Could my Centruroides Sculpturatus potentially kill me?

ScorpSarah

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Apr 24, 2016
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This seems like a crazy question but I just bought a Centruroides Sculpturatus for my 3rd scorpion. I was already aware they are very venomous and could be very dangerous if it stings a child or elderly person, which I am neither so I wasn't worried. However, I read a sting report on a 200lb man that had a very bad reaction to it so now I am concerned. I am only a 105lb woman but in relatively good health. I will be taking every precaution to not get stung but of course there is always a risk when you have them as pets. If I do happen to get stung should I go to the hospital since I am so light weight?
 

Stugy

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Apr 21, 2016
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People have different reactions for a lot of things. The 200lb man you mentioned probably had some sort of allergy.
 

ArachnoDrew

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Like most people are going to tell you.... if you're allergic absolutely it will. If not allergic. People's reactions are different some will say the times they have been tagged it was a few hours of pain. Maybe some other side effects depending how bad and where u get stung etc... different variations. But for the most part you should be ok
 

Nightstalker47

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If your responsible and keep your distance you won't get tagged. As long as your fingers remain far away, your odds of getting stung are at 0%. Im sure you do but remember always use tongs for maintenance/rehousings. I'm confident you will be fine as you shouldn't ever engage in direct contact ;) good luck!
 

Richard McJimsey

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Like most people are going to tell you.... if you're allergic absolutely it will. If not allergic. People's reactions are different some will say the times they have been tagged it was a few hours of pain. Maybe some other side effects depending how bad and where u get stung etc... different variations. But for the most part you should be ok
"if you're allergic, it will absolutely kill you" is a bit of an erroneous thing to say. You would have a much more severe reaction to the venom yes, but to say you will absolutely die? That's absolutely ridiculous. Think of all the people allergic to bees. If a sting would "absolutely" kill them, can you imagine how dangerous day to day life would be for them?

@OP, yes, I would be careful with them, as you should with any Buthid, but I doubt it would kill you. Deaths are extremely rare from this species. I have been stung by one, and at the time, I was around your weight. It was not pleasant, but it was also not terrible. Local pain, tingling, numbness lasting 24-36 hours, nothing serious. Just be careful, use tongs, etc.
 

RTTB

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Be careful. Always take your time when feeding maintenance etc. 12" tongs a must and always maintain a tong length distance from your hand and the scorpion.
 

brandontmyers

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Dec 29, 2006
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I don't believe there has been a confirmed death from Centruroides sculpturatus since the 60s. However they are a potentially lethal scorpion so you should use extreme caution. Use the same caution when working with any scorpion.
 

darkness975

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It all boils down to individual reactions to the venom.

If they were 100% fatal to anyone with an allergy then I believe there would be a lot more deaths reported from every day stings in the regions that they are native in.
Allergies can cause a more severe reaction, that is true, but no one can say for sure if it would kill you.

Scorpion venom is different from Tarantula venom and those are different from Bee/Wasp venom and etc. etc. Lots of speculation but can't be sure.

As stated above by both yourself and others @ScorpSarah keeping distance and taking the appropriate precautions will make the threat of a sting almost null.
 

scorps

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I have a pair of 12in tweezers I use for dealing with my little buggers, so I never get my hand near them. May be a good investment if you're worried about it.
 

darkness975

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I have a pair of 12in tweezers I use for dealing with my little buggers, so I never get my hand near them. May be a good investment if you're worried about it.
This is a worthwhile investment for everyone in the hobby.
 

RTTB

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I said tongs earlier but I meant tweezers. Mandatory tool.
 

Jesse James

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Aug 3, 2016
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Having felt the pain of both, I agree completely.
Hmm can they tolerate lower temps? mid to high 60's, and where can I get one? I've never kept scorpions before, I remember reading somewhere that they can't tolerate cold and that turned me off to them.
 

Smokehound714

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Mar 23, 2013
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Hmm can they tolerate lower temps? mid to high 60's, and where can I get one? I've never kept scorpions before, I remember reading somewhere that they can't tolerate cold and that turned me off to them.
Yes, they can tolerate low temps. they encounter freezing temps in the wild. Arizona bark scorpions are alot different than other bark scorpions. They're lithophiles and their entire range experiences hard freezes in winter
 

Jesse James

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Aug 3, 2016
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Yes, they can tolerate low temps. they encounter freezing temps in the wild. Arizona bark scorpions are alot different than other bark scorpions. They're lithophiles and their entire range experiences hard freezes in winter
Well, maybe will give it a try. I'm not sure where to buy one from though, is there a ISO thread where I can post? or a reliable dealer?
 
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