Afraid of getting hooked

[D-Man]

I saw some cool scorps at a pet shop recently. I've never really paid attention to them. But I really had the urge to get one. What's a good starter scorp? Please give me scientific and common names. Thanks!

 

[jper26]

I would recomend desert hairy (hadrurus spadix) a very active and very intersting scorpion. And a communeal species very fun to watch always digging. I tried to get my friend into scorpions i got him to get a emporer he was kinda bored with it lack of activity i should have started him with a hadrurus spadix.

 

[skinheaddave]

Originally posted by jper26
And a communeal species

Actually, Hadrurus is generaly considered NOT to be communal, though people do have success keeping similarily sized individuals together (Kugellager, for example, has had a communal tank for quite some time now). In particular, this genus is notorious for canabalizing their young, however, and shouldn't be considered as communal as Pandinus or Centruroides.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[jper26]

Yeah i have heard some people have problems. Iv kept 4 hadrurus spadix together with no problems for over a year now.

 

[atavuss]

lots of info in Manny Rubio's book: "Scorpions, A Complete Pet Owner's manual".
I would recommend:
Pandinus imperator (emperor scorpion) probably the most commonly available scorpion out there, impressive size, somewhat humidity sensitive, mild venom, inexpensive, can be docile

hadogenes spp (flat rock scorpion) large impressive size, can be hard to find (most online dealers carry them or can get them, but not likely to find them at petco, or other pet stores), mild venom, mid priced, can be docile

opistophtalmus spp (african burrowing, aka tri colored aka tri colored hissing) can be hard to find, mid sized, nice coloration, can be defensive if conered or harrased (all scorpions even the so called "docile" spp can have variable temperments just like "docile" tarantulas)

hadrurus spp (desert hairy, black desert hairy, etc.) smaller than emperors, but still impressive sized, low to mid priced, more prone to defensive behavior than above scorpions, stronger venom than above, easy to keep on dry substrate with a water dish (IME) seems more active than flat rocks or emporers (IME)

this is by no means a perfect "beginners" list and other people will disagree with what I have posted. again I would recommend you get Rubio's book and read through it.
Ed

 

[XOskeletonRED]

I do not recommend O. glabifrons. Though they are in a scorpion family which is to be considered non-deadly, the sting from this species carries sytemic neurologic symptoms, meaning that a quite serious envenomation is very possible. There have been no deaths attributed from the sting of this species, but I don't think anyone here would care too much to know what the full effects felt like from this scorpion if a complete injection of higher potency venom was made. Because of the difficulty in identifying this scorpion and it's ease of being misidentied and sold under other names, I do not recommend any Opistophthalmus scorpion. They are the extreme of non-communal! Only one can be consistantly kept in an enclosure. Extremely aggressive scorpions.

Hadrurus can be kept in small numbers, just like many of the scorpions classified as non-communal and is very active, very aggressive, and is one of the last species of scorpion willing to run away from a fight and one of the first to apply a sting. A good and very energetic recommendation for someone with knowledge enough to keep hands off.

Hadogenes, though they aren't the most physically attractive scorpions to many people, are very interesting to watch and rarely make use of the sting. They grow to a good overall size and are a good recommendation.

Heterometrus scorpions (H. spinifer and H. longimanus) are quite good for pet scorpions, though a high humidity level is required for them and they will often stay in their hides and not be seen for descently long periods of time. Pandinus imperator is quite similar.


adios,
edw. =D

EDIT: PS: Don't be afraid to get hooked, just go with the flow. If you resist, you will FAIL!!! HAHAHA!!! (hopefully and then, we'll all have another scorpion addict to converse with frequently) heheh...

 

[invertepet]

FWIW, I recently got in a bunch of H. spadix and kept them for a while in a large (9.25" diameter) solo style tub. No problems.

bill

 

[D-Man]

Muchos gracias.

I'll take Ed's suggestion and do some reading. I've got some info on scorps in arachnid books I have now - always ignored those chapters. I'll look for that book.

Can you actually handle any of these beauties that you guys suggested?

Hey, Bill-

I'll put a scorp(s) on my shopping list and sometime in the near future, I'll call you to set up a visit. I have quite the list of T's and a budget to match.

Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[whoami?]

Re: Muchos gracias.

Originally posted by D-Man
I'll take Ed's suggestion and do some reading. I've got some info on scorps in arachnid books I have now - always ignored those chapters. I'll look for that book.

Can you actually handle any of these beauties that you guys suggested?

Hey, Bill-

I'll put a scorp(s) on my shopping list and sometime in the near future, I'll call you to set up a visit. I have quite the list of T's and a budget to match.

Thanks for the help, guys!

Well, you CAN handle ANY scorpion.

And many people agree that one SHOULDN'T handle ANY scorpion.

But I've handled a few emperors, and have never gotten more than a mild pinch. In my experience, most of them don't seem too quick to sting.

That doesn't mean they WON'T sting, though.

And I don't know if those other scorpions can be handled. I remember reading once about a guy who handled his H. arizonensis. Turns out that it later stung him. I'm not saying you should draw any conclusions from that, but you can if you want to.

 

[D-Man]

I figured they're like a T - any one may get you, but a scorp is so foreign to me. I'll take it cautiously.

 

[whoami?]

Originally posted by D-Man
I figured they're like a T - any one may get you, but a scorp is so foreign to me. I'll take it cautiously.

Okay, let me give a more serious response, and someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Emperors: Sure, you can handle them if you want, and you probably won't get stung. And if you do get stung, you'll probably be fine.

Hadogenes: yeah, you can probably handle them.

Hadrurus: I suppose you could. But, while their venom is pretty weak, I've read that their stings are pretty painful. And they're more quick to sting than emperors, so it might be a good idea to not handle them.

Opistophthalmus: Based on what somebody (I forget who) just said, hands off.

Heterometrus: You should be able to handle them.

 

[atavuss]

I have never really handled any of my scorpions except to move some of them from enclosure to enclosure. Mike "Troll" will handle many sp. of scorpions and he says he has been stung several hundred times by p. imperators (emperors) alone! Bill (invertepet) took a picture of Mike at our last get together with a bunch of emperors all over on Mike's shirt. Mike brought over a huge male flat rock on breeding loan and drove for over an hour to my home with the scorpion in a jacket pocket........
Ed

 

[skinheaddave]

My disclaimer on scorpion handling is posted here. Basically, I think the single most important part of my disclaimer was species identification. Just because the sign at the pet shop said it was a desert hairy (Hadrurus), doesn't mean it isn't an Androctonus. Now, while a lot of people here would scoff at the mis-ID, unless you have been dealing with them for a while, these kinds of things can slip by you. It is a true hazard for the novice.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[D-Man]

Dave-

Thanks for the link - I'm an idiot, btw.

Ed-

I dig that story of troll with a scorp in his pocket, lol - crazy bastard!

Thanks for the help, guys!

Dario

 

[skinheaddave]

Originally posted by D-Man
Thanks for the link - I'm an idiot, btw.

Good to hear. I was starting to fear that I was alone.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[XOskeletonRED]

I thought I was alone. :? Oh, wait, you guys are talking about being on the smarter side of things?... Great, I am still alone!


adios,
edw. =D

"loner"

 

[invertepet]

Huh?