Scorpion Birth

Well, on arriving at work this morning we were surprised to see that our Imperial Scorpion was giving birth. It was like something from a horror movie. This black twinned clawed creature was removing white miniature scorpions from her underside and gently placing them on her back. We had counted four babies to date, but before closing the shop I noted that there were only three tiny babies on her back and two bodyless claws on the floor of her compartment. Think she must have thought that her babies were also her lunch. Scorpions do tend to eat their young if they feel vulnerable. Because we did not know that she was pregnant we did not give her a quiet tank in a rear room away from everyone. I just hope that by tomorrow she has decided to keep her remaining young. She should - with luck -keep the babies on her back for a couple of weeks, and then we will have to remove them as she almost will certainly eat them. Strange sort of Mother love. Just another working day down at the Pet Shop.