My Petco Sells Emperor Scorpions? What? Please Read

Not only here in US, so is back in China. It seems that the number of wild pandinus is in decrease, prices are doubled or even tripled.

 

Here in philippines emp scorpions are not so difficult to find due to overbreeding.

 

I would say it’s a bit of both. I recently picked up 2 slings for the same price that were captive bred, and I’ve seen a good amount of them
Offered up here and there so it seems like there may have been a few successful breedings all at once. That being said, finding them at a petco is certainly some good luck!

 

You sure there emperors and not heterometrus species.

 

If you can get good pics and post them here, they will be IDed. I’ve seen emperors at petco also and they go for $50+. $25 is closer to Asian forest scorpion price than emperor, however someone on here got emperors once being sold as Asian forest scorpions are petco.

 

Looks like Pandius to me.

 

My guess is imperator because its petco. However I don’t know enough to tell the difference.

 

Yeah that's imperator. I have imperators and asked Petco if they were willing to buy from me some day. They said they don't buy from individuals "that way", whatever that means. I suppose a person has to fill out some paperwork for petco in order to sell to them.

 

They are CB imperator from a large colony built after the import ban went into effect. Just recently the colony is producing enough that they are widely available in quantity, hence the retail price drop. For a long time the stores only had spare males but now juveniles of both sexes are available. Basically, emperors are back, but this time they are captive bred.

 

I've been seeing them locally as well. Though here in "Tax-achussetts" they go for $80 each. Luckily I already have some so I don't have to spend that much.

 

I need to stay away from petco...

 

I'm new to the Hobby so I could be wrong but don't emperor scorpion have red Stingers the one in the picture looks like it's white

 

I wonder if the "Asian Forest Scorpions" at PetSmart are emperors with this sudden boom of ACTUAL emperors. It might be worth checking next time I'm there.

 

When younger Pandinus imperator have a white stinger (telson) it turns red as they mature.

 

O ok thanks for the info didn't know that .

 

I wouldn't count on it. Petsmart's vendors wouldn't substitute a scorpion with a wholesale cost 3-5 times that of Asian Forests. They would be selling at cost at best, but most likely at a loss if they did.