A General Overview of Three Scorpions of the Genus Parabuthus in the Pet Trade

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Parabuthus mossambicensis (Peters, 1861)

Distribution: East of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Sympatric with P. transvaalicus throughout its range.

Description: Up to 3.1 in [80 mm] in total length. Reddish-brown to almost orange; similar in color to the sand where it lives.

Habits: A semi-psammophilous [semi-sand-dwelling] scorpion that creates burrows in open ground or the base of shrubs. It lives on sandy or gritty substrate, which may be slightly or tightly packed.

Remarks: May spray venom when disturbed.

Parabuthus transvaalicus Purcell, 1899

Distribution: East of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Sympatric with P. mossambicensis throughout its range.

Description: Up to 5.9 in [150 mm] in total length. Uniformly black except for brownish tips of the legs and pincers.

Habits:Typically found in rocky areas where it hides beneath rocks, surface litter and vegetation.

Remarks: May flick (squirt) venom when disturbed.

Captive Husbandry

A terrarium of 12 x 8 x 8 in [30 x 20 x 20 cm] is of sufficient size to house one adult specimen or a breeding pair. A substrate of one part peat to two parts sand works well. Adding the peat to the sand substrate decreases the fluidity of the sand and allows the scorpion to dig a stable burrow. Many Parabuthus species are good diggers and create their own burrows; other species seek shelter among stones, wood, roots and other ground cover. Some rocks (e.g., flat pieces of slate) and cork bark should be offered as hiding places.

The humidity must generally be quite low, but it varies according to the origin of the species. For the majority of Parabuthus the substrate must be completely dry, with only some light misting two or three times per month to produce water droplets for the scorpion to drink. Both P. liosoma and P. mossambicensis are susceptible to fungal infections and excessive humidity may lead to quick death. Therefore, water dishes are not recommended for these two species and misting should be less frequent. However, P. transvaalicus tolerate somewhat higher humidity and a small shallow water dish may be left in the cage at all times. For all three species a slight elevation in terrarium humidity may be helpful for gravid females.

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