PANDINUS IMPERATOR / Emperor Scorpion
Family: Scorpionidae
Common name(s): Emperor, Imperial
Location: Togo, Ghana (West Africa)
Size: 12cm +
Faunarium: large size for one adult specimen, or a pair
Substrate: Coco-fibre
Temperature: 29°C +
Humidity: 80% +
Toxicity: Very mild venom (1 out of 5)
Keeper level: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Food...
Adults will eat medium and large crickets; medium, large or XL hoppers, adult locusts, large roaches and other feeders. Scorplings will eat smaller crickets and hoppers.
Overview...
They are very robust and powerful scorpions.
They are typically a docile species of scorpion.
They are the recommended species for beginners to the hobby.
They are a long lived species.
Click for full image gallery of all species covered
Personal Observations...
Unusually, my female imperator is my most aggressive scorpion currently.
If tailed she ferociously rears up and attempts to mash her "assailant" with her powerful pincers
and chelicerae (mouth parts). She is also my only scorpion that will come out to the mouth of her scrape on the offensive to face me, and will attack and pursue my tweezers readily if I tap them just outside the entrance to her scrape.
So in terms of temperament she is atypical, but in terms of appetite very typical for an emperor. She has consumed as many as four fully grown locusts in a single day, normally capturing two, devouring one and holding the second in a single pincer.
She will also flick her tail if threatened, and although not with any real menace I am sure it would
not be a dry sting if I was to be tagged by her.
I purposely introduced an adult male while she was still sub-adult (and thus much smaller). The reason being that she was so aggressive. The male was a typical imperator and very docile although too big to be bothered by the smaller female at first. She eventually molted to adult and not too long after I witnessed them mating, however the spermatophore could not be fixed and inserted and therefore the attempt was unsuccessful. Shortly afterwards she killed the male (but never consumed him). I might attempt to breed this species at a later date.
Finally, I believe this is the best scorpion to begin the hobby with, even though I personally got a
very aggressive member of this species! However, as I mentioned, this is not typical and since this species is normally docile, hardy, long lived and very impressive in it's size, appearance and power, it makes it a desirable (and recommended) species to people of all levels in the hobby.
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