Scorpion Behavior
I'm writing this guide to help keepers get a baseline for what is normal behavior for their scorpion and what is unusual or concerning. Scorpions are not as commonly kept as tarantulas and have both claws and tails that can perform a wide variety of body language signaling, which can be hard for their keepers to read. Understanding what a scorpion's body language is saying, and being able to identify when a scorpion is stressed or not, is invaluable for providing the best care you can. Scorpions that are constantly stressed or uncomfortable are either being kept in adverse conditions or do not have a secure enough hide or burrow to retreat to, and continual stress over long periods of time will impact your scorpion's health.
I have also seen a lot of questions from new keepers that aren't sure how their scorpion is supposed to behave, and aren't sure which behaviors indicate an underlying problem. I'll also go over what to expect when keeping a scorpion and what their general behavior looks like, as well as some things that might be concerning for a new keeper to see.
Normal Behaviors
Scorpions are sedentary animals by nature. Even the more active ones that are more nomadic and will wander around between scrapes spend most of the day inactive. A scorpion that sits in a burrow or under a hide most of the time is a happy one. For some obligate burrowers, it's not uncommon for them to remain in their burrow for months at a time. In captivity, scorpions such as Scorpio sp, Hadrurus sp, and Heterometrus sp especially seem to be reluctant to leave their burrows. Scorpions that dig excessively or are usually out and redoing or moving their burrows probably do not have adequate substrate or space to burrow in. This usually happens with Hadrurus sp that are given loose sandy substrate, because their burrows will eventually collapse with excessive digging and they'll start over and try to dig another one. For Hadrurus being kept on loose substrate, I've found that giving them a very large hide that allows them to dig a large burrow underneath without it collapsing is the best way to get them to stop doing this.
Scorpions also frequently go off food. Especially for mature males, they will often refuse food for many months at a time. They seem to prefer to fast and gorge. If your temperatures are adequate, a scorpion refusing food is nothing to be concerned about. Scorpions will also go off food during premolt or close to giving birth. Looking at body condition will give you a good idea of whether or not you should be concerned.
This scorpion is extremely thin. The tergites (plates on the top) are touching the sternites (plates on the bottom) and the pleural membrane (greyish membrane connecting them) is not visible at all. This scorpion needs to drink and eat immediately, at this point I would give water by hand using a paint brush, q-tip, or blunt syringe. You can also cut mealworms or feeders into the water before giving it to them to help perk them up and take it more readily, and to give them more nutrients.
This scorpion is a bit on the thin side, the tergites are slightly overlapping and the pleural membrane is visible but visibly wrinkly. I would ensure this scorpion eats soon and provide a source of water.
This is where I typically like to keep my scorpions. The tergites are slightly spaced out, the pleural membrane is a bit rounded and looks soft and relaxed, and is generally not wrinkled. Some keepers would put this on the slightly overfed region, but I prefer to keep my scorpions well fed and let them slim down when they fast.
This scorpion is (hopefully) getting ready to molt. Not all of them will be quite this fat going into a molt, but generally the scorpion looks very bloated and the pleural membrane is stretched and taut. Typically they will stop eating at this point. Some scorpions will be this size even without being in premolt, this particular scorpion pictured has been around this size for almost a year and hasn't molted yet. Every 3 months or so I'll give her a small cricket just to keep her going, and so far she hasn't refused food or gotten any thinner.
This scorpion is gravid. Experience will make it easier to tell a fat scorpion from a gravid one, the shape of the body is slightly different. Close to giving birth though, it's often possible to see the shape of the embryos through the pleural membrane, which is a guaranteed way to determine if a scorpion is gravid. At this point the scorpion will have stopped eating, and will eventually seal themselves in a hide or burrow to give birth.
Relaxed Scorpion
A relaxed scorpion is one that is generally comfortable in it's environment. The pedipalps are held to the side, and the tail will be held slightly curled and either completely horizontal or slightly angled. The legs are not excessively curled under the body. Typically this is the pose they take under their hides, though they will sit like this out in the open if they've become accustomed to captivity. This is how they'll look most of the time, though when you move the enclosure or lift up a hide to check on them don't be surprised if their body language suddenly changes.
Alert Scorpion
This is the pose of a scorpion that has recently been disturbed or is looking for prey. It looks a bit different from a stressed scorpion (which we'll look at later). The metasoma is up though usually not arched excessively over the back, and the pedipalps are forward and investigating. The scorpion might walk around, especially if it senses prey and is trying to find it. Under a hide, though, the scorpion might just reach out and feel around with it's pedipalps. The movement will look controlled and investigative, if the scorpion walks it will be at a slow pace.
Exploratory behavior in a Centruroides sculpturatus at the PDXInsectarium. Scorpion body language has always been extremely interesting to
This is a video that demonstrates this well, in this video the scorpion has a relatively relaxed tail, her pedipalps are often outstretched and she feels around in her environment, her pectines move back and forth to sense the substrate, and she walks at a slow, almost hesitant pace.
I've always loved observing scorpion behavior. Really interesting tail flicking and exploratory behavior.
In this video the scorpion is searching for a cricket I had put in the container and she detected, still her movements are relatively unhurried and her pectines are feeling around but her tail is much more upright and her movements are a bit more jerky. She is exploring but alert to the prey in the area.
Defensive Pose
This is the body language of a scorpion that believes it might be in danger. It's not quite at full on fight or flight yet, and I'm putting it in normal behaviors because it represents just a higher level of alertness and uncertainty. Some species, in particular Paravaejovis spinigerus and Orthochirus species, will almost ball up and curl their metasoma almost entirely over their backs. Claws are usually held more tightly to the sides and legs may be pulled in closer to the body.
