Handling androctonus

[Johnn]

Anyone like handling hots? Here's me handling one of my androctonus bicolors. I've held an a australis I believe and been stung. Just wondering if anyone else does the same

 

[DaveM]

You do understand that 'Androctonus' means "man-killer," right? Are you going for a Darwin Award?

 

[Johnn]

It would still take a number of stings though

 

[Arthroverts]

That is...scarily amazing. May I ask why you hold them?

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[Lewis Catlin]

The chance of dying from an Androctonus sting is pretty low unless you have a cardiac illness and you’re young or old, but you never know how you will react personally so it’s best not to find out.

 

[Ferrachi]

Better hope that you're not allergic

 

[Johnn]

That is...scarily amazing. May I ask why you hold them?

Thanks,

Arthroverts

I like the way they feel and the just knowing they're capable of a bad sting just brings me a sense of satisfaction. I like the risk. Trick is to come up under them. I push the substrate from behind them and get them to crawl into my other hand which is buried in front of them.

 

[GordoOldman]

Handling the hots is a childish ego boost for the holder, foolish and irresponsible.
There is zero benefit to the scorpion, and is stressful for the scorpion.
Very few hospitals will carry antivenines, so one bad reaction and you cause unnecessary stress and financial burden to not just yourself, but family and medical personnel.
Then there is the backlash from such stupidity. Laws that get passed because someone see one immature, irresponsible individual taking such unnecessary risks, which impact a whole community of keepers who do not act in such foolish ways, nor stress their animals for a personal need for adrenalin.

 

[mellow]

That's awesome! but I would stop before you get stung, it won't be so fun when you feel what that kind of venom can do.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

It sounds like you’re handling your scorpions for the wrong reasons (not that there are really any good reasons to do so). You do you, but handling medically significant species just for the thrill of it is definitely something I will never do personally.

 

[Lewis Catlin]

Like asking Would you run down an active shooting range just for the fun?

 

[Smotzer]

 

[Arthroverts]

O.K, so it's the epinephrine rush you're after.

So, I personally don't think that's all that great of an idea. You may not fear getting stung, or if you do you like the feeling it gives you, but this is generally very inadvisable for two reasons, the first of which is obviously your health (doesn't matter if the stings themselves don't do that much to you, but what if you go into anaphylactic shock due to an allergic reaction?). The second is tied to the first in that if you or someone else gets hurt (it jumps off your hand and hides to sting someone else at a later time or something), there could perhaps be some legislation coming that would limit what you can and can't buy in terms of highly venomous scorpions in your area; the fear is that politicians could try and ride such an event and hype up the problem as worse than it really is, allowing them to further restrict our access to medically significant species (maybe even beyond scorpions) like what we see in Italy and France.

Even if you don't care what happens to you, try and take a step back to look at the wider picture. I strongly recommend finding another, safer way to get your epinephrine rush for both your sake and the wider hobby's sake.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[gromgrom]

please stop

 

[Lewis Catlin]

Here in the UK we require a license for such species to avoid anything bad happening.
It involves authorisation from local authorities.
And a visit by an biological expert or a experienced veterinarian in the Species your keeping. They check how they’re going to be kept and sometimes require a demonstration of how they will be managed. They check the likes of feeding, enclosures and basically whether your heads screwed on or not.

 

[ReignofInvertebrates]

Here in the UK we require a license for such species to avoid anything bad happening.
It involves authorisation from local authorities.
And a visit by an biological expert or a experienced veterinarian in the Species your keeping. They check how they’re going to be checked and sometimes require a demonstration of how they will be managed. They check the likes of feeding, enclosures and basically whether your heads screwed on or not.

I suppose we’re lucky to not have to go through that headache here in the US... not yet at least.

 

[Dr SkyTower]

It's not advisable to handle an androctonus... they can be very skittish and nervous (especially those species!), the slightest provocation and you get tagged. They can also sting multiple times. If you are stung and you don't get much of a reaction, that would have been a dry sting (and a warning!) That particular species can spray venom, and I do believe it's known to inject quite a fair amount of venom when it does fire a fully loaded bullet. I'd be very careful with them... they don't like being handled and it is of no benefit to them.

 

[Johnn]

Well I think it's the parabathus transvaalicus that spray venom. I had one a long time ago. Never saw it squirt a drop but these are androctonus bicolors. They're both called black fat tails but these aren't the same as the ones that l spray venom

 

[pulmakala]

I feel like you are being irresponsible and you are doing this for wrong reasons. It's also selfish, since handling your scorpions won't benefit them in any way, and only "good" income from you handling them is the rush you get.

 

[JenVegas]

I suppose we’re lucky to not have to go through that headache here in the US... not yet at least.

Yeah, I can't imagine it'll take very many people handling them (and posting pics for attention) and then getting stung before we start having that headache here.