A big black scorpion very like the emperor, but with more attitude — hardy and impressive, though quicker to raise its pincers and sting, so strictly a display.
🟡 Feistier than emperor🦂 Mild venom💧 Humid tropical⏳ 5–8 years
Care difficulty
Easy–Moderate
Animal cost
£20–£50
Full setup
£40–£150
Adult size
12–18 cm
Lifespan
5–8 years
Min. enclosure
45×30×30 cm
📋At a Glance
Asian forest scorpions look much like emperor scorpions and need near-identical warm, humid care, but they're notably more defensive — faster to stance-up, pinch and sting. Their venom is generally mild (like the emperor's, with individual variation), but their temperament makes them a look-don't-touch display rather than a handling scorpion.
Best for: keepers wanting an impressive, hardy tropical scorpion and happy with a feistier, display-only animal.
💷Costs & Getting Hold of One
The animal
£20–£50.
Full setup
£40–£150 (terrarium, low heat, humid substrate, hide, water dish).
Ongoing costs
Very low — insects.
Availability
Fairly easy; buy captive-bred where possible.
These are minimums, not budgets. The low end still has to meet the animal's needs — proper UVB, a heat gradient, space and filtration are not optional extras. A vivarium alone can cost £250–£300+, and a tortoise's UVB lamp alone is often ~£100. Price the whole setup before you commit to the animal.
Buying tip: Choose an alert scorpion with all limbs. Expect a more defensive animal than an emperor — best kept singly.
🏠Enclosure & Where to Keep It
A ground-dwelling, burrowing tropical scorpion needing floor space, humidity and hides.
Adult
45×30×30 cm.
Furnishing
Deep humid substrate, cork-bark hides and a shallow water dish.
Housing
Best kept singly — more territorial than emperors.
Where to keep it
A warm, stable room out of direct sun.
Keep humidity up with ventilation; house singly to avoid fights.
🌡️Temperature, Lighting & Humidity
Temperature
25–28 °C with gentle heat.
Lighting / UVB
No special lighting (nocturnal); glows under UV.
Humidity
High (70–80%) via damp substrate and misting.
Bedding / substrate
Deep, humid coco fibre/soil mix for burrowing.
🍽️Diet, Supplements & Feeding
An ambush carnivore — appropriately sized insects.
Staple
Crickets, dubia and locusts.
Frequency
Every few days to weekly.
Method
Seizes prey in the pincers; readier to sting than an emperor.
Water
A shallow water dish always available.
Remove uneaten prey; keep humid and clean.
✨Grooming, Shedding & Additional Needs
No grooming; they moult to grow and are vulnerable afterwards.
Never disturb a moulting scorpion.
🖐️Handling & Interaction
Do not handle. More defensive than an emperor — quicker to pinch and sting. A display scorpion, best admired under UV light.
How to handle
Interact by observation and tong-feeding. Move only via a soft container, never bare hands.
✅ Do
Enjoy it as a display (and under UV).
Tong-feed and keep humid.
Move via a container, not hands.
House singly.
Wash hands after any contact.
⛔ Don't
Don't handle — feisty, with sting and pinch risk.
Don't keep it too dry.
Don't house two together.
Don't disturb a moulting scorpion.
Don't keep bright light on it.
🦎Fun Facts
Very similar in looks to the emperor scorpion, but more defensive.
Glows under UV light like all scorpions.
Venom generally mild, but temperament makes it hands-off.
A hardy tropical species with the same warm, humid needs as an emperor.
Native to the forests of Southeast Asia.
⭐Overall Verdict
An impressive, hardy tropical scorpion with the emperor's care but more attitude. Keep it warm, humid, singly and hands-off, enjoy it under a UV torch, and it's a striking display invertebrate.