Beginner, intermediate, and advanced

Butterbean83

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
16
Just wondering, if you besides the Emperor scorpion, and the desert hairy. Can anyone tell me other beginner species. And also intermediate and advanced species. Thankyou.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
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4,226
I'll throw out a general list, but I'm by no means and expert and I know there are plenty of other people here on AB with heaps more experience. They can add more options or explain why maybe a genus I put somewhere should be in a different category. I'm also not including all genera/species because there are way too many to list. Consider this a little more general, with regards to species seen a little more commonly(ish) in the US hobby. Experience is also semi-relative I suppose. Someone could start off with an advanced species if they've really done their homework and respect the hell out of them because many species that fall under advanced have very dangerous venom. But that still wouldn't be recommended.

Beginner
Pandinus
Smeringurus
Centruroides vittatus
and C. gracilis are considered to be good beginner buthids, but overall I'd call Buthidae an intermediate/advanced family.
Vaejovis (I'd say many under the family Vaejovidae, to be honest).
Hadogenes

Intermediate
Most Centruroides
Babycurus
Hottentotta
(could be advanced due to venom)
Tityus (could be advanced due to venom)

Advanced
Centruroides bicolor
Orthochirus
Androctonus
Parabuthus
Leiurus


One could debate that desert hairy should be intermediate/advanced due to the special care necessary to get them to successfully molt. If you get a WC adult it's easy, but a juvenile takes much more work.
 

AzJohn

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
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2,181
What do you mean? Are you looking at care requirements or the potential some scorpions have to do serious harm to their keepers. As far as care goes, if you can keep hadrurus you can keep androctonus. The biggest difference is that andros can kill some people, people with underlying conditions, or the extremely young or old. Hadrurus wont.

I’ve kept many “hot” scorpions, pretty much something from every genus. All need respect and you should follow common sense. The scorpions I would tell a novice to be extra careful with would be highly venomous bark scorpions, like tityus and the more potent centruroides. Mainly because they get places you might put your hand on.


John
 

Butterbean83

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
16
I'm in the UK so that rules out ANY Buthidae or Hemiscorpidae lol as you need to be able to get a DWA license and it's not easy in an urban built up area to get such a license. I'm thinking ease of care and anything up to moderately strong venom that isn't the two aforementioned geniuses, nothing that is potentially very dangerous... Also, what scorps are more active and interesting to watch, again, other than the aforementioned geniuses which are restricted here in the UK. Thanks for taking the time to answer guys, much appreciated.
 
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pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
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4,226
Smeringurus and Vaejovis are both pretty active genera. I'd frequently see mine out and about even during the day. Excellent feeding responses too. They can both be very feisty, but the venom isn't anything to worry about.
 

Butterbean83

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 22, 2018
Messages
16
That's what I want, but I great feeding response, not Too difficult care, interesting to watch, I'm actually looking at the two you mentioned, and so Scorpio Maurus. The Desert Hairy sounds awesome too but someone commented that captive bred DHs have problems moulting.
 
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