In stock Chinese Scorpion for sale All scorpions for sale
Olivierus martensii
Chinese Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A small, tough East Asian buthid with a real sting. Keep it warm and mostly dry under flat cover with one damp corner, and do every job with tongs and a catch cup.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Dry scrub buthid, flat rock and cork coverHandling: No handling, catch cup and tongs 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 | 78-90°F warm end, cooler side |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 35-50%: dry surface, one damp corner |
| Setup Type | Dry scrub buthid, flat rock and cork cover |
| Substrate | Sand/soil mix 3-4 in, packed, flat cover |
| Feeding | Juveniles weekly, adults every 7-10 days |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling, catch cup and tongs 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
- Juveniles and adults (1-2 in on arrival): secure solo enclosure, packed dry substrate, flat cover, damp corner, latched lid.
Warnings First
- Buthid with potent venom. No hand contact at any size; catch cup and long tongs only.
- A sting that brings more than local pain, or any allergic signs, needs medical care right away.
- Climbs better than it looks. Latch the lid and keep every vent gap smaller than the tail.
- Keep it solo. Group reports exist, but cannibalism risk isn't worth it.
Simple Care
- House one per enclosure.
- Packed sand-soil mix with flat cover to wedge under.
- Warm side and cooler side.
- Mostly dry, with one damp corner.
- Small pebble-filled dish.
- Tongs and catch cup for every job.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- Bed flat cork or stone firmly on the substrate so digging can't collapse it onto the scorpion.
- Low and high vents on opposite walls keep the surface dry.
- Add a little water to the damp corner from the side, never onto the animal or its retreat.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Crickets or roaches up to about body length. Juveniles weekly, adults every 7-10 days.
- Pull uneaten prey the next day and never leave live feeders with a molting scorpion.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: China, Korea and Mongolia, in warm, dry areas with little vegetation.
- Habitat translation: Dry, sparsely vegetated hillsides become a warm, packed sand-soil floor with flat cork or stone cover, one lightly damp corner and a small water dish.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Formerly Mesobuthus martensii and Buthus martensii; moved to Olivierus in 2019.
- Its venom is heavily studied in medicine, which says nothing about it being safe to touch.