# remove the venom,



## czarmx (Mar 27, 2011)

hello guys, i dont own any scorps right now (its been a while) but when i used to handle one people would always ask me... did u get its poison removed? i always laughed at them and tell em... of course not!, u cant do that and if so that'd be cruel.

so after 4 years this question just hit me... can u do that? i mean, can you remove a scorps venom? cutting the stinger? is there ppl cruel enough to do that or sell scorps without venom/stingers?

i know, silly question but its bugging me right now


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## red fury (Mar 27, 2011)

i've been reading these threads since i set up my terrarium for my 3 emps which i bought today....

 found this just a few mins ago... 

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=202484

yes there are people out there that are that ignorant/cruel..... sad to see it. luckily this guys emp did regrow it's stinger.


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## John Bokma (Mar 29, 2011)

I highly doubt the emperor just regrew its stinger within a day. Reread the thread, the poster was most likely confused. I highly doubt that stingers grow back.


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## Michiel (Mar 29, 2011)

in fact, they can't......not even in 100 days....


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## Chrome69 (Mar 29, 2011)

it is possible to remove the telson but one has to be careful, not to mention it's extremely cruel, it can cut off it's butt hole, not an exageration. They deficate just below the telson.


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## llamastick (Mar 29, 2011)

I think the most annoying misconception isn't about venom potency, but that people seem to think scorpions require handling, or can escape easily. 

L.q. and P.i. present the exact same risk as long as they're properly housed and you don't _play_ with them...


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## John Bokma (Mar 29, 2011)

and in 101? 

I am somewhat careful since there are so many new species waiting to be described. Who knows there is a regenerating cave scorpion :}


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## Galapoheros (Mar 29, 2011)

They can't regenerate a missing telson but I read they can regenerate the aculeus(stinger/point).  Then I had a P. transvaalicus that had a broken aculeus and sure enough, it molted and the aculeus was as sharp as ever.  But it didn't have the same shape and not quite as long.  I still have that scorpion.  I have before and after molt pics somewhere if there is enough interest, I'd have to dig them up.


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## scorpguy (Mar 30, 2011)

Galapoheros said:


> They can't regenerate a missing telson but I read they can regenerate the aculeus(stinger/point).  Then I had a P. transvaalicus that had a broken aculeus and sure enough, it molted and the aculeus was as sharp as ever.  But it didn't have the same shape and not quite as long.  I still have that scorpion.  I have before and after molt pics somewhere if there is enough interest, I'd have to dig them up.


I havent read or witnessed anything that says that the aculeus (stinger/point) can be regrown after a molt but it definitely makes sense from a survival point of view. If the scorpion stung something that thrashed around and broke off the aculeus it would be left without the ability to use its venom. The ability to regrow it seems like an awesome evolutionary survival adaptation. I wonder if all species have this ability.


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## Chrome69 (Mar 30, 2011)

Galapoheros said:


> They can't regenerate a missing telson but I read they can regenerate the aculeus(stinger/point).  Then I had a P. transvaalicus that had a broken aculeus and sure enough, it molted and the aculeus was as sharp as ever.  But it didn't have the same shape and not quite as long.  I still have that scorpion.  I have before and after molt pics somewhere if there is enough interest, I'd have to dig them up.


Possible, they can regrow small parts of limbs every molt.


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## Galapoheros (Mar 30, 2011)

It's true, I've seen it, but I don't know if all species can do it, my "guess" is that all can.  I'm about to find out if emps can.  I chipped one off for science last year, we can see after is molts, and it's getting close.  I have an old post about the other one but I think my pics got wiped out when a company server shut down.  I have them on CD somewhere though.  It may be that it won't grow back if broken off very close to the vesicle.  I hope I didn't give that emp away, have to go check.


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## Michiel (Mar 30, 2011)

John Bokma said:


> and in 101?
> 
> I am somewhat careful since there are so many new species waiting to be described. Who knows there is a regenerating cave scorpion :}


LOL, theoretically yes, that could be possible...But why does one cave scorp have the ability to regenerate limbs, while all other 1900 species can't? That would be interesting!

Scorpions can regenerate limbs PARTIALLY, and only before a certain point in their lives, so if the injury was before a certain instar, in an early juvenile stage, they may regenerate that limb, but only partially. Duplication of parts (femur, tarsi of the walking legs) often occurs. So if a complete leg was lost in instar 3, the scorpions might be able to generate part of that lost leg. The regenerated limb is most often underdeveloped and much smaller...So if you rip a leg of an adult scorpions, it will be lost forever...

