Scorpio palmatus
Scorpio palmatus is a scorpion in the family Scorpionidae, recently redescribed and separated from other members of the Scorpio maurus group. It occurs in northern Egypt, the Sinai, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria, with Jordanian populations reassigned to a different species. Usually yellow to yellow-brown with strong pincers, it lives in arid and semi-arid soils, digging deep spiral burrows. Because it requires deep substrate and stable burrow conditions, it is best suited for intermediate to advanced keepers.
HABITAT
🌍 Geographic Range:
Scorpio palmatus is native to North Africa and the Middle East. Its distribution includes:
North Africa: Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco
Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula
It is widespread across the eastern Sahara and Levant regions, often found in arid and semi-arid zones.
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🏡 Microhabitat Preferences:
This species is well-adapted to desert environments. Typical habitats include:
Sandy deserts and semi-deserts, where it digs burrows in loose soil.
Rocky plains and wadis (dry riverbeds), where stones and cracks offer shelter.
Oases and cultivated land edges, where irrigation provides microhabitats.
It is a fossorial species, excavating burrows that can be quite deep, which helps it regulate temperature and humidity in harsh climates.
Like most scorpions, it is nocturnal, emerging at night to hunt insects and other small invertebrates, while spending the day concealed underground or under cover.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
📏Size:
Scorpio palmatus is a medium-sized scorpion, generally reaching 6–8 cm (2.5–3 inches) in length as an adult. It is fairly robust for a desert scorpion, with well-developed pincers and a sturdy body.
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🎨Coloration:
Its coloration is typically pale yellow to light sandy brown, which provides effective camouflage against desert soils and rocky substrates.
This species presents sexual dimorphism, males will have a shorter fixed finger (top finger) than the females do, males will also appear to have a matt finish on their carapace where as females will have a more glossy appearance.
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CAPTIVE CARE
📏Enclosure Size:
Scorpio palmatus should be housed in a well-ventilated terrestrial enclosure, with an adult ideally kept in a setup around 20 cm long and around 15cm high. The most important feature is a deep, compact substrate layer made from a sand and clay-based mix that can hold burrows when dry, as this species is a true desert burrower. It will often stay in it's burrows for long periods of time if the structure can be maintained.
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🌡️Temperature:
corpio palmatus should be kept at warm desert temperatures, ideally between 26–32°C during the day, with a natural drop to around 24°C at night. This species is adapted to arid environments and can tolerate higher daytime temperatures provided conditions remain dry and well-ventilated, prolonged exposure to cooler temperatures may reduce activity and feeding response.
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💧Humidity:
Scorpio palmatus should be kept in low humidity conditions (around 40%), with the enclosure remaining predominantly dry to reflect its natural desert habitat. Despite this, the species will regulate its own moisture needs by burrowing into deeper, slightly more humid layers of substrate, where microclimates retain higher humidity. Individuals may also take advantage of a water source if available and can often be observed drinking, so a small shallow water dish can be provided while ensuring the overall environment remains dry and well-ventilated.
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🌱Substrate:
Scorpio palmatus requires a deep, structurally stable substrate that allows for natural burrowing behaviour. The most effective setup is a layered substrate, with a firm sand and clay mix on the surface to hold burrow structure, and a slightly more moisture-retentive layer of soil beneath to create a subtle humidity gradient. This allows the scorpion to dig down into more humid zones when needed while keeping the surface dry, closely replicating its natural desert microhabitat. The substrate should be packed down firmly rather than left loose, as this species relies on stable burrows for security and thermoregulation.
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⏰Feeding schedule:
Feed adults every 10–14 days. Offer live prey such as:
Crickets
Roaches
Locusts
Occasionally superworms (not as staple food)
Juveniles may feed more often, about once per week. Remove uneaten prey within 24 hours to avoid stress or injury to the scorpion. Adults sometimes fast for weeks, which is normal if the scorpion is otherwise healthy.
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🥣Water Source:
Provide a small, shallow water dish with fresh water, frequently. This species drinks a lot of water and ofen burrow very deep in order to access moisture. Keep water bowl filled always.
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🍃Ventilation
Strong cross-ventilation is essential to prevent stagnant air while keeping the substrate dry. Avoid high humidity buildup, airflow should simulate the open, arid conditions of its natural desert habitat.
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🙈Hides:
Provide multiple dry shelters such as flat rocks, cork bark, or half logs. While S. palmatus often digs burrows, surface hides replicate natural crevices and give extra security. Burrows may be deep and stable if the substrate is suitable, helping regulate temperature and humidity in captivity.
VENOM
💉Scorpio palmatus has a venom that is considered mildly potent, but it is not medically significant to healthy adult humans. A sting typically causes localized pain, swelling, redness, and mild inflammation, which may last from a few hours up to a couple of days. The pain is often compared to a bee or wasp sting.
The venom itself is mainly composed of neurotoxic peptides that act on ion channels in invertebrates, making it effective for subduing prey such as insects and small arthropods. In humans, systemic symptoms (like nausea or dizziness) are rare and usually only occur in sensitive individuals, such as children, the elderly, or those with allergies. Compared to truly dangerous scorpions in the family Buthidae, S. palmatus is regarded as low-risk and not a species of medical concern.
STATS
LATIN NAME:
• Scorpio palmatus
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COMMON NAME:
• Israeli Gold Scorpion
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TEMPERATURE
• 26°- 32°
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TEMPERAMENT:
• Very defensive, will pinch/sting if bothered
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HUMIDITY:
• 40%
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COMMUNAL:
• 1/5 — Solitary
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SIZE:
• Up to 7cm
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ECOLOGY:
• Fossorial
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SUBSTRATE:
• Loamy sand
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ORIGIN:
•Egypt, Sinai & southern Israel
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FACTS
🪨 Strong Rock-Associated Microhabitat Use (Unusual Within Some Desert Vaejovids)
While many desert scorpions are sand burrowers, Smeringurus vachoni is more often associated with rock / compact soil interfaces, using shallow scrapes under stones rather than deep sand burrows. This puts it ecologically closer to hardpan desert specialists than dune specialists, which is useful for explaining why loose sand-only setups often don’t reflect natural behaviour.
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🦂 Part of a Genus Often Confused in the Hobby With Smeringurus mesaensis
Historically and in hobby circulation, S. vachoni has likely been confused with other pale desert Smeringurus species, especially mesaensis, due to overlapping colour and general morphology. Correct ID usually relies on microscopic morphology and trichobothrial pattern, not colour alone.