The Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion (scientific name: Androctonus australis), also known as the Tunisian Fat-tailed Scorpion, is native to the dry desert regions of North Africa. It is a medium-sized venomous scorpion, measuring 7 to 12 centimeters in length.
If solely ranked by venom potency, the Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion can be ranked as the fifth most venomous scorpion in the world. There have been occasional cases of humans and animals being bitten and dying in its native habitat. Therefore, if one wants to keep this highly venomous scorpion as a pet, caution must be exercised in terms of its management and feeding, with safety being emphasized.
Chinese name: Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion
Scientific name: Androctonus australis
Alias: Fat-tailed Scorpion
Kingdom: Animalia
Androctnous australis was discovered and named by Linnaeus in 1758. At that time, it was defined as a yellow scorpion without any black parts. In the following decades, A.a with black parts was discovered, but it was not classified as A.a. Instead, it was defined as separate species Androctnous libycus and Androctnous hector (seemingly in 1828, not sure). Around 1948-1958, French zoologist Max Vachon combined A.libycus and A.hector into A.a based on their body color, resulting in Androctnous australis libycus and Androctnous australis hector, while the initially discovered species became the nominotypical subspecies Androctnous australis australis. In 1973, a subspecies named Androctnous australis garzonii was defined based on protein analysis. In 1974, another subspecies was defined using the same method, named Androctnous australis africanus. The classification of these subspecies has been a subject of debate in the following decades, and even until now. I once read a paper comparing the garzonii and hector subspecies, both of which are found in Tunisia, with features such as the number of comb-like teeth, the width-to-length ratio of each segment of the tail, and the ratio of the length of the pincers, and even DNA comparison. The conclusion was that the differences were minimal. Meanwhile, as a species with wide distribution and significant individual variation, the variation in body color, size, and body proportions is quite apparent. The current classification may still be insufficiently rigorous, and even contain errors. However, regardless, the classification based on color types, such as australis, hector, and libycus, is the most commonly used and widely accepted. Some foreigners even directly refer to these three names as "color types" rather than subspecies. Body size and proportions are not the basis for classification. (The above is written by Bitter_Creek). Regarding the distinction between these three species: AAA is almost entirely yellow with no black, and the tips of the pincers are orange. AAL has the added feature of black on the tail based on AAA. AAH has a distinct color difference between the pincers and the posterior part, which is usually darker, leaning towards dark brownish-black, and the tail may have some black and some yellow. AAL and AAH are the most common in the market.
The Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion (scientific name: Androctonus australis), also known as the Tunisian Fat-tailed Scorpion, is native to the dry desert regions of North Africa. It is a medium-sized venomous scorpion, measuring 7 to 12 centimeters in length.
Black abdominal disease: The main symptoms are a black belly, abnormal feces, inactivity, and loss of appetite in scorpions. This disease usually occurs in winter or early spring, mainly due to low external temperatures and high humidity, resulting in excessive moisture in the scorpions' bodies. Reasonably increasing the temperature of the scorpion's nest and reducing humidity can prevent the occurrence of this disease.
Decaying disease: The main symptoms are a swollen and black abdomen, loss of appetite, inactivity, and subsequent decay of the whole body, leading to a large number of deaths. This disease is mainly caused by feed deterioration or unclean drinking water and can be treated with antibacterial drugs such as loperamide and a small amount of yeast tablets. It is especially important to maintain environmental and dietary hygiene to prevent the occurrence of this disease.
Tick disease: The main symptom is extreme restlessness in the scorpion, with yellow granular mites lurking in the chest and abdomen, gradually tormenting the scorpion to death. This disease is mainly caused by excessive humidity in the dry scorpion nest. To prevent this disease, a 1% bleach solution and a 3.5% potassium permanganate solution can be sprayed on the scorpion nest for disinfection, or a 4.5% formalin solution can be used for disinfection.
Drying disease: The main symptoms are a yellow tail, flattened abdomen, and lack of luster in the whole body of the scorpion. This disease is mainly caused by long-term water shortage in the scorpion. As long as attention is paid to water supply and moderate humidity in the scorpion nest, the occurrence of this disease can be avoided.
1. Maintain the temperature: When the temperature is below 15℃, the scorpions enter a dormant state and stop or slow down their growth. When the temperature exceeds 40℃, the scorpions become restless and may even die. Therefore, the optimal temperature for scorpion growth and development should be maintained at 25℃~30℃.
2. Control the humidity: Scorpions prefer dry environments and are sensitive to moisture. The optimal relative humidity is between 45%~50%. The moisture content of the sand should be around 15%~20%, where the sand is not too dry or too wet to avoid creating a stuffy atmosphere in the scorpion habitat. It is important to note that the sand should not be overly wet, as this can lead to the development of mite infestations and eventual death of the scorpions.
3. Provide sufficient drinking water: The success of scorpion rearing depends on the availability of drinking water. If water supply is insufficient, the scorpions can become dehydrated and engage in cannibalism, resulting in death. Therefore, it is recommended to use a sponge soaked in clean or cold water and place it in the scorpion enclosure. Every 3 to 5 days, add a dose of antibiotics (such as tetracycline or sulfonamides) to the drinking water. Dissolve one tablet of the antibiotic in approximately 4 kilograms of cold boiled water, mix well, and soak the sponge before placing it in the scorpion enclosure.
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