I hope to have cleared this up again for all y'all non book reading scorpions lovers....


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## John Bokma (Mar 30, 2011)

Michiel said:


> LOL, theoretically yes, that could be possible...But why does one cave scorp have the ability to regenerate limbs, while all other 1900 species can't? That would be interesting!


It sure would :} Also, let's not forget that the current 1900 species we know about are but a small fraction of the total number of living scorpion species. It might be very well the case that there are species out there that have unexpected abilities.


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## Blueberry (Mar 30, 2011)

That thread that someone dug up was mine. 

My scorpion has her telson/stinger in full...and after a lot more research/reading I done afterwards,I believe I may of been confused. It appeared she didn't have it and I swear I didn't see it and was told they are cut off (however I got my scorp from a pet store and pet store employees are usually idiots anyway)...so I don't know to be completely honest. It is still a mystery to me,but I was probably confused and I admit it. 

I have no idea why I was told the stingers/telsons are chopped though. After having my scorp for a bit now and watching her,I have noticed that sometimes when she is in certain positions,it looks as if she has no stinger,so being a total newbie and being told they chopped the stingers,I jumped to conclusions. Oh and also from the research I have done after getting her I also realized she has not molted since I got her,so the tail couldn't of been regenerated that fast. 

I'm smarter now though.


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## Irene B. Smithi (Apr 2, 2011)

Galapoheros said:


> They can't regenerate a missing telson but I read they can regenerate the aculeus(stinger/point).  Then I had a P. transvaalicus that had a broken aculeus and sure enough, it molted and the aculeus was as sharp as ever.  But it didn't have the same shape and not quite as long.  I still have that scorpion.  I have before and after molt pics somewhere if there is enough interest, I'd have to dig them up.


If you run across the pictures I'd like to see them 

Forgot which country it is, but all the stingers have to be cut off.  It's a cruel uneducated move to attempt to reduce the risk of a sting... but really, if you're getting a scorpion, you take that chance.  
Also, I have a few scorpions and Tarantulas... my rule don't handle them.  No real reason to...  Proper housing and limited handling if any.


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## GartenSpinnen (Apr 2, 2011)

I just wanted to add that not only is it cruel and pointless, but doing this sort of thing will increase the chance of issues with mycosis IME. I had a specimen that someone cut the sharp point off of the scorpions stinger and it developed mycosis real bad and ended up dying. When I received it I knew it was a pointless chore trying to keep this thing alive but it was just sad to see.

If you feel like scorpions are so dangerous that you have to cut off parts of their anatomy, then you might rethink them as a pet and move on to something else that you don't feel the need to be cruel to for your own amusement.

Its like pulling the teeth out of a dog that bites you. Not right.... not right at all.

Enjoy them like God made them, or leave em to the people who do.

Cheers


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## AzJohn (Apr 7, 2011)

Telson removal is fairly common in the hobby. I've got a few scorpions that have had their telson taken off prior to me getting them. It is very dangerous to the scorpion.


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## cacoseraph (Apr 7, 2011)

the other thing is that the OP is recounting what he is asked by other ppl.  me and/or my bug group do up to 15 educational events a year and i get asked A LOT about scorpion sting removal... cuz i free handle bugs the whole time i am talking and some (a lot?) ppl assume the scorpion should be stinging me and i should be dying since i am playing with it.




i think it is very important to be able to accurately and honestly answer any bug questions that nonbug ppl have.  i never get angry at "supplicants" at events, no matter what i am asked.  i also help out at some of my friends' livestock booths, same thing.  i will answer any bug question put forth by a potential customer as honestly and accurately as i can


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## Galapoheros (Apr 8, 2011)

"If you run across the pictures I'd like to see them 

Forgot which country it is, but all the stingers have to be cut off. It's a cruel uneducated move to attempt to reduce the risk of a sting... but really, if you're getting a scorpion, you take that chance. 
Also, I have a few scorpions and Tarantulas... my rule don't handle them. No real reason to... Proper housing and limited handling if any." 
__________________
 If it moves, EAT IT!!!!!!!!
http://i43.tinypic.com/1586tfo.jpg

(formerly known as Orchid) 


OK, here's the scorpion I still have today, notice how the aculeus is kind of mal-formed and short, but it did regenerate.  My internet service is so slow that I can't take it, too long for wait to pick up links again, very annoying lol.  If you want to look at "before" pic molts people will have to find images 188, 73, 189, and 191 in galapoheros photobucket.  I think there are others but you will have to find them, they are all of the same transvaalicus.  

It took two molt for this repair btw.


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