Emporer vs Asian Forest?

Emp or Forest?

  • Emperor

    Votes: 19 57.6%
  • Asian Forest

    Votes: 13 39.4%
  • Other, named in reply

    Votes: 1 3.0%

  • Total voters
    33

houston

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 18, 2017
Messages
39
I'm considering a scorp, and so far the two main contenders are Emps and Asian Forests. Price/ age/ space and stuff doesn't matter to me in my consideration, just suitability for a beginner. I know these two species are confused all the time, what're the actual differences? Are there any aspects of either species that are more or less beginner friendly? Any advice in general? Thanks!

This would be my first scorpion, btw!
 

KevinsWither

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
671
Emps are more suited for beginners (very easy, but very expensive). The difference is that asian forests are more aggressive while emps are chill. I would recommend more research on enclosures and such.
 

Magmarc20002

Arachnopeon
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
11
I've had both and am now breeding Asian forest. I had 5 emps. And they are more expensive. If you can care for the Asians climate I'd go with Asian. There not that aggressive you can handle them and they seem to like each other after they get aqqaunted. Keep plenty of food,high humidity and the same size scorpions and you'll be happy! Just my opinion
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
1,771
You'll probably end up getting both. A 3rd candidate would be one of the Flat Rock species (Hadogenes).
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 4, 2005
Messages
8,982
The "beginner" stat has always made me cringe a little. So what does that mean when keeping these animals(?) To me it means you don't want to spend a lot of money and time only to find out you don't really like keeping things like this much, you neglect it and catch yourself not taking care of things. If you let it get out too many times, you might tell yourself to stay away from the hotter ones but the hotter ones are easy too. So from my perspective a beginner sps means one that is not expensive, almost all scorpions are easy to take care of as long as the set up is correct for the species. Like Marc and Kevin said, emps usually don't pinch as much, but some do! I have some Asian hets and the ones I have get along great. One had babies, I think that was 2 years ago and nobody has eaten one of their bros, I keep them three to a small container right now. Requirements for emps and Hets are generally going to be the same
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Care for both are the same. It boils down to temperament differences, but honestly you should not really be handling them anyway so either one is a good choice.
 

Whitelightning777

Arachno-heretic
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
399
I'd go with whatever is most common in your area. Being able to cost the best of 20 will get you a better specimen than being limited to just 1 sickly individual.

Just get the gauges for humidity and lay plastic sheets across the top to get the right humidity. Put a heater on the side of the tank, maybe an infrared lamp too.
 

Attachments

Connerl8k

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
83
I've only ever owned my one chap blackie who is Asian forest scorpion.
His
1: super aggressive and defensive as hell so no handling at all.
2: highly active and can be seen wondering around his enclosure more
Often than not.

It's my understanding the emperor loves longer and is far
More docile.
 

CreepTumorXD

Arachnoknight
Joined
Apr 22, 2016
Messages
181
I have had both, emp was chill I could pick him up without a care. asian forest scorps.. i got pinched before and my male doesnt back down for anything.
 

Scolopendra1989

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
54
Emperor scorpions are larger, have less potent venom, are more expensive, and are generally considered to be less aggressive. My emperor is young and pretty aggressive, but in emperor character, she almost never uses her stinger whereas a forest scorp (I've heard) is much less reluctant to use its' natural defenses. If you can get ahold of a genuine emperor, do it.
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Emperor scorpions are larger, have less potent venom, are more expensive, and are generally considered to be less aggressive. My emperor is young and pretty aggressive, but in emperor character, she almost never uses her stinger whereas a forest scorp (I've heard) is much less reluctant to use its' natural defenses. If you can get ahold of a genuine emperor, do it.
Depending on the species (and individual) they are not always larger.
 

Scolopendra1989

Arachnosquire
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
54
Depending on the species (and individual) they are not always larger.
Not always but look at the records for largest specimens. Emperor gets to a maximum of a staggering 8 inches. Another way to tell the difference that I neglected to mention is granulated claws vs smooth claws. H. Longimanus will have (in most cases) smooth claws while the P. Imperator will have bumpy, granulated claws.
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Not always but look at the records for largest specimens. Emperor gets to a maximum of a staggering 8 inches. Another way to tell the difference that I neglected to mention is granulated claws vs smooth claws. H. Longimanus will have (in most cases) smooth claws while the P. Imperator will have bumpy, granulated claws.
I know the differences between the two species. But what I was saying for OP s sake is while they can be larger they are not always.

Don't want anyone to fall into the idea that size is the only factor.
 

Whitelightning777

Arachno-heretic
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
399
I've only ever owned my one chap blackie who is Asian forest scorpion.
His
1: super aggressive and defensive as hell so no handling at all.
2: highly active and can be seen wondering around his enclosure more
Often than not.

It's my understanding the emperor loves longer and is far
More docile.

Technically, you shouldn't handle any of them. Neither you nor the scorpion benefits unless it's a first aid/medical or emergency situation.

I only had to handle mine once, after chilling to 50 degrees, to remove a string that was tangled up in the legs and stuck way deep into the mouth no doubt to a careless owner.

They feel hard, almost like gunmetal. I'm sure she could effortlessly cut my hand to ribbons or put in that l-o-n-g stinger right through the bone!!

That claw ends in a point just like an awl and feels like wire cutters, bad bad news!!

Paint brushes and plastic cups are your friend. Kittens are much more fun to handle!!
 

Connerl8k

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 27, 2017
Messages
83
Technically, you shouldn't handle any of them. Neither you nor the scorpion benefits unless it's a first aid/medical or emergency situation.

I only had to handle mine once, after chilling to 50 degrees, to remove a string that was tangled up in the legs and stuck way deep into the mouth no doubt to a careless owner.

They feel hard, almost like gunmetal. I'm sure she could effortlessly cut my hand to ribbons or put in that l-o-n-g stinger right through the bone!!

That claw ends in a point just like an awl and feels like wire cutters, bad bad news!!

Paint brushes and plastic cups are your friend. Kittens are much more fun to handle!!
just to confirm this is you're experience with asf?
 

Whitelightning777

Arachno-heretic
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
399
just to confirm this is you're experience with asf?
Yes, that's the one and only time I handled her by hand. The chilled temperatures allowed me to do a brief exam to look for more foreign objects and found none.

Part of it was that she was 50 degrees, but she feels more like a Dremel tool than something alive by touch.

I have sheet metal tools, used to do that for a living. The last thing I would want would be to get tagged.

I let her grab a thin paint brush to avoid a tug of war to get her in the hide to wash out the water dish. She threw the brush at my face and got me. I mean through the air. She has also thrown unwanted superworms across the cage too.

Feisty but neat pet!!
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
I only had to handle mine once, after chilling to 50 degrees, to remove a string that was tangled up in the legs and stuck way deep into the mouth no doubt to a careless owner.
I remember that. Amazing what they can endure.
 

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
471
Don't rule out Flat Rock Scorpions when thinking about your first scorpion. One of my favorite scorpions ever was a female Hadogenes bicolor. They are stunning scorpions that are a little bit more rare.

My personal opinion is that a beginning owner should start off buying the animal they are dreaming of not just one of the animals that are available. Keeping exotics is addictive and it is easy to just start buying every new thing you see because you didn't get your fix the first time. Most scorpions are pretty simple to care for. If you have your eye on something besides the scorpion you are considering as a "starter pet" you should just get what you really want. Otherwise you might end up with a lot of pets that you don't care for as well. If I were to get back into snakes I wouldn't buy a ball python because it was a good place to start I would buy a Papuan or a Woma because that is my intended destination. That way I could focus my full attention on breeding those species.
 
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