Vaejovis carolinianus Informative Paper

General:

Vaejovis carolinianus is a small species of the family Vaejovidae. They measure about 3cm, although the size of the specimen varies depending on its origin. It is the only species from its family found in the Southeastern United States. Its distribution includes the following states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Virginia. It lives in humid areas, mainly pine forest with lots of ground cover (leaves, fallen pine trees, pine straw, etc.).

Housing:

Vaejovis carolinianus prefer warm, moist environments with a relative humidity around 70-80% and temperatures around 82-88°F (28-31°C). To achieve the desired humidity, it is best to use peat moss or a similar substrate that does not contain any pesticides. Place about 2 in. (5cm) of substrate on the bottom of the enclosure and keep it moist. This species should also be provided with a shallow water dish, since they will often be observed drinking from it. Although the adults are hardy and can withstand fairly long periods of low humidity, the young perish quickly if in a dry environment.

This species spends most of its time on the ground, so their hides should consist of flat bark, leaves, stones, or similar objects. If the substrate is allowed to dry out past their preferred range, they can often be found huddled together under a moist object, such as the water dish. They do burrow occasionally, although the burrows are generally just beneath a stone or a piece of bark. In the wild, they can often be found underneath the bark of a fallen pine tree.

Feeding:

Vaejovis carolinianus are generally very aggressive eaters and will accept crickets readily. However, they also have a tendency, like many scorpions, to gorge themselves and go for relatively long periods of time without food. They will fast for about 2 months after gorging themselves if kept at warm temperatures, but they can go much longer if kept at cool temperatures (e.g. 70°F or 21°C).

Reproduction:

Vaejovis carolinianus with 1st Instar Young Image

Females of this species generally give birth around August or September. They give birth to an average of 16 scorplings. This average was taken from thirteen specimens. The most scorplings in any of the recorded broods was 25, the least was 8. Once born, the young will crawl on the mother’s back and stay there until they have molted once. After coming down from the mother, the young should be separated as they are highly cannibalistic. However, once they are mature, they may be reintroduced because they do very well as adults in captive, communal colonies. This species grows slowly, but the growth rate can be accelerated by keeping them warm and well fed.