Leiurus jordanensis
Black Deathstalker Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: The dark-bodied Leiurus from Jordan, adults about 3-3.5 in, and one of the most medically significant scorpions in the hobby. Expert containment only: hot, dry, bare, escape-proof, no contact.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 5: ExtremeSetup: Hot arid, small secure enclosure, tight hideHandling: No handling, tools and catch system only
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 | 82-95°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 30-45%, dry substrate, ventilated |
| Setup Type | Hot arid, small secure enclosure, tight hide |
| Substrate | Dry sand/soil mix with one tight hide |
| Feeding | Small prey: young every 4-7 days, adults every 1-2 weeks |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme |
| Handling | No handling, tools and catch system only |
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
- 2i-3i instars: secure Baby Buddy, tiny escape-proof vents, shallow pebble-filled water dish
- Larger juveniles and adults (adults 3-3.5 in): secure Burrow Buddy, dry substrate, one tight hide, minimal clutter
Warnings First
- Highly medically significant venom that can kill, especially vulnerable people. Antivenom is unavailable in most countries. No handling, ever.
- Extremely fast. Open only with long tools and a catch system, and only when you can already see the scorpion.
- Not for casual keepers. Escape-proof enclosure, secondary containment and no open-room transfers, every time.
- Tiny instars drown in open dishes. Pack the shallow water dish with pebbles or coarse grit.
- Clear every feeder when it stops eating before a molt. Leave the soft, pale new molt alone until it hardens and darkens.
- One per enclosure. Group housing is a risky expert experiment, not normal care.
Simple Care
- Never handle it. Open only with long tools and a catch system.
- Use a small, escape-proof enclosure and keep it hot, dry and simple.
- Put many tiny vents low on two opposite walls so air actually crosses the substrate.
- See the scorpion before you open. Minimal clutter, one tight hide.
- Keep water in a shallow dish packed with pebbles.
- House one per enclosure.
- Feed small prey with long tongs and remove anything uneaten within a day.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Pick a small, escape-proof enclosure over a big display. Dry substrate and one tight hide keep the animal visible before every opening.
- Tight vents still have to be real vents: many small openings low on two opposite walls, at the substrate line, none big enough for a 2i to pass.
- Airflow holds 30-45% on its own. Don't close vents to hold heat, fix the heating. Still damp air under a hide grows cuticle fungus, even on a desert species.
- Check by hand during tool-based maintenance: substrate dry to the base, and anything you moisten dry again within a day.
- Don't mist. To offer a damp option, pipette water onto the substrate under the hide and let it dry back.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Offer small crickets or roach nymphs at or under body length, and small prey for instars.
- Young eat every 4-7 days, adults weekly to every other week. Remove anything uneaten within a day.
- About 5-6 molts to maturity. A premolt animal stops eating and stays put: clear every feeder and leave the soft new molt alone until it hardens.
- Drop prey with long tongs over a catch container, into an enclosure where you can already see the scorpion. Never by hand.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Jordan and the surrounding Middle East, in desert and arid scrub.
- Habitat translation: Hot, dry and sparse, in a secure, escape-proof enclosure simple enough that the animal is always easy to find.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Same genus as the Deathstalker, L. quinquestriatus, which by several measures has the most toxic scorpion venom of any species.
- Every Leiurus can cause serious envenomation, and antivenom is unavailable in most countries.
- Not a communal scorpion. Group attempts are expert-only projects with extra space, heavy feeding and a separation plan.
- Some places require a permit to keep Leiurus. Check your local rules first.
- Safety and visibility beat decor: small, secure and simple wins over a complex display.