# Emperor or dictator scorpion??



## Varanus88 (Oct 29, 2017)

I recently bought two supposedly "dictator scorpions" supposedly a pair but I was already told my someone in my other thread that they're emperors not dictators.. he send me pics of emps and dictators to show that he's sure about it and it seems to be but this is my question ... are both my scorpions emperors ? Because the "male" seems to be more of a reddish color then the all black "female" ..???


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## Varanus88 (Oct 29, 2017)

Varanus88 said:


> I recently bought two supposedly "dictator scorpions" supposedly a pair but I was already told my someone in my other thread that they're emperors not dictators.. he send me pics of emps and dictators to show that he's sure about it and it seems to be but this is my question ... are both my scorpions emperors ? Because the "male" seems to be more of a reddish color then the all black "female" ..???


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## KevinsWither (Oct 29, 2017)

They look like imperator....


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## Varanus88 (Oct 29, 2017)

KevinsWither said:


> They look like imperator....


But how can you tell from first glance? And if they both are emps then why is the "male" so different in color?


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## KevinsWither (Oct 29, 2017)

I would say look at the midsection of the scorpion. Try comparing the claws too. Dictators are a midge smaller than emps.


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## slamon10 (Oct 29, 2017)

Varanus88 said:


> I recently bought two supposedly "dictator scorpions" supposedly a pair but I was already told my someone in my other thread that they're emperors not dictators.. he send me pics of emps and dictators to show that he's sure about it and it seems to be but this is my question ... are both my scorpions emperors ? Because the "male" seems to be more of a reddish color then the all black "female" ..???


where did you buy them from?


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## Varanus88 (Oct 29, 2017)

slamon10 said:


> where did you buy them from?


Underground reptiles, there's already a couple of guys on here that bought them from underground as well and turned out to be imperators which I'm completely fine with , it's just odd that the male is so aggressive and different color


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## slamon10 (Oct 29, 2017)

oh yes I saw those and could tell they were emperors but back water reptiles has some but from the last order I made I do not trust them anymore.

Reactions: Like 1


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## slamon10 (Oct 29, 2017)

But the coloration on the male is very strange almost like a red claw emperor but it does not have the characteristics of one.


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## Peacockgar51 (Oct 30, 2017)

Varanus88 said:


> Underground reptiles, there's already a couple of guys on here that bought them from underground as well and turned out to be imperators which I'm completely fine with , it's just odd that the male is so aggressive and different color


You might have gotten red claw emperors. They are very aggressive cousins to the emperors and dictators. They have a reddish tint to them. My dictator which I bought from UG also is black with a blueish tint.


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## Peacockgar51 (Oct 30, 2017)

Here is my "dictator" which I bought from underground. Here he is next to my adult male Asian forest scorpion. Asian forest is on the left and dictator on the right. My dictator is semi aggressive but EXTREMELY active. When handling him, he wouldn't stop walking. I even tried blocking him with my hand and he just turned around and walked the other way lol. According to the guy at the shop, dictators are the larger, more active cousin to the emperor.


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## Varanus88 (Oct 30, 2017)

Peacockgar51 said:


> Here is my "dictator" which I bought from underground. Here he is next to my adult male Asian forest scorpion. Asian forest is on the left and dictator on the right. My dictator is semi aggressive but EXTREMELY active. When handling him, he wouldn't stop walking. I even tried blocking him with my hand and he just turned around and walked the other way lol. According to the guy at the shop, dictators are the larger, more active cousin to the emperor.


I bought mine both of them from UG couple days ago as dictators but Galapoheros from this forum which seems to be recommend when trying to find out the species of Scorpion said that they were both emperors but the male is reddish tint and aggressive but I looked at the red claws and they are all black with red claws even their stinger is black but not this guy. I just want some one to tell me if the reddish looking male is also a emperor or infect a dictator. I saw yours on your Thread you got a pretty big emperor.


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## slamon10 (Oct 30, 2017)

I have also heard that that emperors can range from a brown color when still young but get darker when they get older.


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## Varanus88 (Oct 30, 2017)

slamon10 said:


> But the coloration on the male is very strange almost like a red claw emperor but it does not have the characteristics of one.


That's what I was thinking but according galaboheros .. he says both are emperors but he didn't tell me why the male has a different reddish coloration then the female... and yea I heard bad things about backwater as well. I know the reddish one is a male and the other a female I jsut want to know why in the hell the male is reddish instead of black I know it's not a red claw for sure .. lol no one has answered me that


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## Varanus88 (Oct 30, 2017)

slamon10 said:


> I have also heard that that emperors can range from a brown color when still young but get darker when they get older.


Well I jsut hope it's he same species because I bought them both as a pair and as "dictators" to find out that they are actually emperors which I'm even happier that they are but a little disappointed in the whole "docile" personality because the male for sure isn't docile


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## darkness975 (Oct 30, 2017)

Varanus88 said:


> Well I jsut hope it's he same species because I bought them both as a pair and as "dictators" to find out that they are actually emperors which I'm even happier that they are but a little disappointed in the whole "docile" personality because the male for sure isn't docile


Did you get them off of those wood chips yet?


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## Collin Clary (Nov 1, 2017)

Almost certainly _Pandinus imperator._ Color alone is NEVER a taxonomic trait. It is highly variable and any color differences between individuals fall well within the realm of intraspecific variation.

_Pandinus dictator_ have narrower, more strongly granulated chela, and also have stronger granulation on the carapace and tergites.


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## Galapoheros (Nov 2, 2017)

Most imperators I've raised from babies end up being black but while some turn black fairly fast after a molt, some take several months, even up to year to turn really black.  By the way, it's fairly rare, I've had a few imperators that had telsons that are completely shiny black.


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## Crom (Jun 20, 2018)

Those arent dictator. Dictator have slightly narrower pedipalps somewhat similar to Heterometrus and 3 "ridge" lines running across the front the pedipalps, whereas imperator are evenly granulated. Another way to accurately ID is count and comoare the ventral pedipalp trichobithria


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