The numbers
Enclosure
30 × 20 × 20 cm
Diet
Gut-loaded crickets, Dubia/red-runner roaches; occasional mealworm/superworm · 1-2 prey items weekly (adults every 7-14 days); slings weekly
Temperature
26-30°C day, ~24°C night
Humidity
75-90%
Identity
Order / Family
Scorpiones
IUCN / CITES
Not CITES-listed; IUCN not assessed (wild-collection pressure noted)
Difficulty
Beginner
Commonality
Very common — the flagship pet scorpion in Thailand
Adult size
10-14 cm (some to 15 cm) body+tail
Lifespan
6-8 years (females longer)
Growth rate
Medium
Activity & niche
Nocturnal, humid forest-floor burrower; hides by day under bark/logs
Temperament
Defensive-skittish; relies on large pincers more than sting
Venom / defense
LOW venom (mild, bee-sting level); big pincers give a strong pinch. Docile but a pincher — not dangerous
Price (THB)
150-400 (Thai pet market)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
26-30°C day, ~24°C night
Humidity
75-90%
Min. enclosure
30x20x20 cm (~20 L) for one adult; floor space over height
Substrate
10-15 cm moist coco fibre/peat/topsoil that holds a burrow
Hides / decor / water
Cork-bark hide, sphagnum moss, shallow water dish always full
Diet
Staple food
Gut-loaded crickets, Dubia/red-runner roaches; occasional mealworm/superworm
Feeding frequency
1-2 prey items weekly (adults every 7-14 days); slings weekly
Supplements
Not required; nutritious gut-loaded feeders suffice
Behaviour and handling
Handling
Discouraged but not dangerous — risk is a painful pinch/rare mild sting; observe, do not handle
Communal
Semi-communal possible with heavy space, hides & food; watch for cannibalism — safest kept solo
Defense / stress signs
Pincers raised, tail arched, stridulation/hissing, fleeing to burrow
Reproduction
Reproduction
Viviparous (live birth); 20-35 white scorplings ride the mother's back until first molt
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsDehydration/mycosis if too dry-dirty; mismolt; impaction on wrong substrate
Red flags / quarantine
SignsReject sunken/wrinkled body, lethargy, dark mouthparts, mites; QT wild-caught for parasites
Good to know
- Fluoresces bright cyan-green under UV light like all scorpions
Others in this group
Emperor scorpionPandinus imperatorDesert hairy scorpionHadrurus arizonensisLaotian / Vietnamese giant forest scorpionHeterometrus laoticusDeathstalkerLeiurus quinquestriatusYellow fat-tailed scorpion (australis)Androctonus australisArizona bark scorpionCentruroides sculpturatusGiant forest scorpion (longimanus)Heterometrus longimanusTanzanian red-claw scorpionPandinurus cavimanus (ex Pandinus)