Care guide
Thai Flat Rock Scorpion
Alloscorpiops sp. (cf. citadelle)
A small, flattened montane scorpion from Thai limestone forest that hides in stone and root crevices: adults run about 3 inches. Unlike the desert flat rock scorpions of Africa, this one wants cool and damp, never arid and hot.
Alloscorpiops sp. (cf. citadelle)
Identity confidence: provisional. This is a genus, group, or trade name rather than a confirmed species. Treat it as the closest match we can stand behind, and use the more conservative end of any range.
Thai Flat Rock Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A small, flattened montane scorpion from Thai limestone forest that hides in stone and root crevices: adults run about 3 inches. Unlike the desert flat rock scorpions of Africa, this one wants cool and damp, never arid and hot.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrialHandling: Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure)
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 68-78°F (mid-60s at night is fine) |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High ambient (75-85%) with cross ventilation; cool, damp substrate under flat cover |
| Setup Type | Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrial |
| Substrate | Moisture-retentive coco fiber/forest soil with sand or clay, ~4 in deep, flat cork bark or slate on the surface |
| Feeding | Small prey weekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2: Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure) |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Baby Buddy for juveniles
- Burrow Buddy with flat bark/slate hides for adults
Warnings First
- Do not reuse Hadogenes care info. That is an African desert scorpion. This one is a cool, damp Thai forest species.
- Venom considered very mild to human health (bee-sting-tier, resolves in hours)
- Fast and defensive when uncovered; bolts rather than standing ground
- Wild-caught import stock with approximate species ID. Treat gently
- Cool plus humid plus still air is the worst combination for mold. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls is what makes a cool humid setup safe rather than swampy.
Simple Care
- Keep cool and humid, never hot and dry.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls. Cool and humid only works when the air keeps moving.
- Lay flat cork bark or slate directly on the substrate surface.
- Shallow water dish with pebbles in it so small instars cannot drown; keep one zone visibly moist.
- Minimize lid-opening: this species bolts rather than standing ground.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Get the temperature direction right first: this is a highland forest species, and running it warm like a tropical burrower is the most common mistake keepers make with the 'flat rock scorpion' name carried over from Hadogenes assumptions.
- Lay several flat pieces of cork bark or slate directly on the substrate rather than propping up a hide: this species wants to lie flush in a crevice, not dig a shaft.
- Because the animal lies flush under flat cover on damp substrate, ventilation has to reach that exact layer. Vents low on two opposite walls, at or just above the substrate line, pull air sideways under and around the cover pieces. This matters more on a cool setup than a warm one: cooler air holds less moisture, so a cool humid enclosure condenses and goes stagnant faster than a warm one at the same relative humidity. Lid-only venting leaves a wet film under every slate piece.
- Ventilation and ambient humidity trade against each other, and here you want both high. Hold 75 to 85% by keeping the substrate genuinely damp and running a water dish underneath free-flowing low vents. Never close the enclosure up to hold the number. On a cool humid build that produces mold within days.
- Judge by lifting a cover piece rather than reading a gauge. The substrate under the slate should be cool and damp with no standing water or visible film, and the top surface of the cover should be dry. Condensation on the underside of the cover means you need more airflow, not less water.
- Keep the shallow water dish packed with pebbles or coarse grit so the waterline sits below the rim. Small instars drown in open dishes, and on wild-caught import stock you may end up with young you did not expect.
- Mist under the cork and slate pieces rather than over the whole enclosure. That recharges the damp microclimate the animal lies in and leaves the open surface free to dry between mistings, which is what keeps a cool humid enclosure from tipping into a swamp.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: crickets or roaches no longer than the body. Juveniles weekly, adults every 10-14 days. This species is a modest, patient eater compared to buthids: a missed meal at these cooler temperatures is normal, not a red flag.
- Growth: molt timing runs slower than tropical scorpions given the cooler husbandry target. Rare in the trade with essentially no documented captive breeding. Treat every specimen as a valuable, hard-to-replace wild-caught animal.
- Maintenance: spot-clean boluses and feeder remains; keep the moist zone from drying out and the water dish topped off and clean.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Cool, humid limestone and evergreen forest in Thailand, often near cliff bases and streams at elevation.
- Habitat translation: Damp rock crevices and leaf litter in cool forest: flat hides over moist substrate, not a dry rock pile.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Genus is confirmed, species is not. Wholesale stock comes in as Alloscorpiops sp., and that is how we will list it.
- Everything runs slow on this one because you are keeping it cool. Slow is not sick.
- Sources: the full Big Z APA 7 reference list lives at References.
Alloscorpiops sp. (cf. citadelle)
Identity confidence: provisional. This is a genus, group, or trade name rather than a confirmed species. Treat it as the closest match we can stand behind, and use the more conservative end of any range.
Thai Flat Rock Scorpion
Big Z's Quick Verdict: A small, flattened montane scorpion from Thai limestone forest that hides in stone and root crevices: adults run about 3 inches. Unlike the desert flat rock scorpions of Africa, this one wants cool and damp, never arid and hot.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrialHandling: Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure)
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Care Snapshot
| Temp | 68-78°F (mid-60s at night is fine) |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High ambient (75-85%) with cross ventilation; cool, damp substrate under flat cover |
| Setup | Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrial |
| Substrate | Moisture-retentive coco fiber/forest soil with sand or clay, ~4 in deep, flat cork bark or slate on the surface |
| Feeding | Small prey weekly |
| Handling | Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure) |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Recommended Big Z's Setup
- Baby Buddy for juveniles
- Burrow Buddy for adults: this species tops out ~3 in and hides in crevices rather than digging deep, so add flat bark/slate hides rather than relying on dig depth
Critical Notes
- Do not reuse Hadogenes care info. That is an African desert scorpion. This one is a cool, damp Thai forest species.
