# How to sex scorpions



## Young_Gun

Males have larger pectines which have more 'teeth' and provide a more comb like appearance than females.

To sex your scorpion with the minimum amount of stress gently coax it into a cricket tub/takeaway container etc. and then you can easily see the pectines (which are underneath the scorpion just before the last set of legs) and this also helps when taking pictures for definite ID.


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## lee-travis

this is definately the way to do this. A lot of people i know look at the pedipalps, looking at the granulations and the curviness of the inner surface. However this does not work for most species.


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## corpselight

in some species, if i'm not wrong, the pectines are not different enough to tell apart, if at all. 
if people could post their data about individual species like this, it'd be great!
i have a number of unsexed individuals of the following spp, and i'm unsure how to sex, whether by pectine or other method.

Opistophthalmus wahlbergi
Caraboctonus keyserlingi
Bothriurus keyserlingi
Bothriurus coriaceus
Iomachus politus
Hadrugenes paucidens (i think. sold as troglodytes, but not convinced)
Vaejovis spinigerus

one of the problems is being unable to compare to sexed individuals, so pics would help thanks!


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## jen1302

*Emperor Scorpion*

I'm a rat snake/tarantula person and i'm seriously thinking of getting Emperor Scorpion/s.

The items i have at the moment is substrates of either Cocofibre/Vermiculite/Forest bed and heatmat 6x11.

Which is the best option as i have been told virmiculite or forest bed type.

The setup i'm getting is as below.

Viv 48x31x18cm
Thermometer
Hygrometer is there anything i have forgotten beside what i have already and hide/water bowl.


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## jen1302

*Scorpions*

Shop where i get my snake/tarantula food from can get me less-tail whip can i use the same type of setup for a emperor.

As said in previous message above posted.


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## ferretlad

That was very interesting, I always wondered what sex my scorpion was, and now with your ingenuous method i now know its a male. Thanks.


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## Mark88

Are there any more ways of sexing scorpions? I've been told something about the part just above the pectines. Something about it being split or one piece. Not quite sure.


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## GRB

Incidently, this is also similar to how you sex whip scorpions (uropygids).


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## iiisecondcreep

What age can Emps be sexed from?

2 of my little ones are dancing with the side of their house next to each other atm so i am getting a good look at their bellies and there appears to be a noticable size difference in their pectines.

Is it likely they are male and female or do size differences in youngsters pectines not really matter? (they are about 3" atm).


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## Young_Gun

iiisecondcreep said:


> What age can Emps be sexed from?
> 
> 2 of my little ones are dancing with the side of their house next to each other atm so i am getting a good look at their bellies and there appears to be a noticable size difference in their pectines.
> 
> Is it likely they are male and female or do size differences in youngsters pectines not really matter? (they are about 3" atm).


They can be reliably sexed from around L3.


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## iiisecondcreep

Excellent


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## bEnNy THE BeArDeD

cool thanks i never knew that cheers


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## connord94

Mark88 said:


> Are there any more ways of sexing scorpions? I've been told something about the part just above the pectines. Something about it being split or one piece. Not quite sure.


Not sure if some-one has already told you, but thats the way i did it, If its just a plain oval, you've a male, if it's 'like a flies head' you've a female, I've a male 


Connor


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## s_f_o_s

Cheers for the thread, now I know I have a girl. Just out of interest is there much difference in size or lifespan between male and female Emps, I litterally have no clue how long they live.


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## binksyboy3

Yeah, males are slightly smaller than females.
Males live for an average of 4-5 years,
Females live for an average of 6-8 years.

Hope this helps.


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## The T Lord

Genious idea Roy 
John


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## herps06

*For corpselight*

Generally the claws of the females are more slender than the males.


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## morelia spilota

in eps(pandinus emperator) you can look at the operculum(the bit between the pectines)it is used in mating the males deposits a spermatophore from it and the female takes it up into hers, but aniway the females operculum is love heart shaped and the males is shaped like a rougby ball, but in many other species you have to look at the length of the pectines and the length of the teeth the males are longer and females shorter


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## biggusdaveus

*how to sex scorpions*

at wot age of the scorp can you sex it? i have 4 pandinus imperator's they are all about 5 months old


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## rum&coke

sorry if this is a dumb question what are the pectines used for my emp some times is pressed up against the glass flapping them around.
What is it trying to do?


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## lukeyboi

*cheers mate*

cheers mate i have 4 asian forest scorpions and looking for more now i can sex them easy cheers bud


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## SAM .

Just got 2 young scorpions...... bt they aint big enough to sex yet!


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## xxstaggyxx

well i have managed to sex one of my black forest scorpions and now know it is a male just waiting on the other to come out of hiding so i can find out what sex it is cheers for the guide


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## steven_law

thanq ive found this very helpfull


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## Simon M

Very clear picture! 

But can the *next thread be*-

'How to look at the underside of a scorpion without being stung?' :lol2:


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## My plague

Simon M said:


> Very clear picture!
> 
> But can the *next thread be*-
> 
> 'How to look at the underside of a scorpion without being stung?' :lol2:


 
LOL, It'd be like, "OI! Stop looking at my parts!!" :lol2:

Ah, I make me laugh :crazy:


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