Care guide
Vietnamese Asian Forest Scorpion
Heterometrus silenus
A large, heavy-bodied tropical forest burrower with powerful pincers and defensive potential. Give this wild-caught adult deep moisture-retentive substrate, a secure retreat, water, and good ventilation; display-only and single housing are safest.
Heterometrus silenus
Vietnamese Asian Forest Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A large, heavy-bodied tropical forest burrower with powerful pincers and defensive potential. Give this wild-caught adult deep moisture-retentive substrate, a secure retreat, water, and good ventilation; display-only and single housing are safest.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Tropical burrowing terrestrialHandling: No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting.
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 | 75-82°F working target; stable tropical room warmth without direct sun or unregulated heat |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-80% working target with cross ventilation; deep substrate moist, upper surface allowed to dry slightly |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | 4-6 in of moisture-retentive soil/coco mix that holds a burrow, topped with leaf litter and cork cover |
| Feeding | Appropriately sized cultured crickets or roaches every 7-14 days; remove uneaten prey before a molt |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting. |
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
- Small instar. Secure starter enclosure with tiny escape-proof vents
- Juvenile: Burrow Buddy grow-out with deep, moisture-retentive substrate
- Adult: larger low terrestrial enclosure with useful floor space and 4-6 in of substrate
Warnings First
- Display only. Use a catch cup and tools for maintenance; never restrain the scorpion by hand.
- Single housing is the safest default. Reports of communal tolerance do not remove the risks of cannibalism, especially around molts or size mismatches.
- Humid does not mean sealed. Damp substrate without cross ventilation encourages mold, mites, and cuticle problems.
- Remove live prey when the scorpion refuses food or prepares to molt; feeders can injure a soft, freshly molted animal.
- Wild-caught adults arrive with an unknown age and history. Quarantine new arrivals and inspect for hitchhiking mites.
Simple Care
- House one scorpion in a secure, low terrestrial enclosure.
- Provide 4-6 in of substrate that stays moist below the surface and can hold a stable burrow.
- Add low cross ventilation on opposing walls so air moves through the substrate and leaf-litter layer.
- Keep a snug cork hide and a clean, shallow water dish available at all times.
- Offer cultured insect prey every 7-14 days, adjusting to body condition and feeding response.
- Use a catch cup for transfers and keep hands, children, and pets away from the animal.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Build for burrowing, not climbing. A 4-5 in adult needs useful floor space, a secure lid, and enough substrate depth to make a retreat without reaching the enclosure floor immediately.
- Use a pesticide-free soil or coco base that clumps when squeezed but does not release water. Mix in some sand or excavator clay only if needed for burrow structure, then add leaf litter and cork bark.
- Create a vertical moisture gradient: the lower substrate should remain cool and moist, the middle damp, and part of the upper surface allowed to dry slightly. Waterlogged substrate is not a humidity shortcut.
- Place ventilation low on two opposing walls at or just above the substrate line. This moves air through the layer the scorpion occupies instead of drying only the lid area.
- The 75-82°F and 70-80% ranges are conservative working husbandry targets, not published physiological limits. Stability, a usable burrow, and fresh moving air matter more than chasing a single meter reading.
- Use a shallow, stable water dish and clean it whenever it is fouled. If scorplings are ever present, add stones so the open waterline cannot trap them.
- Keep the enclosure out of direct sun and away from unregulated heat mats. A dark burrow must remain a cooler refuge rather than becoming the hottest part of the setup.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer cultured crickets, dubia roaches, or similar insect prey no larger than the scorpion can overpower safely. Juveniles may eat weekly; well-conditioned adults often do better every 7-14 days.
- Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours and always before a molt. Long fasts can be normal in a settled adult if body condition, hydration, and behavior remain stable.
- Do not power-feed. A very distended mesosoma is a reason to extend the interval, not add another feeder.
- After a molt, wait until the exoskeleton and sting are fully hardened before offering prey. Avoid digging up a sealed burrow just to check feeding response.
- If a female carries first-instar young on her back, minimize disturbance, keep conditions stable, and offer only small non-aggressive prey after she resumes feeding.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Vietnam and Cambodia, with confirmed records in eastern Thailand. Treat any more precise locality claim as unverified unless the supplier provides collection data.
