EU verses the U.S.

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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People talk about the availability of scorpions. Many in the U.S. wish they had more species such as Tityus, Parabuthus, Uroplectes, etc. and consider many to be rare. However, in Europe, although you need a permit to keep Buthids, the availability is far better, or at least it seems that way to me. Why? Is it just because there are more scorpion keepers there, and the hobby is larger? Are there regular imports to the U.S. of "rarer" species? I do not mean to start a war over who is better, the EU or U.S., but I want to know what happens regularly.
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
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The thing about a lot of places in Europe is that they have much more lax import laws so they can often get all these cool species before us..
Also I will say its very uncommon for dealers in the USA to import CB scorpions in from Europe so you will have to use your imagination to figure out how they all get here :rolleyes:
-Chris
 

psychofox

Arachnoknight
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The import laws are probably a large part of the reason. Furthermore, we have many hobbyists who are putting a lot of money into the hobby, even travelling to collect their species of interest themselves. Many species have come into the hobby this way.

On another note, it is only the UK that requires permits for buthids as far as I know. In other European countries, you're pretty much free to keep whatever you want on the invert side.
 

Canth

Arachnolord
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The thing about a lot of places in Europe is that they have much more lax import laws so they can often get all these cool species before us..
Also I will say its very uncommon for dealers in the USA to import CB scorpions in from Europe so you will have to use your imagination to figure out how they all get here :rolleyes:
-Chris
The stork! There's a magical stork that carries new species over in brown boxes for lucky people ;)
 

AzJohn

Arachnoking
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Very few scorpion imports are made. No CB babies make it into the US from Europe legally. I've asked a few dealers about this and the cost of importing scorpions is expensive and they would have a difficult time selling the babies and making a profit. I know their was a much nicer selection a few years ago, just before I got into the hobby. :( No one kept up any breeding stock and they basically died out in the US. That is how it's gone in the US, new stuff comes in and people buy them and fail to breed them in any numbers. Some new stuff came in last year and most of those species are now of the dealers list. If we don't breed them we'll lose them. Anyways I know that Todd Gearheart is doing an import this spring. So some nice stuff should be coming soon.

John
 

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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Dec 5, 2010
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The import laws are probably a large part of the reason. Furthermore, we have many hobbyists who are putting a lot of money into the hobby, even travelling to collect their species of interest themselves. Many species have come into the hobby this way.

On another note, it is only the UK that requires permits for buthids as far as I know. In other European countries, you're pretty much free to keep whatever you want on the invert side.
Hmmm, that's interesting...did not know that.:)

The stork! There's a magical stork that carries new species over in brown boxes for lucky people ;)
Ha! I wish.:D

---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:53 PM ----------

Very few scorpion imports are made. No CB babies make it into the US from Europe legally. I've asked a few dealers about this and the cost of importing scorpions is expensive and they would have a difficult time selling the babies and making a profit. I know their was a much nicer selection a few years ago, just before I got into the hobby. :( No one kept up any breeding stock and they basically died out in the US. That is how it's gone in the US, new stuff comes in and people buy them and fail to breed them in any numbers. Some new stuff came in last year and most of those species are now of the dealers list. If we don't breed them we'll lose them. Anyways I know that Todd Gearheart is doing an import this spring. So some nice stuff should be coming soon.

John
Thank God! Do you know what species Todd Gearheart is importing? I'm looking for Tityus and Centruroides mostly.

Thanks John!:)
 

syndicate

Arachnoemperor
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Anyways I know that Todd Gearheart is doing an import this spring. So some nice stuff should be coming soon.
Yeah just make sure he has the items in stock before sending any money :mad:
-Chris
 

AzJohn

Arachnoking
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Yeah just make sure he has the items in stock before sending any money :mad:
-Chris
He said the stock should be here in March/April. I'm willing to wait. I'd hate to miss out on this import, no one else seems interested in bringing in scorpions. For a casual keeper it might be better to wait, I breed them and would really like to get some of the new stuff. Plus a $200 will get you a breeding group of rare adult scorpions. It's not like tarantulas were you'd need $1000 for 5 slings, half of which will mature as male before the females are ready to breed.

John
 

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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Does anyone know of anyone else that is importing scorpions into the United States? I am looking especially for Tityus spp. such as T. trivittatus, T. ecuadorensis, T. ocelote, T. silvestris, T. magnimanus.

Please feel free to help any way you can!:)
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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I think that EU hobby breeders might be reluctant to send to the US, since that German guy was caught and faces a 250.000 dollar fine AND 20 years in jail :)
Certified breeders can export, but then the US party needs an importlicense.....
 

Suidakkra

Arachnosquire
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I think that EU hobby breeders might be reluctant to send to the US, since that German guy was caught and faces a 250.000 dollar fine AND 20 years in jail :)
Certified breeders can export, but then the US party needs an importlicense.....
Yeah, welcome to America. Where you can smuggle in hundreds of illegal aliens, but if you bring a small scorpion across the border you spend 20 years in prison.
 

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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So is it illegal to import or ship into the U.S.?

I also have another question. I have seen people in Europe with scorpions native to the U.S...I don't understand. We don't get good species but Europe gets everything they want? That's not fair. Please help because I have really wanted mainly Tityus and Centruroides spp. for a long time, and I am starting to get frustrated.

Thanks for helping.
 

What

Arachnoprince
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He said the stock should be here in March/April. I'm willing to wait.
Please look into Todd Gearheart and stock that "should be" there and waiting for it... especially if you are talking hundreds of dollars.

Scorpionmom, yes, that is pretty much how it is, and no its not fair. Welcome to life.

