The Emperor Scorpion

Housing

Common emperor scorpions should be kept on a substrate of damp potting soil
with large flat stones on the surface. The substrate should be three to six inches
deep to allow for extensive burrowing. This habitat is great for planting various
plants with low light requirements like ferns. Live plants help keep the humidity
high and add an additional aesthetic value to the whole set up. Humidity must be
kept high (this is very important). Without proper humidity, the young will likely
fail to molt properly and die, or at least suffer a disabling injury. The temperature
range should be 70-90ºF with an occasional increase to 100ºF. Reports from
other collectors suggest that an increase to 100ºF for a week or so during the
daytime may stimulate the female to give birth. My specimens always seem to
give birth during the first heat wave of spring or summer. This species can
usually be kept in groups if the terrarium is large enough. For just one specimen,
a ten gallon terrarium should do. For larger numbers, increase the size of the
terrarium so they don't feel so crowded and it will reduce the likelihood of
fighting. If you get a rather aggressive individual that doesn't play well with
others, separate it from the group. It may kill some of the others. I keep other
species of Pandinus and Heterometrus with my common emperors with no
serious fights to date. I'm keeping them with my Pandinus viatoris (Pocock
1890), Heterometrus cyaneus (Koch 1836) and Heterometrus spinifer (Hemprich
& Ehrenberg 1828). They eventually acclimate to each other and even share
burrows. If other species are housed with common emperor scorpions, they must
be roughly the same size and require the same habitat. There is no guarantee
your specimens won't fight if you mix species, so do so at your own risk. Don't
mix them with desert species for obvious reasons. Smaller scorpions of different
species are likely to be eaten.