In large clawed species, particularly Pandinus and Heterometrus, the metasoma is not usually brought all the way over the top of the backs but will be more upright and slightly raised. Claws are usually held in front of the face. In Gigantometrus species and some Heterometrus this is particularly pronounced, and the claws will be crossed in front of the body almost like a shield.
Stress Behaviors
Some scorpions freeze when they are stressed, which is hard to determine visually because they will freeze in whatever position they happen to be in when they are disturbed. A scorpion that has freezed is usually doing it to avoid detection, if you continue to bother the scorpion it will usually either threat pose or bolt. Some species are very good at freezing though, and will stay frozen in the position they're in even when being handled or flipped over. Experience will help you differentiate a scorpion that is frozen and stressed and a scorpion that is just being still.
Threat Pose
A scorpion that is threat posing is one that believes it is in danger. Some species will threat pose much more readily than others, this body language should tell you that if you continue to mess with the scorpion you should expect a sting or a pinch. The pedipalps will be open wide, the claws will be open, and the tail will be strongly arched into the air. In some species, like Gigantometrus swammerdami, they will threat post with their claws held tightly in front of them.
Giant Forest Scorpion from WARD NO. 31, ANUKUL DEV, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh 494001, India on August 4, 2024 at 10:10 PM by Ravi Naidu
Bolting
Bolting looks markedly different than the exploratory walk shown earlier. A scorpion that bolts is moving very quickly, and often wont stop until it hits some sort of barrier or it finds a sheltered space to hide under. Scorpions can bolt very abruptly (usually from a freeze) and use it to escape a potential predator.
Glass Dancing
Glass dancing is similar to bolting in that it comes from a scorpion trying to escape a situation it doesn't like. This is extremely common with new animals or animals that are placed in new enclosures. Once they settle in and establish hides and burrow that are safe, this behavior will stop. A scorpion that is glass dancing for a long period of time or one that does this even when a hide or burrow is available is either trying to escape an adverse environmental condition (too hot, wet, cold, ect) or does not want to use the hide or burrow provided. I would investigate your enclosure parameters and/or move around and provide different options for hides. Substrate type and moisture might also be a problem.
Sick/Dying/Dead
A scorpion that is sick or dying will have an extremely flat, limp tail. Sometimes the tail will be so flat it will even look recurved, as in bent in the opposite direction it normally sits. They will look extremely weak and may move around in a way that looks sluggish and uncoordinated. Oftentimes, though not always, the legs will be tightly pulled under the body similarly to a spider's "death curl".
Other Behaviors
Stilting
Stilting is when a scorpion either lifts itself straight up from the substrate or lifts itself up at an angle with it's head pointed downwards. I've seen a few different explanations for this behavior. I've seen people say scorpions will do this to prepare for giving birth, but males and juveniles will do this also. I've also heard it serves a temperature regulation function, either to escape a hot surface underneath them or to get closer to a heat source above them. This can look similar to but is slightly different from the chelicerae cleaning behavior and the drinking behavior.
Chelicerae cleaning/Drinking
Grouping these because the pose is similar, in both cases the scorpion will be facing down to the substrate while the back half of i's body is elevated. Obviously when done over a water dish it's obvious the scorpion is drinking, but they will also do this over moist substrate to seemingly drink condensation out of the dirt. Chelicerae cleaning is similar and usually is done during eating or drinking when particulates get stuck to the chelicerae, scorpions will rub or drag their chelicerae through the substrate to get the substance off.
Dragging pedipalps through substrate
Don't have a video of this, but sometimes upon catching a prey item the scorpion will immediately start pushing their pedipalps around in the substrate, often partially burying their prey without letting go. I've also see them do this when their pedipalps get substrate stuck to them. This is also a way to clean residue off their pedipalps.
Tail wagging/waving
Interesting example of intraspecies interaction! Attempted to mate them again because it's spring, and seasonality may indeed be why the mal
A very interesting behavior, this seems more common with species that are relatively tolerant with each other. This appears to be a way to communicate with other scorpions, basically a way to let them know that they themselves are not food, though I have also seen it with scorpions that are introduced to a new environment or are unsure about their surroundings.
Tail Clubbing
Some defensive behavior from my t. grandidieri, this is called "tail clubbing". Scorpions will also sometimes do this as part of their matin
A defensive behavior where the scorpion bumps or clubs at a potential threat with their tail, usually with the telson tucked under the fifth segment. This is not an attempt to sting, and seems to be used often on other scorpions as a way to warn them without escalating to a sting and wasting venom.
Juddering
Male dune scorpion juddering, you can really see his pectins going in this! He uses his pectins to sense chemical traces on the ground, he's
Usually done by the male, associated with mating. Male's will do this when they detect pheromones from the female, or will do this at the female to initiate mating. Males will also do this at each other to initiate arm span competitions.
Swaying
I'm going to be honest I don't know why she's doing this but you can also see another example of tail clubbing because she annoyed her tankmate.
Pooping
A scorpion that is walking forward with it's tail stretched out straight behind it is pooping. Included this here because flat tail usually means sick or dying and people are often concerned when they see this behavior. Watch the scorpion and it'll eventually curl it's tail back up again, prolonged time with it's tail flat on the substrate or other unusual behaviors such as sluggishness or appearing disoriented is a concern.
Conclusion
Hopefully this gives you a better idea of how your scorpion will act in captivity, and give you a better idea of behaviors that are normal or a cause for concern. Being able to tell scorpion body language and figure out when they're stressed is key for troubleshooting your care to make them as comfortable as possible. This should also help reassure you if your scorpion is acting weird and you don't know why. Hope this helps!