How to Keep A Scorpion As A Pet - Safely

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By tucsondad
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Bark Scorpion

Scorpions are fascinating creatures. Like black widows and rattlesnakes, these desert dwellers inspire awe, fear, and amazement in most people. They offer a vicious sting, as well as hours of entertainment when kept as a pet. Doing so safely can be relatively simple - here's how.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

A Small Aquarium
Gloves
A small glass jar
A stick
Crickets
Bottle cap
A desk/heat lamp

Step 1

The first step is not to catch a scorpion - but rather to prepare yourself for dealing with a caught scorpion. You want to be totally prepared before you have a scorpion on a your hands. Set up a small aquarium for the scorpion. It is highly recommended that a screened lid be affixed to the aquarium, to prevent escape and discourage children or pets from reaching in.
Step 2

Under a black light

Plan on just having one or two scorpions at first, so you won't need a large living space. A rock or curved piece of bark for the scorpion to hide under, maybe a stick for it to climb, and a small bottle cap to offer water. Scorpions will get most of the water they need from their prey - but having water available can prolong the lifespan of your scorpion in captivity. Arrange to have a desk lamp nearby to offer the simulated heat of the desert. While this isn't necessary, it will work to create a more realistic environment for your little pet. A black light nearby will make nighttime viewing much more interesting - as most scorpion species glow in such light.
Step 3

Scorpions eat very little. One cricket will last it days - so there is no need to keep a supply on hand. But plan to offer it at least one cricket, preferably live, when it first enters it's new habitat. Cover the bottom of the aquarium with either gravel or dirt. Gravel is highly recommended since you will need to occasionally clean out the cage. For more on this operation, see step #8.
Step 4

To find and catch a scorpion, one must simply know where to look. See my article "How to catch a pet scorpion" for more detailed instructions. Suffice it to say here that looking underneath rocks, downed trees, and large pieces of bark in either the forest or desert is your best bet. The gloves are a great idea during this phase of the operation.
Step 5

One you find a scorpion, use a stick and the small glass jar (like a jelly jar) to catch and secure the scorpion. Punch small holes in the lid, but otherwise there's nothing to it.
Step 6

Transferring the scorpion into it's home environment is as simple as dumping him in. Be sure you have the aquarium set up precisely how you want it, as you won't be reaching in after he's at home.
Step 7

Scorpion food

To feed your new pet, simply toss a few crickets into the cage with him. Don't expect a quick attack like you might when feeding mice to a snake. The scorpion probably won't react at all to the introduction of the crickets.
Step 8

Plan to clean out the cage at least once per month. Scorpions will remove the heads and legs of the crickets as it eats them, and these cricket parts will need to be removed periodically. To do this, simply remove the scorpion to a glass jar. Usually you can simply prod it into the jar with a pencil or small stick. Dump out the contents of the cage and then either separate the cricket parts from the gravel or replace it with new gravel. I recommend simply dumping the contents into a large cardboard box. As you tilt the box, the gravel will roll to one side while the cricket pieces stay put. You can also try a vacuum cleaner to suck up the lighter cricket pieces while leaving the gravel behind.

Comments

momose said

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on 8/31/2009 My grandson would love to catch a scorpion! Around here he has to make do with the most ferocious creepy crawlies being centipedes or wolf spiders, and his beloved snakes. This is a very good article with well articulated steps for scorpion care. Thanks, Tucsondad! *****