- Habitat translation: Build a humid forest-floor burrow setup with deep compactable moisture-retentive substrate, a cork retreat or tunnel start, leaf litter, and a water dish. Keep the lower substrate damp enough to hold a burrow while the surface remains ventilated; never swamp or seal the enclosure.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Heterometrus silenus was restored as a valid species in the 2020 systematic revision of Asian forest scorpions. Older hobby stock and records may be labeled H. petersii or H. spinifer, but those names should not replace the current species label.
- Species identification within Asian forest scorpions is difficult from casual photographs. Keep the supplier label, but avoid inventing a locality or breeding line that was not documented.
- Captive temperature, humidity, and lifespan figures are husbandry ranges rather than controlled species-specific limits. Adjust gradually from the animal's burrow use, hydration, feeding response, and molt quality.
- Communal keeping is optional advanced practice, not baseline care. If attempted, use substantially more space, deep substrate, multiple hides, similar-sized animals, heavy monitoring, and a ready separation enclosure.
Heterometrus silenus
Vietnamese Asian Forest Scorpion
Big Z's Quick Verdict: A large, heavy-bodied tropical forest burrower with powerful pincers and defensive potential. Give this wild-caught adult deep moisture-retentive substrate, a secure retreat, water, and good ventilation; display-only and single housing are safest.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Tropical burrowing terrestrialHandling: No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting.
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 | 75-82°F working target; stable tropical room warmth without direct sun or unregulated heat |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-80% working target with cross ventilation; deep substrate moist, upper surface allowed to dry slightly |
| Setup | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | 4-6 in of moisture-retentive soil/coco mix that holds a burrow, topped with leaf litter and cork cover |
| Feeding | Appropriately sized cultured crickets or roaches every 7-14 days; remove uneaten prey before a molt |
| Handling | No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting. |
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
- Larger tropical terrestrial setup for a 4-5 in adult, with 4-6 in of burrowable substrate
- Burrow Buddy: juvenile grow-out only; move the animal once space or substrate depth becomes limiting
- Baby Buddy: small instars only, with escape-proof ventilation
Critical Notes
- Display only. Use a catch cup and tools for maintenance; never restrain the scorpion by hand.
- Single housing is the safest default. Reports of communal tolerance do not remove the risks of cannibalism, especially around molts or size mismatches.
- Humid does not mean sealed. Damp substrate without cross ventilation encourages mold, mites, and cuticle problems.
- Remove live prey when the scorpion refuses food or prepares to molt; feeders can injure a soft, freshly molted animal.
- Wild-caught adults arrive with an unknown age and history. Quarantine new arrivals and inspect for hitchhiking mites.
Care Basics
- House one scorpion in a secure, low terrestrial enclosure.
- Provide 4-6 in of substrate that stays moist below the surface and can hold a stable burrow.
- Add low cross ventilation on opposing walls so air moves through the substrate and leaf-litter layer.
- Keep a snug cork hide and a clean, shallow water dish available at all times.
- Offer cultured insect prey every 7-14 days, adjusting to body condition and feeding response.
- Use a catch cup for transfers and keep hands, children, and pets away from the animal.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer cultured crickets, dubia roaches, or similar insect prey no larger than the scorpion can overpower safely. Juveniles may eat weekly; well-conditioned adults often do better every 7-14 days.
- Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours and always before a molt. Long fasts can be normal in a settled adult if body condition, hydration, and behavior remain stable.
- Do not power-feed. A very distended mesosoma is a reason to extend the interval, not add another feeder.
- After a molt, wait until the exoskeleton and sting are fully hardened before offering prey. Avoid digging up a sealed burrow just to check feeding response.
- If a female carries first-instar young on her back, minimize disturbance, keep conditions stable, and offer only small non-aggressive prey after she resumes feeding.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Heterometrus silenus
Vietnamese Asian Forest Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A large, heavy-bodied tropical forest burrower with powerful pincers and defensive potential. Give this wild-caught adult deep moisture-retentive substrate, a secure retreat, water, and good ventilation; display-only and single housing are safest.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 3: IntermediateSetup: Tropical burrowing terrestrialHandling: No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting.
