Scorpion or other?????

[boin69]

Dear Fellow List Members -

I am considering adding an emporer scorpion to my menagerie. At the same time I am become more and more fascinated with the frogs, lizards and of course, the many different species of tarantulas.

I am wondering if anyone out there has any advice? What kinds of pets do emporer scorpion make? I heard that there was one kind of scorpion that would allow itself to be picked up. Does anyone know of which one I am talking about?

If anyone can add any input into any of the critters I've mentioned above, whether it be positive or negative, I would love to hear it. Also does anyone know where vinegaroon (whip scorpion) can be had and what sorts of pets they make? I've heard good things about them but that was only from one book. Does anyone out there own one and if so, does it really make such a good pet?

Would love your input!

-boin69

 

[Scorpfanatic]

emps have very mild temperment and that the one people r taking about handling. but serious i don recommand handling the scorps becausemany things can go wrong due to the fearand stress of teh scorpion or by yrself.

emps make a very good beginner scorp and these somany threads and knowlegable people here who can advis/show/tell you more about how to keep/feed/view/setup/ andmaybe handle them :?

as for the vingroons, i personally am keeping a male specimen, they will let go some smelly stink when disturb other then that they make pretty interesting pet though.

 

[Australis]

Well...u will just have to guess ur emperor's temperament before u grab him... If its a bad day for him...he may just ley u know it the hard way.

No idea on vinegaroons though...but I'll be getting a bulk on Solifugids...

 

[~Abyss~]

I keep my scorps cuz i have been fascinated by them since i was 4. Emperors are the ones that can be "easily picked up" but if you keep the emp in the condition its supposed to be kept it most likely never be visable ( altough seeing one eat always makes me smile ). Most people dont recomend handaling any scorps but every now and then i like to pick him up and keep him with me to scare people. Rarely cuz it causes stress to the scorp. I also keep a frog. What species? i dont know cuz i have shared custody of the scorp with my GF. He loves to burrow himself all day to but comes out at night and eats ALOT. He doesnt croak more like a squeak. But there both fun to have .
My recomendations GET BOTH for me its about the same to keep both
heat lamp
Eco-earth substrate
crikets
an occasional mist for humidity
and they both come out at night.
Since i caught my frog i didnt pay for it so it was only like twenty dollars to buy a ten gallon tank and some "supplies" but after that i buy crix for both Shade and Splash ( I didnt name him *caugh caugh girlfriend*)

 

[Normski2020uk]

Well...u will just have to guess ur emperor's temperament before u grab him... If its a bad day for him...he may just ley u know it the hard way.

No idea on vinegaroons though...but I'll be getting a bulk on Solifugids...

Could not have put it better my self, I have a number of Emps, all of which i have handeld at one time or another. I have a Male who is very passive, allows the others to walk all over him, generaly just crawls on my hand. However 2 weeks ago he got me, he spun around and stung me center of my palm. Didnt even realise what had happend until i saw the pin head of blood on my hand. That what happens when you take things for granted:8o Generaly its not a good idea to handel them, you disturb the enviroment, and you will not see them act "naturaly" and they do stress easely, but each one is different and as i found to my cost, you can take the Scorp out of the wild, but you cant take the wild out the scorp. Emps are realy good starters, and can live 10+ years, they do burrow and can spend most of their time under ground, however by reducing the depth of the soil you can keep them above the ground and a little more active. If you want any m,ore info get in contact, i have a lot of experiance in Emps, but I'm still learning.

 

[azatrox]

Are you serious!?!

"...every now and then i like to pick him up and keep him with me to scare people."

There are people with DEFINITE phobias regaring these creatures, and picking yours up and handling it with the express purpose of "scaring people" is disturbing and damaging to the hobby. These very same people that have real fears about these creatures are the same people that legislate what we can and can't keep....Trust me....I've seen similar things happen when people keep reptiles irresponsibly...Someone gets scared or hurt and the next thing you know the legislature passes a law...

Seem outrageous? Yeah, it might....but it happens...I've seen it happen. When it comes to "creepy crawlies" people do not act rationally...If you intentionally scare people with your animals, that (in my book) is irresponsible keeping at it's worst....Instead of getting some cheap thrill off of the fact that your scorp scares people, why not think about the potential of what YOUR actions can do to the rest of us that keep these animals? After all, that would be the responsible thing to do.....

