Scorpion
This fella needs ground cover and diggable depth first, so the best checkout pair is a deep Buddy with a starter hide.
Burrow Buddy fits this fella as a juvenile, but they will outgrow it at around 5" body length. Plan for a larger custom terrestrial with deep substrate; adults bulk out to 6–8" and need more floor space for a hide, water dish, and turnaround room. DM Big Z anytime if you want help speccing the next step.
Hardy beginner pick with simple care. Pair with the matched habitat kit and the printable care guide.
The biggest scorpion in the room, and a total softie
The Emperor Scorpion is the one everyone pictures: a glossy, jet-black, 6-to-8-inch tank with hands like a crab, native to the rainforest floors of West Africa. Pandinus imperator is the largest scorpion commonly kept, and famously one of the gentlest. The big claws do the talking; the sting is mild and rarely used.
It glows a wild ghostly blue-green under UV light (all scorpions do, but on something this size it is a showstopper), it can be kept in small social groups, and females carry their pearl-white babies on their backs. Hardy, long-lived, beginner-friendly; just keep it humid. CITES-listed, so captive-bred provenance matters. The care guide has the setup.
The numbers live in the care guide. Enclosure size, temps, humidity, feeding schedule, premolt signs, handling boundaries: it's all in the care guide for this exact fella. Start with the full Advanced guide, or click for the quick Open the Simple version →
Pandinus imperator - Spice 2 — Beginner. Baby Buddy — for 2i–3i instars (escape-proof ventilation only); Burrow Buddy — as a grow-out for juveniles; Larger custom enclosure for full-grown adults
Pandinus imperator
Big Z's Quick Verdict: The classic large tropical scorpion: humid, deep substrate, strong claws, generally slower moving — and at about 6–8 inches, one of the largest scorpions in the hobby.
| Temp | 75–82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High (80%+) |
| Setup | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep moist soil/coco mix with leaf litter |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets weekly; adults may eat less |
| Handling | Not recommended; calm does not mean safe to handle |
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%+
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Pandinus imperator
Keeper Snapshot: The classic large tropical scorpion: humid, deep substrate, strong claws, generally slower moving — and at about 6–8 inches, one of the largest scorpions in the hobby.
| Temperature | 75–82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High (80%+) |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep moist soil/coco mix with leaf litter |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets weekly; adults may eat less |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2 — Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended; calm does not mean safe to handle |
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%+
The biggest scorpion in the room, and a total softie
The Emperor Scorpion is the one everyone pictures: a glossy, jet-black, 6-to-8-inch tank with hands like a crab, native to the rainforest floors of West Africa. Pandinus imperator is the largest scorpion commonly kept, and famously one of the gentlest. The big claws do the talking; the sting is mild and rarely used.
It glows a wild ghostly blue-green under UV light (all scorpions do, but on something this size it is a showstopper), it can be kept in small social groups, and females carry their pearl-white babies on their backs. Hardy, long-lived, beginner-friendly; just keep it humid. CITES-listed, so captive-bred provenance matters. The care guide has the setup.
The numbers live in the care guide. Enclosure size, temps, humidity, feeding schedule, premolt signs, handling boundaries: it's all in the care guide for this exact fella. Start with the full Advanced guide, or click for the quick Open the Simple version →
Pandinus imperator - Spice 2 — Beginner. Baby Buddy — for 2i–3i instars (escape-proof ventilation only); Burrow Buddy — as a grow-out for juveniles; Larger custom enclosure for full-grown adults
Pandinus imperator
Big Z's Quick Verdict: The classic large tropical scorpion: humid, deep substrate, strong claws, generally slower moving — and at about 6–8 inches, one of the largest scorpions in the hobby.
| Temp | 75–82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High (80%+) |
| Setup | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep moist soil/coco mix with leaf litter |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets weekly; adults may eat less |
| Handling | Not recommended; calm does not mean safe to handle |
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%+
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Pandinus imperator
Keeper Snapshot: The classic large tropical scorpion: humid, deep substrate, strong claws, generally slower moving — and at about 6–8 inches, one of the largest scorpions in the hobby.
| Temperature | 75–82°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | High (80%+) |
| Setup Type | Tropical burrowing terrestrial |
| Substrate | Deep moist soil/coco mix with leaf litter |
| Feeding | Roaches/crickets weekly; adults may eat less |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 2 — Beginner |
| Handling | Not recommended; calm does not mean safe to handle |
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%+
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