Scorpion Feeding...

When it comes to exotic pets, you know the animal is comfortable in the new environment if it eats. My scorpion ate this morning I mean early morning about 3AM. If your pet doesn't eat, you better release it before it dies but if it eats, VOILA! your money is well spent...

I was observing from my bed. My pet crawled to the water dish for a drink then entered it's flowerpot burrow. Then it stayed still with it's tail raised up and claws spread. That is a signal "Waiter! Where's my food".

There was already 2 crickets in the enclosure but it didn't notice. I dropped one more and the bug crawled into the burrow, right into the lion's den. At first nothing happened so I was kinda pissed of. Then I heard some noise. The two bugs brawled. The brawl was so big that the flowerpot came off, giving me a clear view. And I was relieved because it shows that my new pet is adapting well.

I didn't see the scorpion stinging the cricket. Maybe it didn't sting because the cricket was small compared to itself and small enough to be restrained with it's claws. i guess venom was precious and reserved for big meals like mice, lizards, frogs or bigger bugs.

The poor cricket was eaten alive and head first. Even after half of the head was gone, it was still struggling. I observed the scorpion's mouth and it was the ugliest mouth I've ever seen...LOL... It was like a second pair of claws in the mouth. It rips food into smaller pieces for the inner mouth parts to swallow. EWWW....

The scorpion's mouth...

Similar mouth parts right?

By the time the cricket's thorax was gone, the prey stopped moving. Then it continued eating. I tried taking photos but the colour of the cricket is same with the clour of the soil and rocks... BROWN... it's meant to camoflauge....

The dinner took at least 45 minutes. LONG EH? But it's definitely better to hear my accounts teacher bragging and nagging why my English is A1 and my accounts failed... Damn! And it's more fun than any lame experiment carried out in the school lab.