-AzAtrox

 

[GrungeRock]

Hey boin,

I'd recommend getting an emperor if you're interested in scorpions, they are a pretty good "first scorpion". As for a scorpion that you can handle... it's always a risk. There is always a possibility of getting stung when handling scorpions, some scorpions just have mild temperments and are less likely to sting you. I started keeping scorpions about 8 years ago, and I can tell you, you don't have to handle your scorpion to enjoy it. A lot of them are absolutely fascinating just to watch. I have to admit, yeah I've handled some of my scorpions. Everyonce in a while, my parents would have friends over who had young kids (not like toddlers, like 10 year olds lol), and as soon as they found out I had scorpions or geckos they wanted to see my room, so yeah, sometimes I'd take out one of my emperors and let them look at it (note: look at it, not touch it.). Honestly, if you handle your scorpion theres always a chance of injury to the scorpion or you if something goes wrong. A good example is from when I was a little kid: I was holding a crab and it latched onto my thumb. It hurt like hell and without thinking about it, I shook my hand to try to get him loose. The crab fell. Luckily the crab was allright, but it could have been worse. My gut reaction without even thinking was to try to shake the thing causing pain off my hand, and if that were to happen to a scorpion, it could be injured or killed. Also, if it stung you and you turned out to be allergic, you could have a severe reaction to its venom, and possibly die from the allergic reaction, so yeah, I don't recommend you handle them. As for other reptiles, I've kept geckos (my favorite reptiles), snakes, and a tortoise, all of which I enjoyed keeping a lot. I'd say, if your new at keeping any type of animal, start with one that is the most frequently kept so that there are a lot of people to get advice from, and a lot is known about its care. Anywho, long story short: I really have enjoyed keeping scorpions and reptiles. I've never been dissappointed with any animal I've kept, so I'd say, if you want to, get one, just be carefull and make sure you know how to take care of it, and the potential dangers/responsibilitys of keeping it (don't get anything dangerously venomous, obviously its up to you, but I see it as an un-necessary risk, especially for someone just starting out, as there are tons of scorpions just as or more interesting than the dangerous ones that don't present the same risk to you or others.)

-D.G.

 

[~Abyss~]

"...every now and then i like to pick him up and keep him with me to scare people."

There are people with DEFINITE phobias regaring these creatures, and picking yours up and handling it with the express purpose of "scaring people" is disturbing and damaging to the hobby. These very same people that have real fears about these creatures are the same people that legislate what we can and can't keep....Trust me....I've seen similar things happen when people keep reptiles irresponsibly...Someone gets scared or hurt and the next thing you know the legislature passes a law...

Seem outrageous? Yeah, it might....but it happens...I've seen it happen. When it comes to "creepy crawlies" people do not act rationally...If you intentionally scare people with your animals, that (in my book) is irresponsible keeping at it's worst....Instead of getting some cheap thrill off of the fact that your scorp scares people, why not think about the potential of what YOUR actions can do to the rest of us that keep these animals? After all, that would be the responsible thing to do.....

-AzAtrox

It was just a joke i dont use my emp to scare anyone ( just to clean the cage.....sorry if i offended anyone) but they can be handled easier than any other scorp. And Azatrox .................CHILL MAN people would only get scared if you put a scorpion int there face if they WERE ALREADY SCARED OF THE CREATURE TO BEGIN WITH. my mom is scared to death about these animals because back in mexico she got stung three times, those were very venemous.

 

[JSN]

I've had three emps throughout my life and one thing I've learned is that no scorp is the same...the first one I had I picked up all the time, was really docile, the second always pinched me, and the one I have now charges at my hand!...they do make interesting pets and they are not hard to take care of...

 

[~Abyss~]

yeah ive noticed that too, but im talking about overall most can be handled with little problem (compared to other scorps)

 

[azatrox]

Abyss...

I'm glad to hear that you were joking regarding intentionally scaring people with your scorp...People that are already terrified of these animals would be doubly so if one were shoved in their faces....Hence that is why I believe that such activity is irresponsible...I've just seen SO many laws regarding reptiles borne out from people being irresponsible with their animals, and I'd hate to see the same happen with scorps...A few bad apples always spoil the bunch, and if there are people out there doing this on purpose, it's my sincere hope that the next scorp they decide to pick up and scare someone with is an Androctonus australis that is having a bad day....Better yet, I'll even loan them one of mine if they want to go scaring people....You'll pardon my vehement response to your initial joke, but this is an issue that is very real, and has potantially devastating consequences for those of us that love our bugs....

-AzAtrox

 

[~Abyss~]

I'm glad to hear that you were joking regarding intentionally scaring people with your scorp...People that are already terrified of these animals would be doubly so if one were shoved in their faces....Hence that is why I believe that such activity is irresponsible...I've just seen SO many laws regarding reptiles borne out from people being irresponsible with their animals, and I'd hate to see the same happen with scorps...A few bad apples always spoil the bunch, and if there are people out there doing this on purpose, it's my sincere hope that the next scorp they decide to pick up and scare someone with is an Androctonus australis that is having a bad day....Better yet, I'll even loan them one of mine if they want to go scaring people....You'll pardon my vehement response to your initial joke, but this is an issue that is very real, and has potantially devastating consequences for those of us that love our bugs....

