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Feeding is one of the most interesting aspects of owning a scorpion in my opinion.
Large scorpions will eat just about anything they can get their claws on. Store bought cric kets are the best choice, as they are fairly low in fat and high in protein. I have noticed that large emperors can eat a lot of them due to their rather small size, so plan on feeding your emperor a bunch of crickets every few days. I usually give each one of my emperors about 4 crickets a week, and they do fairly well on this diet.
When primarily using crickets, you won’t see your scorpion use it’s sting much. I would say about 98% of the time adult emperors will just use their claws to eat the crickets. Emperors rarely use their stings.
A variety of insect should be introduced into the scorpions diet to ensure it is getting all of the necessary nutrients and essential fatty acids. Some other choices include:
Mealworms or superworms
It is fun to watch scorpion eat these because they munch on them like a corn on a cob. Unfortunately, these worms can be problematic due to the fact that they will immediately burrow into the soil once they are placed into the cage. To remedy this problem, place the worms into a little jar or lid and then place them into the cage. Use these worms sparingly as they have a very high fat content. Since worms are larger, you won’t have to feed your scorpion as often as you would when just using crickets.
Pinky Mice / hairy mice
It is quite a site to see a scorpion munch on a mouse. Unfortunately, scorpions are very messy with these, and if you do not clean up the mess that they create, bacteria and pesky mites can start to infiltrate your cage.
Be really careful when feeding your emperor hairy mice, as the mice will be able to fight back and possibly kill the scorpion. Either pre kill the mouse or buy frozen ones at the pet store.
If you have small baby emperor scorpions, you should purchase pin head crickets.
No matter what you decide to feed your scorpion, it is vital that you are certain the insect has not been contaminated with pesticides or any other chemicals. It is a bad idea to use wild caught prey. I
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Emperor scorpions do tend to stuff themselves, and some people say that they can overeat. As a general rule of thumb, stop feeding your emperor with the white membranes between their body segments start to protrude.
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