Molting

As scorpions grow their hard exoskeleton becomes too small for its body so they must grow a new one. The new outer skeleton forms beneath the current one. This process is called molting. It is a stressful process for the scorpion that can take up to twelve hours and requires a lot of energy.

Right before molting a scorpion will go into hiding for a few days and refuse food. Like a spider, a scorpion will shed its old skin leaving behind an exact replica of itself. The shed is translucent and can still fluoresce. The newly molted scorpion will be white and extremely soft bodied. When it is in this stage it is extremely vulnerable. If you have scorpions in a communal tank pay close attention to your newly molted scorpion so it is not injured.

A scorpion will molt an average of six times before reaching adulthood. After it reaches adulthood it will no longer molt. Depending on the species, a scorpion reaches adulthood between six months to seven years of age.