# Scorpions and heat, do they really need it?



## gray1 (May 24, 2010)

Giant desert hairy scoprions should supposedly be kept between 75F (23C) to 85f (29C). Then there are people who say scorpions don't like heat and they burrow to get away from the hot day, that they are more active in cooler temperatures. Some things say if you don't provide the extra heat they'll just grow slower.

So is getting a giant desert scoprion tank upto 29C really all the important during they day? Considering they want to stay away from the heat, what is the point in providing the extra heat?

It would be interesting to hear from people who keep any scorpion in general really. Do you use extra heat? What is the temperature of your tank during the day and how active is your scorpion?

and well... the general question if I had a giant desert hairy scoprion in a tank that was always around 22C it wouldn't kill it right?


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## Biggys (Jun 6, 2010)

I have all of my scorps sat on top a my bosc montior viv, so the heat seeps up from the Viv below, it keeps at a nice temp, I have never had any problems, also I found my scorps ate alot better and are more active when kept warm, 

Hope this helps 

Tyler,


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## AZUK (Jul 9, 2007)

I keep mine in a temperature controlled room, which is around the mid 80's
never had a problem with the Desert Hairy's. The most critical thing with these guys is moisture or complete lack of it.


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## callum b (Sep 8, 2008)

I see the point your getting at but I think if you didn't heat your enclosure by some means you wouldn't be providing the scorpion with proper care. Yes it may well 'survive' at room temperature but it will not thrive. 
When I first got my current H. arizonensis I struggled to get the temp in the enclosure above 23c. Because of this I never saw it. In the wild a desert hairy would retreat to it's burrow over the cooler winter months. This is fine and natural but not if it has to endure this 'coolness' over the whole year. 
A desert hairies burrow will have different temperatures at different depths and it will use this 'temperature gradient' to regulate its own body temperature. By relying solely on the heat of your house then it will not be able to do this as the temp will stay constant no matter where it is. You need to provide a form of heat above ground so that it has the choice of what temperature it wants to be at.
Not only will this keep the scorpion happy it will mean you will see it alot more as it will have the 'energy' to come out of hiding and explore and hunt for food. A small heat mat is only around £10 - £15 so for the sake of the scorpion you may as well heat the enclosure.


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## Paul c 1 (Sep 30, 2009)

*


callum b said:



I see the point your getting at but I think if you didn't heat your enclosure by some means you wouldn't be providing the scorpion with proper care. Yes it may well 'survive' at room temperature but it will not thrive.

Click to expand...

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callum b said:


> > ^^ This ^^
> >
> > I've had lots of Hadrurus scorpions in the past, and for them to regulate and live at there peak, they need heat.
> >
> > ...


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## Guest (May 5, 2011)

When people say scorpions burrow to escape the heat, they usually mean the blistering 40-50c heat of the desert, not 29c provided by a heat mat...

As others have said, alot of scorpions will 'survive' without heat, but generally speaking they need some form of it. Juveniles in particular often need elevated temperatures in order to moult.


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## gray1 (May 24, 2010)

I only asked really because I'm debating how to heat the tank and wondering whether I really needed to do it all.

I find heatmats on the side of tanks terrible, even with polystrene backing to hold the heat. Tested one on the tank and it's doing nothing, completely useless.

I'd use a regular house light but it's blinding. I wanted to avoid going down the infrared or ceramic route as it's a bit overkill >_<


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## callum b (Sep 8, 2008)

Sorry if I responded a bit harshly. I did not mean to offend. 
Yer heatmats can be useless sometimes. I find using one that covers nearly the entire back of the enclosure and then placing inch thick polystyrene behind it works good enough. Also putting a sheet of tinfoil between the mat and the styrene can help.


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## JurassicParking (Nov 20, 2010)

My heatmatts are consistently emitting temps of around 80f. On all three of my tanks too. (I'm a tank-within-a-tank guy..)


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## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

I too have this problem with heatmats... they just don't work on faunariums or rubs unless you put them below the enclosure which for some species just isn't the right thing to do... Even with thick sheets of polysterene on my heatmats they still won't heat a plastic tank as much as I want them too =/


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## JurassicParking (Nov 20, 2010)

Use a heat strip or put the rubs inside of a bigger glass tank? You can heat all the tanks that way.


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## callum b (Sep 8, 2008)

Yer they don't really work with plastic tanks. If you are using a glass tank for the desert hairy and your house is not freezing then an appropriately sized heat mat should work fine.


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