Four good first scorpions, how their setups differ, and what each one needs for an enclosure.
Start with an Emperor for the calm classic, a Giant Desert Hairy for a dry setup, a Ruby Rock for a tiny captive-bred project, or a Striped Devil for a compact adult. Every scorpion stays hands-off. Build the enclosure around the exact species and size before it arrives.
Best all-around beginner
Pandinus imperator. Tropical burrower.
The easiest all-around first scorpion if you want a large, slower animal and can manage a deep, damp, well-ventilated setup.
Handling: Best left alone
Big desert showpiece
Hadrurus arizonensis. Desert burrower.
A big desert display for a keeper who would rather manage dry substrate than tropical humidity.
Handling: Best left alone
Tiny captive-bred project
Diplocentrus spitzeri. Semi-arid burrower.
A small captive-bred project for someone happy to start with a 1/4–1/2 inch scorpling and raise it slowly.
Handling: Best left alone
Compact and active
Paravaejovis spinigerus. Desert burrower.
A compact adult desert scorpion for someone who wants simple dry care and can stay calm around a quicker animal when the lid opens.
Handling: Best left alone
Measure from the front of the body to the tail tip while the scorpion is extended normally. Do not count the claws.
Choose Ground or Tree & bark, find its current length, and compare hobby practice, LICG guidance and the setup that fits now. If it falls between sizes, move up unless a product card gives a species-specific range. A grow-out fits now and needs an upgrade as the animal grows. Ordering a mixed-size animal? Ask us to match the enclosure before it ships.
No universal U.S. vet size ladder was found. LICG and common hobby practice land on the same floor numbers, though they come from different evidence. Both compare floor only, so every setup still needs the substrate depth and lid clearance its species calls for. LICG separately recommends about 4 in of substrate for burrowers. Adult vet checks: Emperor 20 × 10 × 12 in with 4–6 in of substrate; Asian Forest 10 gal, roughly half-filled with substrate; Desert Hairy 2.5–5 gal. Deathstalker mentions below are Spice 5 floor-size steps only: inspect every vent, seam and lid gap, use tool-only service access and add secondary containment.
| Current total length | Hobby practice | LICG floor guide | Shop the right setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current total lengthUp to 0.5 in | Hobby practiceAbout 1.5 × 1 in of floor | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 1.5 × 1 in |
Shop the right setup
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| Current total length1 in | Hobby practiceAbout 3 × 2 in of floor | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 3 × 2 in |
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| Current total length2 in | Hobby practiceAbout 6 × 4 in of floor | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 6 × 4 in |
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| Current total length3 in | Hobby practiceAbout 9 × 6 in of floor | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 9 × 6 in |
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| Current total length4 in | Hobby practiceAbout 12 × 8 in of floor | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 12 × 8 in |
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| Current total length5 in+ | Hobby practiceCalculate from the measured animal | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: L = 3× total length; W = 2× total length |
Shop the right setup
Need a larger enclosure?
Send us the species and current length. We'll help size the next setup. Get a size match |
The hobby column shows the practical vertical setup; there is no universal hobby height multiplier. No numeric U.S. vet enclosure figure was found for Arizona Bark or Babycurus jacksoni. LICG adds a floor minimum and says the scorpion must not reach the lid when upright, but gives no numeric height target. Add anchored cork and the right substrate for the species. Arizona Bark is medically significant: keep every opening smaller than the animal, use tool-only service access and add secondary containment. Big Z's Tanzanian Red-Clawed is Babycurus jacksoni.
| Current total length | Hobby practice | LICG floor guide | Shop the right setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current total lengthUp to 0.5 in | Hobby practiceCompact vertical nursery | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 1.5 × 1 in |
Shop the right setup
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| Current total length1 in | Hobby practiceAnchored cork setup | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 3 × 2 in |
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| Current total length2 in | Hobby practiceRoomier Babycurus setup | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 6 × 4 in |
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| Current total length3 in | Hobby practiceAdult setup varies by species | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: 9 × 6 in |
Shop the right setup
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| Current total length4 in+ | Hobby practiceCustom vertical build | LICG floor guideLICG floor minimum: L = 3× total length; W = 2× total length |
Shop the right setup
Need a larger enclosure?
Send us the species and current length. We'll help size the next setup. Get a size match |
Product names show outside dimensions. Acrylic, substrate, cork and hides reduce usable space, so size up if the animal would only just fit on paper.
Hobby practice. A published hobby care sheet and keeper discussions use about 3× total length long by 2× wide for ground scorpions. It is a working practice target, not a tested welfare minimum or height formula.
