Arizona Bark Scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus)
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Spice 5 · Extreme
How the Spice System works
Medically significant ⚠
A sting or bite from this animal can need medical care. Adults only, a locked escape-proof enclosure and no handling.
CB: Captive bred
Bred and hatched in captivity, not collected from the wild.
Big Z's notes
About this Fella
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion for sale from Big Z's (Parabuthus mossambicensis). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
A thicktail that digs its own fortress and hisses a warning with its tail.
Parabuthus mossambicensis is a southern African thicktail that digs its own retreat, living on semi-consolidated sandy and gritty ground and burrowing either in the open or in at the base of a shrub. It also stridulates when it has had enough of you, which is a handy warning from an animal you are never going to touch. These arrived at 0.5 to 0.75 inches.
The venom is the open question. The published work does not agree on how serious a sting from this species is, and nobody has published a run of real sting cases either way, so we take the cautious end and work it like the rest of the genus: no hand contact, long tools, a staged catch cup, a latched lid, and secondary containment. Build it deep with sandy substrate that will hold a tunnel, give it a starter retreat, keep most of the surface dry with one damp corner, and mount the ventilation low. Spice Level 5: Extreme. Read the matched Big Z's care guide before it ships.
Full care is in the care guide. It covers enclosure size, temperature, humidity, feeding, molting signs and handling limits for this species. Read the Advanced guide, or the shorter Simple guide →
- Lane
- Spice 5 · Extreme
- Source
- CB: captive-bred.
- Handling
- None. Forceps and a catch cup for all maintenance.
- Medical
- Medically significant venom.
- Keeping
- Display animal. Kept in its enclosure, not handled.
- Before it ships
- Big Z confirms every Spice 5 order with the keeper before ship day.
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion (Parabuthus mossambicensis)
Scorpion
Keeper feedbackYour experience can help another keeper.
$59.990.5-0.75" (Scorpling) CB selected
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Spice 5 · Extreme
How the Spice System works
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At a glance
The quick read on this fella
- Adult size
- About 2.4-3.5 in long
- Venom
- Medically significant
- Treat a suspected bite or sting as a medical emergency
- Type
- Fossorial
- Burrower
- Climate
- 86-90°F · 30-50%
- Dry surface, one damp refuge
- Feeding
- Adults 1 prey item weekly
- Juveniles small or pre-killed
- Housing
- Solo only
From our Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion care guide. Read the full guide
Live animals ship Mon to Wed
FedEx Standard Overnight $44.99 or Priority Overnight $49.99, both with the Live Arrival Guarantee; free overnight on orders $499.99 and up. FedEx 2Day is not offered for Spice 4 and 5 fellas. Pickup in the Phoenix area or at an expo is free (arrange with Big Z first). Weather holds are free and we message you first.
Live arrival support
Every order is packed for that week’s weather. Not sure if Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Big Z's here to help
Not sure if Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion is your spice level? Message us and we’ll talk it through.
Spice 5 support
Message Big Z if you want help with the enclosure and lid, or want your setup checked before you order.
Care guide Shipping and Live Arrival Guarantee
About this Fella Big Z's notes
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion for sale from Big Z's (Parabuthus mossambicensis). Comes with a Spice rating and a care guide, and ships packed for the weather.
A thicktail that digs its own fortress and hisses a warning with its tail.
Parabuthus mossambicensis is a southern African thicktail that digs its own retreat, living on semi-consolidated sandy and gritty ground and burrowing either in the open or in at the base of a shrub. It also stridulates when it has had enough of you, which is a handy warning from an animal you are never going to touch. These arrived at 0.5 to 0.75 inches.
The venom is the open question. The published work does not agree on how serious a sting from this species is, and nobody has published a run of real sting cases either way, so we take the cautious end and work it like the rest of the genus: no hand contact, long tools, a staged catch cup, a latched lid, and secondary containment. Build it deep with sandy substrate that will hold a tunnel, give it a starter retreat, keep most of the surface dry with one damp corner, and mount the ventilation low. Spice Level 5: Extreme. Read the matched Big Z's care guide before it ships.
Full care is in the care guide. It covers enclosure size, temperature, humidity, feeding, molting signs and handling limits for this species. Read the Advanced guide, or the shorter Simple guide →
- Lane
- Spice 5 · Extreme
- Source
- CB: captive-bred.
- Handling
- None. Forceps and a catch cup for all maintenance.
- Medical
- Medically significant venom.
- Keeping
- Display animal. Kept in its enclosure, not handled.
- Before it ships
- Big Z confirms every Spice 5 order with the keeper before ship day.
What ships with this order Care + shipping
- A free care guide for this species
- A heat or cold pack when the forecast calls for it
- Tracking and an arrival window before it ships
- Message Big Z about your animal for as long as you keep it
Care guideSpice 5 · Extreme
Matched care guide
View in Care Guides library
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion
Parabuthus mossambicensis · Spice 5: Extreme. Baby Buddy: 0.5-0.75 in scorplings, one per enclosure, every vent opening smaller than the tail. Burrow Buddy: the lane as it grows. Fill it deep with firm sandy substrate so a dug tunnel holds its shape.
