Petsmart scorpion species?

[hecklad]

So last Sunday I saw that they had "asian forest scorpions" for sale for like $10, so I went ahead and bought one (and yes, I know "don't support the chain stores... etc"). But anyhow I noticed that Asian forest scorpion is as specific as their label gets, so I'm curious if what I have is an H spinifer or could it be some other heterometrus species?

 

[Arthroverts]

Heterometrus sp. is about as far as you are gonna get without photos, although some species are more common than others within the US hobby. I can't tell you what they are though...
@Outpost31Survivor might be able to shed some more light on this topic.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[hecklad]

I have these two pictures. Are they good enough for a solid ID? @Arthroverts

 

[Arthroverts]

I am not skilled enough to present you with a proper ID, I am just preparing the way for the Heterometrus sp. heavy-weights to come in . I believe you can ID them from the shape of the chelae, so a better shot of them may be necessary, although I leave that to those more knowledgable than I.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[basement pets]

Ya the Petco that I go to had some "emperor scorpions" but I dont know. They may have been mistaken.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Ya the Petco that I go to had some "emperor scorpions" but I dont know. They may have been mistaken.

I would be very leery of what Petco labels as Emps.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

I have these two pictures. Are they good enough for a solid ID? @Arthroverts

View attachment 327489
View attachment 327490

H.petersii almost all AFS sold in the US are this species. It looks nice and healthy, and male.

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

H.petersii has "black" telson. H.spinifer and H.longimanus will have white or yellow telson that mature into reddish brown telsons.

H.petersii lacks pronounced internal tubercles (internal "spines") on its patella, both H.longimanus and H.spinifer have pronounced internal tubercles on their patella.

Photo 1 H.petersii patella
Photo 2 H.longimanus patella
Photo 3 H.spinifer patella

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

Here again is H.spinifer patella:

 

[hecklad]

@Outpost31Survivor Thanks a bunch for the help!

 

[Outpost31Survivor]

It is very reliable identifiers because H.petersii currently dominates the AFS pet hobby and most species are quite very rare, so rare that businesses such as Petco and local pet shops aren't ever going to carry these rare species.

Here is Kovarik's review of H.petersii: