Androctonus bicolor Care

Distribution: Africa

Housing: Plastic storage containers, aquariums, etc.

The young are best housed individually in small deli containers with a hide and several small holes for ventilation.

The adults do best if housed individually or in pairs (if fed regularly). Housing options include plastic storage boxes with holes drilled in them or aquariums. A water dish should be provided twice a month for the adults to drink from. Also, an ample number of hides should be provided.

Substrate: Peat moss or coco fiber & sand

Place 2-4 in. or 5-10 cm of a 40% peat moss or coco fiber and 60% sand mixture on the bottom of the enclosure or use 100% sand and mist a portion of the substrate, very lightly, approximately every month.

Temperature: 70-90°F or 21-32°C

Maintain the temperature at 70-90°F or 21-32°C. The higher the temperature (within this range) the faster the scorpions will grow, breed, and give birth.

Humidity: 50-60%

Diet: Crickets or roaches

Feed the scorpions crickets or roaches that are smaller than the scorpion itself. Feed the adults once every week and the juveniles twice weekly. Remove prey if it has not been eaten within 24 hours and also remove any remains of eaten prey, such as legs, wings, etc.

Reproduction: Sexual

Sexing: Males have 26-32 pectine teeth. Females have 20-27 pectine teeth.

A. bicolor males tend to have thinner bodies, which makes them appear to have a thicker tail. However, sexing by appearance is not very reliable; it is best to count the pectine teeth.

Venom level: 4 of 5

The venom of this scorpion is quite toxic. When placed on a scale from 1-5, where 1 is mildly toxic venom and 5 is extremely toxic venom, it is a 4.