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Javan Dwarf Scorpion
Scorpion
Intermediate
Chaerilus variegatus
Lifespan
Poorly recorded, no data found
Adult size
Body 2-4 cm
Temperament
Shy and slow, defensive if disturbed
Temperature
20–28°C
Humidity
70–85%
Vivarium
25 x 20 x 20 cm (one adult, secure lid)
Wikipedia →
A small forest scorpion described from Java, Indonesia, where it shelters under stones and fallen wood in humid forest; hobby stock is also collected in Lampung, southern Sumatra. Adults are only about 2-4 cm long and are mottled yellowish to dark brown, though animals in the trade are often very dark. Keepers like it as a tiny, cryptic species for a compact humid set-up, but it is rarely kept and most stock is wild-caught. A sting can cause local pain and swelling, but its family is not considered medically important.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Room temperature of about 22-26°C is usually enough. If the room falls below about 20°C, use a small heat mat on one side wall run on a thermostat, never underneath, and keep the warm side no higher than about 28°C.
💡 Lighting
No UVB needed. It is nocturnal and hides by day, so normal room daylight gives the day/night cycle.
🪨 Substrate
5-10 cm of moisture-holding coco fibre mixed with topsoil or peat-free compost, kept damp but not waterlogged, with leaf litter on top.
🍽 Feeding
Offer small prey such as small crickets or roach nymphs, with flightless fruit flies or pinhead crickets for tiny young. Feed every 7-14 days, a little more often for growing young, and remove uneaten prey within 24 hours.
💧 Water
Provide a very small, shallow dish such as a bottle cap, and mist one side every few days so it can drink droplets and humidity stays at 70-85%.
🏠 Enrichment
Give several cork bark flats, small cork tubes or flat stones to hide under, plus leaf litter and moss. Springtails can be added to help clear leftovers and mould.
🩺 Health Considerations
Mould and mycosis develop when the enclosure is wet and stagnant, while a dried-out enclosure leads to dehydration and failed moults, so balance humidity with some ventilation. Most stock is wild-caught, so check new arrivals for mites, and be aware that wild females may already be gravid.
🤲 Handling
Hands-off is recommended: it is tiny, easily lost or injured and defensive when disturbed. The venom of its family is not considered medically important, but a sting can cause local pain and swelling, and allergic reactions are possible.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No licence needed in the UK. It is in the Chaerilidae, not the Buthidae, so it is not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 schedule (which lists scorpions only as 'Family Buthidae: All species' and Hemiscorpius lepturus) or the Northern Ireland order; it is not CITES-listed and not on the GB invasive species list.
📋 Additional Notes
Sold as the Javan dwarf or Javan black dwarf scorpion, sometimes with a locality label such as 'Lampung'. Chaerilus species are hard to identify and have often been misidentified, and C. variegatus was long lumped with C. borneensis, so animals sold under this name may be other Chaerilus species or even dwarf wood scorpions (Liocheles australasiae). Keepers report that Chaerilus species may play dead when disturbed.