Parabuthus mossambicensis
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion
Big Z's Quick Verdict: A fast, burrowing thicktail scorpion from dry southern Africa. Sting severity is unclear, so treat it as serious: no hands, long tools, eye protection, and deep packed sand it can dig into.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 5: ExtremeSetup: Arid burrower, deep packed sandy substrateHandling: No handling, catch cup and long 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 Care Snapshot
| Temp | 86-90°F days, 77-82°F nights |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 30-50%: dry surface, one damp refuge |
| Setup | Arid burrower, deep packed sandy substrate |
| Substrate | Deep, firm sand or sand/clay, packed to hold a burrow |
| Feeding | Adults 1 prey item weekly, juveniles small or pre-killed |
| Handling | No handling, catch cup and long 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%+
Recommended Big Z's Setup
- Baby Buddy: 0.5-0.75 in scorplings, one per enclosure, every vent opening smaller than the tail.
- Burrow Buddy: the lane as it grows. Fill it deep with firm sandy substrate so a dug tunnel holds its shape.
Critical Notes
- Sting severity for this species is unclear, and a serious sting can't be ruled out. Get prompt medical care after any sting.
- Some relatives spray venom, and venom in the eyes can cause immediate pain. Wear eye protection every time you open the enclosure.
- No hand contact. Use long tongs, a catch cup, a latched lid, and secondary containment.
- If it hisses, stop, secure the enclosure, and reset before trying again.
- Use escape-proof vents. For scorplings, every opening must be smaller than the tail.
- Remove live prey around a molt, and give tiny scorplings no open water.
Care Basics
- House one scorpion per enclosure.
- Fill deep with firm, packed sand or sand/clay so a dug burrow holds, and add a starter hide.
- Keep the surface dry with one slightly damp refuge or side.
- Run a warm gradient: 86-90°F by day, 77-82°F at night.
- Give strong cross-ventilation and a safely sized water dish.
- Feed adults about one right-sized prey item a week.
- Set out a catch cup, long tongs, and eye protection before you open the lid.
- Keep the latched enclosure inside secondary containment.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Adults: start at one right-sized prey item a week, then adjust to appetite and body condition.
- Small juveniles: offer small or pre-killed prey on a careful schedule, and log every feeding.
- Remove live prey around a molt.
Current Big Z's catalog: Yes
Parabuthus mossambicensis
Mozambique Thicktail Scorpion: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A fast, burrowing thicktail scorpion from dry southern Africa. Sting severity is unclear, so treat it as serious: no hands, long tools, eye protection, and deep packed sand it can dig into.
Group: ScorpionsDifficulty: Spice 5: ExtremeSetup: Arid burrower, deep packed sandy substrateHandling: No handling, catch cup and long 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 | 86-90°F days, 77-82°F nights |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 30-50%: dry surface, one damp refuge |
| Setup Type | Arid burrower, deep packed sandy substrate |
| Substrate | Deep, firm sand or sand/clay, packed to hold a burrow |
| Feeding | Adults 1 prey item weekly, juveniles small or pre-killed |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 5: Extreme |
| Handling | No handling, catch cup and long 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
- Scorplings (0.5-0.75 in): escape-proof solo enclosure, packed substrate, starter hide, damp spot, no open water
- Juveniles: deeper digging substrate, dry surface, damp refuge, safe water dish, cross-ventilation
- Adults (about 2.4-3.5 in): deep packed sand, burrow start, water dish, latched lid, secondary containment
Warnings First
- Sting severity for this species is unclear, and a serious sting can't be ruled out. Get prompt medical care after any sting.
- Some relatives spray venom, and venom in the eyes can cause immediate pain. Wear eye protection every time you open the enclosure.
- No hand contact. Use long tongs, a catch cup, a latched lid, and secondary containment.
- If it hisses, stop, secure the enclosure, and reset before trying again.
- Use escape-proof vents. For scorplings, every opening must be smaller than the tail.
- Remove live prey around a molt, and give tiny scorplings no open water.
Simple Care
- House one scorpion per enclosure.
- Fill deep with firm, packed sand or sand/clay so a dug burrow holds, and add a starter hide.
- Keep the surface dry with one slightly damp refuge or side.
- Run a warm gradient: 86-90°F by day, 77-82°F at night.
- Give strong cross-ventilation and a safely sized water dish.
- Feed adults about one right-sized prey item a week.
- Set out a catch cup, long tongs, and eye protection before you open the lid.
- Keep the latched enclosure inside secondary containment.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- In the wild it digs burrows in firm sandy ground, in the open and at the base of shrubs. Pure loose sand won't hold a tunnel, so pack it.
- Add a surface hide too. It also shelters under debris.
- Start at 86-90°F by day and 77-82°F at night, then adjust to behavior.
- Skip humidity numbers. Keep the top dry, one side or refuge slightly damp, and air moving low across the enclosure.
- Use escape-proof vents, a latched lid, and secondary containment.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Adults: start at one right-sized prey item a week, then adjust to appetite and body condition.
- Small juveniles: offer small or pre-killed prey on a careful schedule, and log every feeding.
- Remove live prey around a molt.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, east of the Kalahari, in arid to semi-arid open sandy ground and at the base of shrubs.
- Habitat translation: Firm sandy ground where it digs its own burrow becomes deep packed sand or sand/clay, a starter hide, a dry surface with one damp refuge, warm days with cooler nights, and strong low airflow.
Advanced Keeper Details
- It stridulates: it scrapes the stinger across ridges on the first two tail segments to make a warning hiss.
- Hyper and fast. Get experience with smaller, fast, defensive scorpions before this one.
- An opportunistic burrower, so expect to rarely see it.
- Sand combs, rows of long bristles on its first two pairs of legs, mark it as a sand digger.
- Older labels may use the names P. flavidus, P. truculentus, or P. triradulatus.
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