Chinese Golden Scorpion???????

[PrincessToad]

The guy at the local pet shop always calls me when he gets new T's and scorps in and he called me today and said that they just got in a couple of Chinese Golden Scorps. He did not know the scientific name for it and I have not seen it yet, but does anyone happen to know what this is? My searches came back with nothing. Maybe I should just get it anyway.

 

[Ravnos]

My guess would be that they mean Mesobuthus martensii or some ssp therein.

Rav

 

[Venom]

If you get it, just be careful. This scorp packs a punch. One of the guys at Golden Phoenix Exotica got stung by an M. martensii, and it hurt so much he couldn't use his arm for the rest of hte day.

 

[PrincessToad]

I think you are right, but I will know for sure after I see it tonight. I am still a newbie at scorps. would this be a good one for me to get? All I have are black emps right now.

Thanks.

 

[PrincessToad]

Stupid time delay.

Venom - thanks for answering my question, before I even had it posted.
You must of been able to read my mind.

 

[jper26]

I know they are a 3 on the venom list and can be kept together. Kugellager knows more hes kept them before.

 

[Venom]

They're not lethal, like Androctonus or Lieurus, so if you can be careful, and understand that it's not a handling scorp, you shoud be fine.

 

[skinheaddave]

They are short-lived and somewhat hot, but can be kept communaly and tend to make good terrestrial display species. Not, in my mind, as rewarding as Centruroides, but still quite a nice species.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

The venom of M.martensii is reportedly comparable to that of C.exilicauda and therefore potentially medically significant. That said...all that I have heard other than the above mentioned reports is a report I got from a guy from Hong Kong. He stated in somewhat broken english the following description:

"...its sting will give you 3-4 hours hot and sick...(I was stung by them b4)."

I took this to mean that he was feverish and nauseous for 3-4 hours...a sign of moderate to severe envenomation. So there may be potential for serious consequences.

I have kept 4 comfortably in a 5 gallon tank. They were relatively non-aggressive to my tongs/prod sticks when cleaning but become very active searching for prey the first few hours of night.

They are visible somewhat regularly and make a decent display scorpion. They are easy to keep as they don't require high humidity. The young are easiy to raise but must be removed from a communal take immediately as the other adults will cannibalize them. They (as do other small buthids) have a short lifespan of 3-4 years max.

John
];')