Pandinus Imperator Questions

[Rhino1]

Hi from Australia again, it's recently come to my attention that there have been imports of emperor scorps available and after talking online with a supplier they told me that they are all male and all sterilised (cannot reproduce)
They are very expensive and there is a waiting list and being sterilised, it sort of goes against why I keep inverts in the first place but I'm very intrigued.
What would the lifespan be of 'sterilised' emperor, is this a chemical sterilisation like they do with betta fish and is it a cruel process?
Not sure I want to support something that uses a process with high mortality rates etc
Regards Rhino

 

[Dry Desert]

Hi from Australia again, it's recently come to my attention that there have been imports of emperor scorps available and after talking online with a supplier they told me that they are all male and all sterilised (cannot reproduce)
They are very expensive and there is a waiting list and being sterilised, it sort of goes against why I keep inverts in the first place but I'm very intrigued.
What would the lifespan be of 'sterilised' emperor, is this a chemical sterilisation like they do with betta fish and is it a cruel process?
Not sure I want to support something that uses a process with high mortality rates etc
Regards Rhino

Hi,
I personally have not heard of this before, and as TRUE P.imperator scorpions have been on CITIES list for several years now banning the export of them from the wild I cannot see any logic to any of this at all.I have kept P.imperator many years ago and if I was going down the Pandinus spp. route again I would go for P.cavimanus - much more colourful and with a bit of attitude - even P.viatoris, P.imperators tend to be "pet holes" more than P.cavimanus. I certainly wouldn't waste money on anything sterilised unless I was into taxidermy. All sounds a little " iffy " to me.

 

[Liquifin]

This is the first time I ever heard of a scorpion getting sterilized. P. imperator are quite easy to care for, but lifespan isn't the best for them if they're wild caught adults. While most can acclimate in captivity, old age gets to them quick for the wild caught adult specimens. Is it worth it?? Not really, but it depends on the individual who seeks them. I don't know the price in Australia for them, but they're luckily becoming more available and cheaper here in the States. I see them for around $25-$40 now. Luckily more people are starting to breed them out, But expect a lifespan somewhere around 3-5 years for an adult or probably less if it's a wild caught adult. While people say they live quite long, I never seen actual reports of them living past 10 years or more. My friend had a wild caught adult, and it lived 2 years before it died. So who knows if it's worth it? Its really on the individual who wants them that gives it value.

 

[Rhino1]

Thanks for the reply Liquifin, they are around au$200 each to purchase. Seems excessive for something that can never reproduce, then again I will be thinking long and hard about this one.

 

[AP34]

Hi,
I personally have not heard of this before, and as TRUE P.imperator scorpions have been on CITIES list for several years now banning the export of them from the wild I cannot see any logic to any of this at all.I have kept P.imperator many years ago and if I was going down the Pandinus spp. route again I would go for P.cavimanus - much more colourful and with a bit of attitude - even P.viatoris, P.imperators tend to be "pet holes" more than P.cavimanus. I certainly wouldn't waste money on anything sterilised unless I was into taxidermy. All sounds a little " iffy " to me.

I had a mature male P. cavimanus that I only ever saw eat once in two years (he'd get spooked by me opening the (aquarium-type) lid every time), as opposed to several P. imperator that will eat outside the burrow if hungry enough.

 

[Rhino1]

Hey dry desert, sorry I overlooked your post.
Most ppl think Aus has banned all imports but it's not true, the aquarium trade in Australia imports thousands of fish from Asian fish farms daily, the same companies importing fish are the ones bringing in the scorpions. It's not hard to find them, as previously stated it goes against why I keep critters in the first place but being such a rarity here I would own one for the novelty value/wow factor if I could expect a 10+ year lifespan.
Here's one of the links for ppl selling them, I wouldnt expect them to be wild harvest either if they breed anything like or own.
https://www.adpost.com/au/pets/90945/
Regards Rhino

 

[Dry Desert]

Hey dry desert, sorry I overlooked your post.
Most ppl think Aus has banned all imports but it's not true, the aquarium trade in Australia imports thousands of fish from Asian fish farms daily, the same companies importing fish are the ones bringing in the scorpions. It's not hard to find them, as previously stated it goes against why I keep critters in the first place but being such a rarity here I would own one for the novelty value/wow factor if I could expect a 10+ year lifespan.
Here's one of the links for ppl selling them, I wouldnt expect them to be wild harvest either if they breed anything like or own.
https://www.adpost.com/au/pets/90945/
Regards Rhino

Hi Rhino,
Thanks for the reply and the link to the dealer in Aus. Looking at his advert the scorpions are listed under " Dogs for Sale " and he/she hasn't a clue what they are talking about - just some odd bits they have picked up from talking to someone. STAY WELL CLEAR, reading the ad. I think the ad. has been placed by the Asian dealer, not someone in Aus.
Wait until you can purchase a captive bred youngster - they will be along. As a matter of interest you could ask how they are " sterilised ".
You will probably find that they are very old males not able to, or not interested, in breeding anymore !!

 

[Galapoheros]

There are no sterilized scorpions. What's the word, I can't remember. ....oh yeah, "lying", they are "lying". The dumbest animal sterilizing claim I've ever heard, and I'm not being pernicious, aka, "mean", well maybe a little bit haha.