Indie’s arsenal, however, doesn’t include a whip but boasts a far more lethal combination – a stinger and powerful crab claw-like pincers. And despite her formidable weaponry, this one-year-old Emperor Scorpion has refrained from snapping her keeper Vijay’s fingers, even during his cheeky attempts.
“Several times, I was just being naughty and put my finger in between her pincers to see what she’ll do. Nothing. She just backed away,” Vijay laughed. “She is a very docile creature and very shy.”
Vijay’s journey with Indie began in late 2022 when he acquired her from a Penang breeder. Transported in a test tube, wrapped, and tucked inside a box, Indie was initially as minuscule as a fingernail.
Today, after moulting six times, she stands at an impressive 15cm, adorned with a glistening black exoskeleton and reddish-black pincers.
Native to West Africa, Emperor Scorpions rank among the world’s largest scorpions, growing up to 23cm with powerful pedipalps (pincers) and a long telson (tail) ending with a venomous stinger. Fortunately, it’s not fatal to humans.
Despite their size, they are known for their social and peaceful nature, making them popular in the pet trade. Unfortunately, their popularity also places them on the CITES-list due to threats from over-collecting.
Vijay’s fascination with scorpions traces back to his primary school days.
“I remember a bunch of us used to go to the back of a church and some of my friends would catch scorpions and tree bugs. They would sell these creatures to other boys at our school. Since then, I developed an interest in keeping a scorpion,” Vijay shared.
Keeping Indie as a pet has offered Vijay an amusing and insightful experience, from Indie’s theatrical feigning of death to her quirky dance of raised pincers to communicate that she’s hungry.
“I feed her mealworms, roaches and crickets every two days. What I found out quite recently is that crickets are her favourite.
“How do I know this? When I fed her a mealworm, she took it from the tweezer and flicked it away and didn’t even touch it. And I know she was hungry because I hadn’t fed her in a while. But when I fed her crickets the next day, she happily ate it!” Vijay said.
“It’s fascinating that even creatures such as these have personalities,” he added.
Indie’s glass tank, a carefully curated habitat, houses soil, peat moss, water, and springtails that efficiently manage droppings and decaying matter. A self-contained ecosystem, complemented by Indie’s shy nature, results in intricate burrows within the tank’s soil, a sign of a happy and relaxed scorpion, and Vijay couldn’t be prouder of his reclusive housemate.
That is not the case with his girlfriend.
“My girlfriend was very cautious and scared at first. She eventually warmed up to Indie and acknowledged her existence and presence but she still doesn’t touch her,” Vijay shared.
Recounting the first time Indie voluntarily crawled onto his hand, Vijay beamed with pride, realising the depth of trust between them.
“In fact, she can differentiate my finger from the food I feed her. Every time I lower the food into the tank, she doesn’t come for my finger. She will back away and wait until I drop the insect,” Vijay mentioned.
In this scorpion saga of trust and surprises, Vijay eagerly anticipates the next chapter in his bond with Indie, the Emperor Scorpion – an arachnid companion with a personality as intriguing and dynamic as the Hollywood adventures that inspired her name.