A Scorpion Collection

Details of my own specimens

Introduction

I have a small collection of European scorpions, specifically Euscorpius flavicaudis.
The first group of specimens were acquired at the beginning of August 2001.

Note: as of spring 2004 the tank is no longer in use because all of the scorpions have died.
However, I have left this page intact for reference purposes in case anybody is interested.

How they were acquired

I collected them personally one evening from the Sheerness Docks on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent.
They were extracted from the dockyard perimeter wall. Several of them were on the surface and simply picked off. Some had to be carefully extracted from crevices in the brickwork where the mortar had worn away.

Weather Conditions: warm (around 20 degrees Celsius) with a slight breeze; the moon was almost full. I used a portable UV blacklight to locate them in the darkness, holding it at around one metre's distance.

Details of the collection

Initially, a total of 19 scorpions were collected, breakdown as follows:-

Notes:
 a. one large female killed removing from wall crevice (pincer accidentally pulled off)
 b. one large (possibly pregnant?) female killed by male cage-mate in the early hours of 2 August
 c. one juvenile killed (squashed) during collection

That left 16 surviving scorpions following their collection.
One of the medium sized males may actually be a female, but it is difficult to be sure at this stage.

Birth

On 15 August the remaining large (isolated) female scorpion gave birth to around 25 tiny white babies. They look like swollen rice grains, each one about 3mm in length and chubby in appearance. Most were positioned on the female's back, with some hanging underneath and a few on the tail. It was pretty crowded! I observed the mother eating one of them the next day (she may possibly have eaten more than one).

For several days beforehand she appeared restless and refused to eat. Her abdomen swelled noticeably and tiny white baby scorpions were observed inside her. She also became very aggressive when lightly touched with forceps, grasping fiercely at the annoyance (although she never used her sting).

The minimum daytime tank temperature immediately before and during the birth period was 20 degrees Celsius with a maximum of 29-30 degrees (on one day only). On average it hovered around 24 degrees. Following the birth the humidity was increased by misting the tank with a water spray every day.

The mother remained in hiding beneath some stones following the birth and did not taken any food for several days, by which time the babies had begun to scatter and had shed several molts.

Latest Developments…


2001
16 August: a medium sized male was killed by another cage-mate (a large male).
24 August: a baby scorpion was found dead floating in the water dish, presumably drowned.
25 August: another baby scorpion was found dead in the water dish.
25 August: another female (medium sized) gave birth unexpectedly in the communal tank and was removed.
25 August: large male found dead.
25 August: status - 14 live specimens remaining (not counting the babies).

Interesting note: the babies managed to climb the corners of the tank via the silicone sealant; the adults have not demonstrated this ability.

1 September: all of the babies from the first pregnant female have dispersed and most of the babies from the second pregnant female have also dispersed.
2 September: evidence of cannibalism amongst the babies (16 remaining).
26 October: a large female (the one that gave birth first) was found dead; it was also infested with tiny mites.
14 December: a medium size male was found dead, with a portion of its underside having been eaten away.

2002
22 February: a baby scorpion was found dead floating in the water dish, drowned.
25 February: a baby scorpion was found dead floating in the water dish, plus another one found dead beneath a stone.
27 February: another baby scorpion was found dead floating in the water dish.
3 March: three more baby scorpions found dead, causes unknown.
6 March: one more baby scorpion found dead.
29 March: yet another baby scorpion found dead.
4 April: and another!
5 April: a medium sized adult male found dead.
6 April: another baby scorpion found dead.
8 April: and another.
The baby scorpions are housed in a separate plastic container. With the recent number of fatalities amongst the young scorpions, it would seem that some form of contamination has occurred in the container. This may have been introduced via live foods, i.e. crickets. Alternatively, due to a rather damp substrate it is possible that the environment may have become unsuitable, even causing the deaths.
10 April: a juvenile scorpion is showing signs of imminent death. It has been removed to a new separate container, although it is unlikely to survive judging by its weak state of health.
12 April: another baby scorpion found dead.
13 April: the juvenile scorpion was found dead.
13 May: one baby scorpion found dead (with a pincer and a leg chewed off).

Collection Trip (11th June 2002)
I was asked to give an interview at Sheerness Dockyards, for a programme called "Ten Things" (Maverick TV). As the weather conditions were unfavourable (heavy rain), I was able to collect only 3 medium sized females.

18 July: two more baby scorpions found dead.
18 July: large pregnant female died while giving birth - only 3 babies born, which did not survive.
27 August: a small/medium sized female gave birth unexpectedly, delivering about 15 babies.
10 September: a small/medium sized male found dead and partially eaten!
10 September: two baby scorpions found dead floating in the water dish, drowned.
12 October: a medium/large sized male found dead and half eaten! A medium sized male seen with one claw missing. All remaining baby scorpions from last year now dead and only 3 from this year remain alive.

2003
27 February: A medium sized female found dead. Only one baby scorpion from last July remains alive.
26 April: The last remaining juvenile scorpion has moulted.
10 June: a medium sized male found dead and half eaten (the one with one claw missing).
25 July: a small/medium sized male found dead (no obvious reason).
2 August: another medium sized male found dead (no obvious reason).
5 August: the largest male found dead (no obvious reason).
Note: during early August 2003 the weather in the UK was extremely hot with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius. The temperature in the tank housing the scorpions reached a high of 27 degrees Celsius and the tank was misted with clean water twice a day to prevent dehydration. However, the unusually high temperatures may not necessarily have been the cause of all the sudden deaths during the period.
27 August: medium sized male found dead.

2004
3 March: last remaining medium sized female found dead.
15 May: very last scorpion (juvenile, about two years old) found dead.

The tank has now been emptied and the collection abandoned.

 
©  Copyright 2004   Gary J. Drew