just over a year I got that one in the picture. She had 27 babies, I raised and sold them, and now have 4 of various species. Soon to be 5... adding another one to make a pair of one species, so I can make more baba scorpions