If you want to import scorpions do it illegally and risk thousands of dollars in fines or do it legally and deal with hundreds of dollars in fees. Either way its not fun.
 

AzJohn

Arachnoking
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So is it illegal to import or ship into the U.S.?

I also have another question. I have seen people in Europe with scorpions native to the U.S...I don't understand. We don't get good species but Europe gets everything they want? That's not fair. Please help because I have really wanted mainly Tityus and Centruroides spp. for a long time, and I am starting to get frustrated.

Thanks for helping.
The problem is our import rules. Simply put we can't get anything easily. In the EU it's just a matter of mailing things to each other. Here it's the huge issues of import lincence, fees, transport, ect. Getting a package legally from the EU to the US cost a couple thousand dollars without the animals. The same thing goes with shipments from the US to Europe. That's why desert hairy scorpions cost $60 in Europe and $15 hear.

John
 

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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The problem is our import rules. Simply put we can't get anything easily. In the EU it's just a matter of mailing things to each other. Here it's the huge issues of import lincence, fees, transport, ect. Getting a package legally from the EU to the US cost a couple thousand dollars without the animals. The same thing goes with shipments from the US to Europe. That's why desert hairy scorpions cost $60 in Europe and $15 hear.

John
Not trying to do anything wrong or illegal. I am just disappointed. Is there anything we can do? I know people have been trying for a long time, I was just wondering.

Also, when someone in a foreign country says "Worldwide shipping", does that mean you (the buyer) need a license, etc? I have really wanted Tityus spp. but have only seen ones that are for sale in Europe.

Well thanks and good luck to us all.:):(
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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So is it illegal to import or ship into the U.S.?

I also have another question. I have seen people in Europe with scorpions native to the U.S...I don't understand. We don't get good species but Europe gets everything they want? That's not fair. Please help because I have really wanted mainly Tityus and Centruroides spp. for a long time, and I am starting to get frustrated.

Thanks for helping.
How old are you if I may ask?

And like already stated before: yes, you need a license to import into the US. Some people take chances and ship to eachother illegally. What John explained, that's why H.arizonensis are sold here for 40-60 euro a piece....
when new species appear on the market they are expensive! also in the EU... When Tityus silvestris and T.bastosi appeared last year, they where at least or over 40 euro's a piece....I't's who you know sometimes, but in general it costs you when dealing with certified breeders.
 
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scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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How old are you if I may ask?

And like already stated before: yes, you need a license to import into the US. Some people take chances and ship to eachother illegally. What John explained, that's why H.arizonensis are sold here for 40-60 euro a piece....
when new species appear on the market they are expensive! also in the EU... When Tityus silvestris and T.bastosi appeared last year, they where at least or over 40 euro's a piece....I't's who you know sometimes, but in general it costs you when dealing with certified breeders.
Well, sorry Michiel, just trying to clear things up. When I graduate from collage I am going to move to Europe.:D

Why do you want to know how old I am? You seem rather suspicious of me...do you not trust me? I apologize if I seem like I am not experienced or anything else.:(

Thanks for helping me anyway, just wanted to know what regulations were.
 

the toe cutter

Arachnobaron
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Not trying to do anything wrong or illegal. I am just disappointed. Is there anything we can do? I know people have been trying for a long time, I was just wondering.
Yes you can! You can purchase some of those imports from Todd Gearhart as AzJohn was saying. And if enough scorpion enthusiasts get involved and add to that it will make it more worth while $$ for Todd to import scorpions more often. Its a matter of there being too little of a demand for anything other than Emps. As real scorpion enthusiasts in the US are too few and importing, as said many times before, is VERY costly. Like most things in the world, money talks and BS walks. Unfortunately with the BS goes some of our hopes and wishes:mad:! SO yeah, he has some pretty nice Centruroides, Rhopalurus, Tityus and even some Microtityus Affine as well I believe.
 

scorpionmom

Arachnobaron
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Yes you can! You can purchase some of those imports from Todd Gearhart as AzJohn was saying. And if enough scorpion enthusiasts get involved and add to that it will make it more worth while $$ for Todd to import scorpions more often. Its a matter of there being too little of a demand for anything other than Emps. As real scorpion enthusiasts in the US are too few and importing, as said many times before, is VERY costly. Like most things in the world, money talks and BS walks. Unfortunately with the BS goes some of our hopes and wishes:mad:! SO yeah, he has some pretty nice Centruroides, Rhopalurus, Tityus and even some Microtityus Affine as well I believe.
Yeah, I think I am going to wait and get whatever good stuff comes. Patience is the best thing to have right now. We should all try to help and expand the hobby. Thanks everyone for their encouragement and perseverance--trying to make the hobby more enjoyable and better for everyone.:);)
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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Well, sorry Michiel, just trying to clear things up. When I graduate from collage I am going to move to Europe.:D

Why do you want to know how old I am? You seem rather suspicious of me...do you not trust me? I apologize if I seem like I am not experienced or anything else.:(

Thanks for helping me anyway, just wanted to know what regulations were.
No problem man. Now why I asked about your age....
You asked me a question, remember that, and here is my answer:
Your reasoning, choice of words, your (very basis) questions, checking everything etc etc it all points in the direction of a young person around 14 to 16 years of age or someone who's self esteem not very developed yet, as of the brain and all kinds of other stuff (experience, dealing with emotions (Boohoohoo, in Europe they have all the cool stuff and we don't and that's not fair! ) , reasoning etc), which would be normal for a minor.....I am not saying you are a nuttcase!! LOL :)

Just post an add to what you are searching for and who knows, there are more species in the States than you think :)
 
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