[ASA] Tityus stigmurus caresheet

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Regards,
GS

[ASA] Tityus stigmurus caresheet



Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1876)

Origin and occurrence:
Brazil

Size of adults:
Females (6.instar): 5cm +/-

Speed:
Medium

Venom:
Medically significant. Not recommended for beginners or as starter scorpions.

Maturity:
Females can attain maturity at 6.instar

Reproduction:
Tityus stigmurus are parthenogenetic, it simply means that a mature specimen of this specie is able to impregnate itself without having a need to mate. The young born are "genetically clones" of their parents, hence all Tityus stigmurus which are circulating in the hobby are all females.

Signs of Gravid:
The following two pictures are taken 2-3 weeks before this specimen had a brood. As you can see from the sides of the pleural membrane, the physical appearance of embryos are not distinct, even at the later stage of gestation. Hence, if you have been raising specimens from 2.instar, be prepared for a brood between 2-4 months from the date of maturity to 6.instar. If you have brought specimens from sub-adult stages onwards, you may reference it's size to gauge which instar is your specimens at and be prepared for a brood.





Gestation Period:
2-4 months +/-

The birth of 1.instar scorplings:
After a gestation period of about 3 months, the matured specimen would give birth to a not overwhelmingly large but usually, a manageable 8-15 young.







Molting to 2.instar:
Keep the brooding mom well hydrated with at least 40% of the substrate surface moist and temperature at around 85-90F. Within 3-5 days from birth, the young will molt and achieve 2.instar







2.instar dismounted from mom's back:
Tityus stigmurus' young are fairly quick to dismount from their mom's back, the fastest i have experienced before is within 24 hours after their first molt to 2.instar. All of the young would have usually dismounted naturally by the fourth day.





Housing 2-3.instar :
Pill bottles of 4cm diameter and 8cm height would suffice for raising 2-3.instar scorplings.
Simple provide a vertical climb and mist a corner of the bottle every 3-5 days. As you can notice, the substrate color is dark brown and always slightly dampen as the young would require more moisture during it's growth.





Housing for 4-6.instar :
Pill bottles of 6cm base diameter and 9cm height may be used for 4-6.instar specimens. This would suffice as the minimum requirement for a single specimen.



Communal concerns:
Like the saying goes, any scorpions are communal until they are not. Communal setups are possible but my recommendation is to start at least from 4.instar onwards. Provide lots of hiding places by stacking bark pieces together (not necessarily vertical placement) and provide a shallow water dish (e.g. a bottle cap with small pebbles as bedding would suffice).

If you are just starting to breed a colony of Tityus stigmurus, it's best to house your specimens individually until they start "popping". Once you have a steady colony/supply, you may keep adults communally. As and when, as you see a brood on their backs, just proceed to "fish out" those brooding females.

2.instar (pre-molt) VS 3.instar (freshly molted):



3.instar:



Growth Rate:
1.instar >> 2.instar: 05 days
2.instar >> 3.instar: 30 days
3.instar >> 4.instar: 35 days
4.instar >> 5.instar: 42 days
5.instar >> 6.instar: 65 days

Duration to achieve reproductive maturity:
Female (6.instar): 177 days or 6 months +/-

Brooding dates for adults:
- First brood: less then 90 days after attaining maturity
- Subsequent broods: between 60 to 80 days

Husbandry / Keeping Conditions:
[ASA] Bark Scorpions' Caresheet

Regards,
GS