The Emperor Scorpion is indigenous to African Rainforests and savanna’s, and is known to burrow under dirt, rocks, and piles of loose brush and shrubs. Though they are not native to a lot of areas, we can thank their popularity as an exotic pet as the reason they can be found in so many warm or tropical climates across the globe.

Like most scorpions the Emperor Scorpion has 3 main phases of life. Egg, nymph, then adulthood. Mothers carry the eggs inside of them until they hatch. Female Emperor Scorpions are the reason that this species is the largest, just not the longest, gravid females (pregnant) bodies swell up to the point there are white lines in between the segments of its body from stretching. After the eggs hatch the nymphs emerge from the mother and proceed to go through roughly 6 molts until they change from light golden to the well know dark black exoskeleton of an adult Emperor Scorpion.

The Emperor Scorpions personality and behavior are one of the things that makes it so desirable as a pet. They are rather docile and when they reach adulthood they rarely choose to defend themselves with their sting, rather choosing to tear apart and dismember using their powerful pincers. This docile behavior is one way to identify the Emperor Scorpion from other similar species  as they tend to be more aggressive.

Like other scorpions and insects that enjoy tropical or arid regions these arachnids are most likely to invade your home or business in the winter months, while seeking shelter from the cold. While usually known to be nocturnal the Emperor Scorpion is also known to be active during the day if light levels are low enough.

While they prefer African rainforests Emperor Scorpions can also be found in savannah's under ground, rocks, and piles of debris. They also have been known to invade termite mounds just like they can your home. Mostly they like to eat small insects and other terrestrial invertebrates, termites do make up a large part of their diet in the wild. Some small vertebrates such as lizards and rodents are occasionally consumed. Juveniles rely on their venom to paralyze their prey, while adults rely mainly on their pincers.

When you combine the Emperor Scorpions docile nature with their almost harmless sting, they pose a rather small direct risk to your well being. That being said like all pest infestations, they do raise the risk of transferring filth to the surfaces they crawl over while prowling your home or place of business.