Opistophthalmus boehmei

Opistophthalmus boehmei

Opistophthalmus boehmei is a scorpion from southern Africa — a member of a genus of diggers for which the earth is the whole world. Its colouration stays in warm, earthy tones, with massive pincers that immediately reveal its strategy: not venom, but the strength of its grip.

In captivity it is a secretive, nocturnal species. It spends most of its life in a deep, self-excavated burrow, emerging under cover of night. It can be nervous and will adopt a defensive posture when disturbed — raised pincers and tail with its telson — but its venom is mild, typical of the thick-clawed Scorpionidae. This is a scorpion to observe through the environment it builds, not to handle.

In the terrarium the key is a **deep layer of substrate** (a dozen or more centimetres) for it to excavate its tunnel, plus a flat stone or piece of bark as a retreat. Keep the substrate mostly dry with one regularly misted area; room temperature is entirely sufficient. The better its burrow, the less you will see it — and the healthier it will be.

It is a good scorpion for beginning with this group: hardy, mild-venomed, and fascinating as a builder. Opistophthalmus boehmei rewards those who can appreciate a life unfolding underground.