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 | 75-82°F working target; stable tropical room warmth without direct sun or unregulated heat |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 70-80% working target with cross ventilation; deep substrate moist, upper surface allowed to dry slightly |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | 4-6 in of moisture-retentive soil/coco mix that holds a burrow, topped with leaf litter and cork cover |
| Feeding | Appropriately sized cultured crickets or roaches every 7-14 days; remove uneaten prey before a molt |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 3: Intermediate |
| Handling | No handling. Powerful claws can pinch and a defensive animal may sting. |
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
- Small instar. Secure starter enclosure with tiny escape-proof vents
- Juvenile: Burrow Buddy grow-out with deep, moisture-retentive substrate
- Adult: larger low terrestrial enclosure with useful floor space and 4-6 in of substrate
Warnings First
- Display only. Use a catch cup and tools for maintenance; never restrain the scorpion by hand.
- Single housing is the safest default. Reports of communal tolerance do not remove the risks of cannibalism, especially around molts or size mismatches.
- Humid does not mean sealed. Damp substrate without cross ventilation encourages mold, mites, and cuticle problems.
- Remove live prey when the scorpion refuses food or prepares to molt; feeders can injure a soft, freshly molted animal.
- Wild-caught adults arrive with an unknown age and history. Quarantine new arrivals and inspect for hitchhiking mites.
Simple Care
- House one scorpion in a secure, low terrestrial enclosure.
- Provide 4-6 in of substrate that stays moist below the surface and can hold a stable burrow.
- Add low cross ventilation on opposing walls so air moves through the substrate and leaf-litter layer.
- Keep a snug cork hide and a clean, shallow water dish available at all times.
- Offer cultured insect prey every 7-14 days, adjusting to body condition and feeding response.
- Use a catch cup for transfers and keep hands, children, and pets away from the animal.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Build for burrowing, not climbing. A 4-5 in adult needs useful floor space, a secure lid, and enough substrate depth to make a retreat without reaching the enclosure floor immediately.
- Use a pesticide-free soil or coco base that clumps when squeezed but does not release water. Mix in some sand or excavator clay only if needed for burrow structure, then add leaf litter and cork bark.
- Create a vertical moisture gradient: the lower substrate should remain cool and moist, the middle damp, and part of the upper surface allowed to dry slightly. Waterlogged substrate is not a humidity shortcut.
- Place ventilation low on two opposing walls at or just above the substrate line. This moves air through the layer the scorpion occupies instead of drying only the lid area.
- The 75-82°F and 70-80% ranges are conservative working husbandry targets, not published physiological limits. Stability, a usable burrow, and fresh moving air matter more than chasing a single meter reading.
- Use a shallow, stable water dish and clean it whenever it is fouled. If scorplings are ever present, add stones so the open waterline cannot trap them.
- Keep the enclosure out of direct sun and away from unregulated heat mats. A dark burrow must remain a cooler refuge rather than becoming the hottest part of the setup.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer cultured crickets, dubia roaches, or similar insect prey no larger than the scorpion can overpower safely. Juveniles may eat weekly; well-conditioned adults often do better every 7-14 days.
- Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours and always before a molt. Long fasts can be normal in a settled adult if body condition, hydration, and behavior remain stable.
- Do not power-feed. A very distended mesosoma is a reason to extend the interval, not add another feeder.
- After a molt, wait until the exoskeleton and sting are fully hardened before offering prey. Avoid digging up a sealed burrow just to check feeding response.
- If a female carries first-instar young on her back, minimize disturbance, keep conditions stable, and offer only small non-aggressive prey after she resumes feeding.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Vietnam and Cambodia, with confirmed records in eastern Thailand. Treat any more precise locality claim as unverified unless the supplier provides collection data.
- Habitat translation: Build a humid forest-floor burrow setup with deep compactable moisture-retentive substrate, a cork retreat or tunnel start, leaf litter, and a water dish. Keep the lower substrate damp enough to hold a burrow while the surface remains ventilated; never swamp or seal the enclosure.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Heterometrus silenus was restored as a valid species in the 2020 systematic revision of Asian forest scorpions. Older hobby stock and records may be labeled H. petersii or H. spinifer, but those names should not replace the current species label.
- Species identification within Asian forest scorpions is difficult from casual photographs. Keep the supplier label, but avoid inventing a locality or breeding line that was not documented.
- Captive temperature, humidity, and lifespan figures are husbandry ranges rather than controlled species-specific limits. Adjust gradually from the animal's burrow use, hydration, feeding response, and molt quality.
- Communal keeping is optional advanced practice, not baseline care. If attempted, use substantially more space, deep substrate, multiple hides, similar-sized animals, heavy monitoring, and a ready separation enclosure.