- Venom considered very mild to human health (bee-sting-tier, resolves in hours)
- Fast and defensive when uncovered; bolts rather than standing ground
- Wild-caught import stock with approximate species ID. Treat gently
- Cool plus humid plus still air is the worst combination for mold. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls is what makes a cool humid setup safe rather than swampy.
Care Basics
- Keep cool and humid, never hot and dry.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls. Cool and humid only works when the air keeps moving.
- Lay flat cork bark or slate directly on the substrate surface.
- Shallow water dish with pebbles in it so small instars cannot drown; keep one zone visibly moist.
- Minimize lid-opening: this species bolts rather than standing ground.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: crickets or roaches no longer than the body. Juveniles weekly, adults every 10-14 days. This species is a modest, patient eater compared to buthids: a missed meal at these cooler temperatures is normal, not a red flag.
- Growth: molt timing runs slower than tropical scorpions given the cooler husbandry target. Rare in the trade with essentially no documented captive breeding. Treat every specimen as a valuable, hard-to-replace wild-caught animal.
- Maintenance: spot-clean boluses and feeder remains; keep the moist zone from drying out and the water dish topped off and clean.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Alloscorpiops sp. (cf. citadelle)
Identity confidence: provisional. This is a genus, group, or trade name rather than a confirmed species. Treat it as the closest match we can stand behind, and use the more conservative end of any range.
Thai Flat Rock Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A small, flattened montane scorpion from Thai limestone forest that hides in stone and root crevices: adults run about 3 inches. Unlike the desert flat rock scorpions of Africa, this one wants cool and damp, never arid and hot.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 2: BeginnerSetup: Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrialHandling: Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure)
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 68-78°F (mid-60s at night is fine) |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High ambient (75-85%) with cross ventilation; cool, damp substrate under flat cover |
| Setup Type | Cool humid rock-crevice terrestrial |
| Substrate | Moisture-retentive coco fiber/forest soil with sand or clay, ~4 in deep, flat cork bark or slate on the surface |
| Feeding | Small prey weekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2: Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended (very mild venom, but fast and easy to injure) |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Baby Buddy for juveniles
- Burrow Buddy with flat bark/slate hides for adults
Warnings First
- Do not reuse Hadogenes care info. That is an African desert scorpion. This one is a cool, damp Thai forest species.
- Venom considered very mild to human health (bee-sting-tier, resolves in hours)
- Fast and defensive when uncovered; bolts rather than standing ground
- Wild-caught import stock with approximate species ID. Treat gently
- Cool plus humid plus still air is the worst combination for mold. Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls is what makes a cool humid setup safe rather than swampy.
Simple Care
- Keep cool and humid, never hot and dry.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls. Cool and humid only works when the air keeps moving.
- Lay flat cork bark or slate directly on the substrate surface.
- Shallow water dish with pebbles in it so small instars cannot drown; keep one zone visibly moist.
- Minimize lid-opening: this species bolts rather than standing ground.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Get the temperature direction right first: this is a highland forest species, and running it warm like a tropical burrower is the most common mistake keepers make with the 'flat rock scorpion' name carried over from Hadogenes assumptions.
- Lay several flat pieces of cork bark or slate directly on the substrate rather than propping up a hide: this species wants to lie flush in a crevice, not dig a shaft.
- Because the animal lies flush under flat cover on damp substrate, ventilation has to reach that exact layer. Vents low on two opposite walls, at or just above the substrate line, pull air sideways under and around the cover pieces. This matters more on a cool setup than a warm one: cooler air holds less moisture, so a cool humid enclosure condenses and goes stagnant faster than a warm one at the same relative humidity. Lid-only venting leaves a wet film under every slate piece.
- Ventilation and ambient humidity trade against each other, and here you want both high. Hold 75 to 85% by keeping the substrate genuinely damp and running a water dish underneath free-flowing low vents. Never close the enclosure up to hold the number. On a cool humid build that produces mold within days.
- Judge by lifting a cover piece rather than reading a gauge. The substrate under the slate should be cool and damp with no standing water or visible film, and the top surface of the cover should be dry. Condensation on the underside of the cover means you need more airflow, not less water.
- Keep the shallow water dish packed with pebbles or coarse grit so the waterline sits below the rim. Small instars drown in open dishes, and on wild-caught import stock you may end up with young you did not expect.
- Mist under the cork and slate pieces rather than over the whole enclosure. That recharges the damp microclimate the animal lies in and leaves the open surface free to dry between mistings, which is what keeps a cool humid enclosure from tipping into a swamp.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Feeding: crickets or roaches no longer than the body. Juveniles weekly, adults every 10-14 days. This species is a modest, patient eater compared to buthids: a missed meal at these cooler temperatures is normal, not a red flag.
- Growth: molt timing runs slower than tropical scorpions given the cooler husbandry target. Rare in the trade with essentially no documented captive breeding. Treat every specimen as a valuable, hard-to-replace wild-caught animal.
- Maintenance: spot-clean boluses and feeder remains; keep the moist zone from drying out and the water dish topped off and clean.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Cool, humid limestone and evergreen forest in Thailand, often near cliff bases and streams at elevation.
- Habitat translation: Damp rock crevices and leaf litter in cool forest: flat hides over moist substrate, not a dry rock pile.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Genus is confirmed, species is not. Wholesale stock comes in as Alloscorpiops sp., and that is how we will list it.
- Everything runs slow on this one because you are keeping it cool. Slow is not sick.
- Sources: the full Big Z APA 7 reference list lives at References.