Desert Hairy Scorpion

(Hadrurus arizonensis)

Care Sheet

Scientific Name: Hadrurus arizonensis

Common Name: Desert Hairy Scorpion, Arizona Hairy Scorpion, and Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion

Type: Fossorial

Endemic Location: Southwest United States and Northern Mexico

Diagonal Leg Span (DLS): 4” - 6”  (10-15cm)

Growth Rate: Medium - Slow

Life Expectancy: Females 20 years / Males 7-10 years

Recommended Experience Level: Beginner - Intermediate

Venom: low potency, not harmful to humans unless allergic 

The Hadrurus arizonensis, known commonly as the Desert Hairy Scorpion or the Arizona Hairy Scorpion is the largest scorpion in North America reaching a size of nearly 6”. This is a very active species and can be a little defensive, but it has very low venom potency that is not typically harmful to humans. This is a desert dwelling species That can be found across the Southwest United States in states like Arizona, Nevada, Utah and California but has also been found in Northern Mexico. They grow to between 4”-6” in size and males can live up to 10 years, while females can live as long as nearly 20 years. This scorpion cannot be kept communally and can be difficult to even breed in captivity due to their propensity to cannibalism. This is a very popular species in the hobby due to their size, appearance, active nocturnal behavior, relatively low price and because they aren’t a dangerous species. 

The Desert Hairy scorpion is very sensitive to humidity and needs to be kept in arid conditions because they are prone to fungal infections if their environment is too damp. They also prefer temperatures slightly above room temperature and I keep mine at around 75-80f. This can be achieved with heat lighting or an under tank heater. When using an UTH I usually stick them to the side of the enclosure as opposed to actually under the enclosure and use a thermostat to regulate the temperature so it doesn’t get too hot. 

I initially started out keeping mine on straight sand, then a 60/40 mixture of sand and coco fiber. The issues I had with both of these set up is that this species like to burrow and those substrates would not hold the burrow very well or at all. So I decided to try something new. My friends over at Zoo Med Laboratories sent me a nice box of supplies to help me with setting up this new enclosure. They provided me with the Cavern Kit with Excavator® Clay Burrowing Substrate, Creatures™ Combo Dome Lamp Fixture, Creatures™ LED Black Light, Creatures™ LED, and the Creatures™ Creature Therm Heater. I wanted to create an enclosure that would give this scorpion the ability to dig out its own tunnels and burrow without having to keep the substrate damp as they do not tolerate humid conditions at all. It is a little easier for tarantulas to build tunnels and burrows using dry peat moss or coco fiber as they can web up the tunnels and hold them in place and not have to worry about them collapsing as much. But since that isnt something a scorpion could do, we are going to try out this clay substrate and hopefully this will be ideal for this species.

For small scorplings, I keep them in acrylic enclosures with plenty of ventilation that are wider than tall on a mixture of dry peat moss and sand. I keep them in my spiderling nursery where the temperature is usually about 78f. Once they out grow those enclosures I move them into 2.5 or 5 gallon enclosures. If I am using a heat lamp or Under Tank Heater, I always use glass enclosures instead of acrylic and always use a thermostat that I can plug the heater or light into to keep it from getting to hot.

I feed my scorplings one or two pinhead crickets or red runner roached a week and start to cut back once they start looking plump. I dont provide a water dish at this size as they get most of their water requirements met from their prey, but occasionally i may spray a few drops of water on one corner of the enclosure.

I feed my adults one or two medium-large crickets every other week, but also cut back amount and frequency once they start looking too plump. I provide a small, SHALLOW, water dish that i keep a little water in, but I have never seen my desert scorpions actually drink from it yet.