U.S. vet search. We found species-specific adult guidance, but no universal U.S. veterinary size ladder that can honestly fill every row.
LICG floor guide. The Dutch LICG scorpion guide calls for a floor at least 3× total length long by 2× total length wide, plus enough height that the scorpion cannot reach the lid when upright. LICG describes an independent review process, but this scorpion page does not name its reviewer or identify a veterinarian as its author. Our team reads German, not Dutch, so we used a translation and may have missed some nuance. The row values calculate only floor space; they do not certify a product's substrate depth, lid clearance or gap size. LICG separately calls for about 4 in of substrate for burrowers and gives no numeric height formula.
Adult vet checks. Exotic Pet Vets gives 20 × 10 × 12 in with 4–6 in of substrate for one adult Emperor. Chicago Exotics gives 10 gal, roughly half-filled with substrate, for adult Asian Forest and 2.5–5 gal for adult Desert Hairy; those two clinic pages draw their numbers from hobby guidance. A veterinary review supports using species-specific housing rather than one universal scorpion setup.
Species references. We also checked published material for Emperor, Asian Forest, Desert Hairy, Arizona Bark, Flat Rock, Deathstalker, and Babycurus jacksoni.
Do not build a generic scorpion tank. Emperors need deep, damp substrate with airflow; Desert Hairies and Striped Devils need dry, packable substrate; Ruby Rocks want a dry surface with a slightly damper burrow. Size the setup to the animal actually shipping and secure every opening before the box arrives.
Use long tools for prey and debris, but move the scorpion with a clear catch cup and a soft brush. Place the cup in front and gently guide the animal in from behind. Never grab it by the tail or try to pin it. Close the room to children and pets before you start.
Refusing food, slowing down and sealing a retreat often mean premolt. Remove live prey and stop digging. A freshly molted scorpion is pale and soft; wait until it has hardened and darkened before feeding again.
A scorpling is a young scorpion. “2i” and “3i” mean second and third instar—the life stage after a molt—not two or three inches. Use the current length listed on the product page when choosing its first enclosure. CB means captive-bred; WC means wild-collected, so its exact age and prior history may be unknown. “Unsexed” means the sex has not been confirmed.
Plan in years, not months. Big Z's care guides put Emperors around 8–10+ years and Giant Desert Hairies around 8–15 years, with sex, temperature, feeding and individual history affecting the result. A wild-collected adult may already be several years old, so no seller can promise how much time remains.
Offer appropriately sized, captive-raised roaches, crickets or similar feeders. A young animal may eat roughly every 4–7 days; many adults eat every one to two weeks, but the species guide and body condition matter more than a rigid calendar. Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours. Scorpions commonly fast before a molt, after a large meal or when temperatures fall. Never force-feed.
Less activity, a sealed burrow, dull color and lying on the side or back during the molt can be normal. Remove live prey, do not touch it and do not open the retreat. Get an exotics veterinarian involved for a split or leaking exoskeleton, inability to right itself, persistent loss of coordination, a spreading fungal-looking patch or known pesticide exposure.
There is no universal scorpion humidity setting. Keep an Emperor's lower substrate damp but ventilated, with a less-wet surface. Keep Desert Hairy and Striped Devil setups mostly dry. For Ruby Rock, keep the surface dry with only a little moisture lower in the burrow zone. Always provide clean water. Constant condensation, swampy substrate or a sour smell means the setup is too wet or poorly ventilated.
Scorpions do not need UVB. Give them a normal day-and-night cycle and compare the measured room temperature with the exact care guide. If supplemental heat is truly needed, regulate it with a thermostat and heat only one side—never the floor beneath the burrow. A UV flashlight is useful for a brief inspection, but do not leave it on the animal.
Routine handling is not worth the risk. Every scorpion can sting or pinch, and a fall can badly injure it. For a transfer, place a clear catch cup in front and use a soft brush to guide the scorpion from behind. Use long tools for prey and debris, not for grabbing the animal.
Use a latching lid and make every vent, seam and cable gap smaller than the animal—not just the adult it may become. Keep bark and décor from forming a bridge to the lid, then inspect every seam again after rehousing. Tiny instars and climbing bark scorpions need especially careful gap checks; smooth acrylic alone does not make an enclosure escape-proof.
Wash the area well with soap and water, then use webPOISONCONTROL or call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for guidance. Call 911 immediately if the person collapses, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or cannot be awakened. Do not use a tourniquet. Keep the product label or a safe photo available for identification.
This is general first-aid information, not a substitute for Poison Control, emergency services or a medical professional.
Send Big Z the species, the exact size or live option, and the shelf space you have. Big Z can help you choose the animal and the closest enclosure we stock before either one ships.
