At a glance the quick version
Adults average about 20 cm long; the largest recorded individuals are slightly bigger.
ADW: 5-8 years in captivity; Wikipedia: 6-8 years.
Looks how to spot one
Hard, glossy exoskeleton
One of the world's biggest scorpions, with a glossy black body that can show a greenish metallic sheen, and large, bumpy, reddish-black claws. Like other scorpions, it glows blue-green under ultraviolet light.12
Personality what they are like
Known as one of the calmest, most tolerant scorpions. It is shy by nature, active mainly at night, and usually backs off rather than defending itself. Adults rely on their big claws rather than their sting to hold prey.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Nocturnal, burrowing and fairly slow. It likes to dig and hide under bark or in burrows during the day and come out to hunt after dark.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Mist the substrate surface every day or two without making it soggy, and feed at night. The Amateur Entomologists' Society recommends avoiding handling; if it must be moved, use soft-tipped forceps.3
Home where they are happiest
A warm, humid forest-style terrarium with a deep layer (about 6-7 cm) of peat-free compost, topped with bark chips and hides. Keep a warm area of about 25 C using a heat mat under one third of the base.3
Food basics what goes in the bowl
An insectivore. In the wild termites are its main food. In captivity a large adult often eats 2-3 adult crickets a week.123
Company who they like around
Wild emperor scorpions can live in colonies of up to about 15, and most scorpions can be kept in small groups with enough hides.23
The story where it all began
C. L. Koch described the species in 1842. It became one of the most popular pet scorpions thanks to its calm nature and size, and it is now listed by CITES so that the trade in wild-caught animals is monitored.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It glows a bright blue-green under ultraviolet light.1
- 2
Mothers give birth to live young, about 10-12 at a time, and carry them on their backs.2
- 3
Termites are its main prey in the wild, and it often lives in or near termite mounds.1
- 4
Adults mostly use their powerful claws rather than their sting to catch food.2
- 5
Pregnancy lasts around nine months.2
Recognised by the official bits
- CITES (via Wikipedia)
- Listed by CITES because of over-collection for the pet trade.1
- Taxonomy (via Wikipedia)
- Described by C. L. Koch in 1842.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Emperor Scorpion. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Humidity checkevery 2 days
- Water dishevery 2 days
- FeedingDepends on species, size and moult stagevaries
- Spot cleanRemove leftover foodevery week
- Moult noteLeave them in peace while moulting and note it in the diaryvaries
- Substrate changeevery 6 months
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Pandinus imperator (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.orgused for names, range, size, weight, colour, fluorescence, temperament, diet, history, CITES
- Pandinus imperator (Animal Diversity Web) animaldiversity.orgused for size, lifespan, colour, habitat, behaviour, colonies, reproduction
- Scorpion care sheet (Amateur Entomologists' Society) amentsoc.orgused for substrate, temperature, humidity, feeding, handling, group keeping
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.