Asian Forest Scorpion

Heterometrus spinifer

ScorpionbeginnerVenom: MildCommunal OK

Venom note

Sting comparable to a bee/wasp. Heterometrus species are quicker to brandish chela and pinch than Pandinus.

About

Asian Forest Scorpion — a close husbandry analogue to Pandinus imperator, slightly smaller and noticeably feistier. Same damp-substrate forest setup. Communal in adequate space with multiple hides, though cannibalism risk is higher than Pandinus during/after molts. Often mislabeled in the pet trade as H. longimanus; the two are similar enough that care is interchangeable.

Taxonomy

FamilyScorpionidae

GenusHeterometrus

Native regionSoutheast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand)

TypeFossorial

Temperamentdefensive

Size & growth

Adult size4-5 inches

Length100.00–130.00 mm

Growth ratemedium

Climate

Temperature75–85 °F

Humidity70–85%

Enclosure

Juvenile size6x6x6"

Adult size12x12x12" / 10-gallon equivalent

SubstrateCoco fiber + sphagnum, kept damp

Substrate depth4 inches

Water dishRequired

Feeding

Feeding modePredator (live prey)

Prey sizeRoaches, crickets sized to scorpion's chela

Juvenile cadenceTwice per week

Adult cadenceOnce per week

Times kept: 4