Hottentotta gentili
Central Morocco Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A big North African buthid with medically significant venom that has been linked to human deaths. No hand contact, ever: build dry rock and cork crevices with one damp refuge, and treat any suspected sting as an emergency.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 5: ExtremeSetup: Dry rocky setup, flat rock and cork crevicesHandling: No handling, not even briefly
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 | Start near 95°F days, 68°F nights |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 30-50%: dry surface, damp sheltered refuge |
| Setup Type | Dry rocky setup, flat rock and cork crevices |
| Substrate | Sand-heavy mix (about 3:1 sand/coco), dry surface |
| Feeding | 2nd instar 2x weekly, weekly from 3rd instar on |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme |
| Handling | No handling, not even briefly |
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 juveniles (0.75-1 in): escape-proof solo enclosure, rock/cork retreat, dry surface, damp pocket, drown-proof water
- Juveniles: secure solo enclosure, warm gradient, rocky retreat, damp refuge, safely sized open water dish
- Adults (2.8-4.3 in): secure solo enclosure, flat rock/cork cover, damp refuge, open water, secondary containment for upkeep
Warnings First
- Medically significant venom, linked to human deaths. Treat a suspected sting as an emergency and get professional medical care immediately.
- No handling. Not once, not briefly, not for a photo. Catch cup, long tongs and secondary containment for all maintenance.
- Quick to sting and stands its ground. Stage a catch cup and know exactly where it is before you open the lid.
- Escape-proof build: latch the lid and keep every vent opening narrower than its tail.
- A wet enclosure during a molt has been fatal. Never saturate the setup, and pull live prey while it molts.
- One animal per enclosure.
Simple Care
- House one animal per enclosure.
- No hand contact. Use long tools and secondary containment.
- Latch the lid, use escape-proof cross-ventilation, and stage a catch cup before opening.
- Build stable flat rock or cork crevices over a dry-biased, form-holding sand/soil mix.
- Keep the exposed surface dry but keep one sheltered damp refuge. Never saturate.
- Run a warm daytime gradient with a night drop. No uncontrolled or under-floor heat.
- Offer water in a dish sized so it can't drown.
- Feed to appetite and body condition, and remove leftovers promptly.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- It lives in rocky country and digs little, so stable flat rock and cork crevices matter more than an exact substrate recipe.
- Start with about 3 parts sand to 1 part coco, a warm day near 95°F and nights near 68°F, then adjust to the animal.
- Lightly mist about a quarter of the enclosure weekly to recharge the damp refuge. Never wet the whole setup.
- Don't go bone-dry either. Dry-country Hottentotta still use damp microhabitats, so keep the sheltered refuge and open water going.
- Keep the layout bare so you always know where it is before a lid comes off.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Start 2nd instars at 2x weekly, then weekly from 3rd instar on, with prey sized to the animal.
- Adjust prey size and frequency to appetite, body condition and molt behavior. Remove leftovers promptly.
- Pull live prey while it is molting.
- Feed with long tongs over secondary containment.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Morocco, across the Anti-Atlas, High Atlas and Souss-Draa regions, with Algeria also reported. Rocky ground, sometimes inside homes.
- Habitat translation: Rocky Moroccan ground becomes stable rock and cork crevices, a dry exposed surface over one sheltered damp refuge, open water, good airflow, and warm days with cooler nights.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Formerly Buthus gentili and Buthotus franzwerneri gentili. Buthus or Androctonus barbouri is now treated as the same species.
- ID: black body with reddish-brown claws and stinger, and hairy. Black legs separate it from H. franzwerneri.
- Breeds by normal mating. Unlike H. hottentotta, females don't reproduce on their own.
- Big Z's gives no sting treatment advice. A suspected sting means emergency professional care, right away.
- Not CITES-listed. That says nothing about your local laws, so check them.