-AzAtrox

Okay i agree, but people are already scared of the unknow (especially if there venamous). I know its wrong to shove a scorpion to somebodys face but not for that reason. You wouldnt do that if it was a kitten either. Lets face the facts most people keep scorps because there terafying to most people. I personally have been interested since I was four years old just because my grandma use to catch them and put them in a jar. There would be 100 at least in one jar and they would die within 2 weeks. ( they are pest over where she lives). But if you take a scorpion out in front of almost any person no matter your intentions they will be scared. Its human nature to be scared of anything that bites, pinches, stings, crawl, and are venomous. Scorpions fall into the human nightmare catagory. So initially people are already scared of the scorpion but when you take it out its more of a surprise that anyone would keep sumthing like that.

 

[azatrox]

Abyss...you're strengthening my point....

Yes, the majority of people ARE frightened of creepy crawlies that bite, sting, etc....It is PRECISELY BECAUSE people are so frightened that we as keepers must do everything in our power to responsibly care for our animals...People will NOT act rationally when it comes to these creatures, and because of this IF we act irresponsibly (i.e. show our animals off in public without regard to who's around), we run the risk of having the PRIVILEGE of keeping these animals legally revoked...It's happened SO many times with reptile keeping...Go ask the fine citizens of Alabama why it is now illegal to own ANY exotic venomous snake...The reason is because some yahoo acted irresponsibly, allowed his spitting cobra to escape and this caused MAJOR chaos...(don't think they ever did find the snake). This is but one example of the dangers of poor/irresponsible husbandry practices.

Instead of parading our animals in public, we as responsible keeprs should be educating the general public (or those willing to listen) as to the nature and habits of these animals. If we do this, fear is replaced by respect. Once someone respects an animal, intelligent decisions regarding that animals' welfare can be considered....

Yes, handling a scorp presents dangers to the animal itself....Doing so in public without regard for those around also presents dangers to ALL those who choose to keep & observe these wonderful creatures....

Have I made my point here?

-AzAtrox

 

[~Abyss~]

Yes, the majority of people ARE frightened of creepy crawlies that bite, sting, etc....It is PRECISELY BECAUSE people are so frightened that we as keepers must do everything in our power to responsibly care for our animals...People will NOT act rationally when it comes to these creatures, and because of this IF we act irresponsibly (i.e. show our animals off in public without regard to who's around), we run the risk of having the PRIVILEGE of keeping these animals legally revoked...It's happened SO many times with reptile keeping...Go ask the fine citizens of Alabama why it is now illegal to own ANY exotic venomous snake...The reason is because some yahoo acted irresponsibly, allowed his spitting cobra to escape and this caused MAJOR chaos...(don't think they ever did find the snake). This is but one example of the dangers of poor/irresponsible husbandry practices.

Instead of parading our animals in public, we as responsible keeprs should be educating the general public (or those willing to listen) as to the nature and habits of these animals. If we do this, fear is replaced by respect. Once someone respects an animal, intelligent decisions regarding that animals' welfare can be considered....

Yes, handling a scorp presents dangers to the animal itself....Doing so in public without regard for those around also presents dangers to ALL those who choose to keep & observe these wonderful creatures....

Have I made my point here?

-AzAtrox

OKAY I KNOW WHERE YOUR GETTING AT. I just disagree that anyone that takes out there scorpion in public is gonna make it so that they ban that animal. C'mon compare a highly venamous snake to any scorpion. An irresponcible owner of a snake might be responcible for the "PRIVLAGE" being taken away. But thats not gonna happen with scorps. What kind of chaos is a scorpion going to reak. A whole town is not gonna be effected by a scorpion on the loose. This is a country of democratic voting, I personally think that a snake like that, that cause damage should be banned ( better safe than sorry). I am a responsible owner and would hate if any of my pets were banned but as far as "educating" people goes, no group of people is going to get through hard headed americans. If they dont like sumthing they'll get rid of it reguardless. Personally i do like to show of my scorp, i dont pull it out of its cage but if a friend comes over i'll show it off. Yes, there scared but the reaction I always get is "ooh cool". Who are you going to show off your scorp to that would actually go and make a state bill banning that animal. C'MON MAN THINK ABOUT HOW CRAZY THAT SOUNDS. I feel sorry for those in Alabba that cant keep exotic snakes but compare a (Dog eating, child eating, highly poisionous) snake to a scorpion that can be easily steped on. ( poor scorp). You never see those Animal Control shows on T.V catching an unstopable, dog killing scorp. ( maybe an exterminator).

Im not trying to be rude with you but i just disagree with your little belief.

 

[MattM]

Funny to say, but this is the 9th "I'm new, I want an emp" topic this month only Maybe that sticky imp topic isnt such a bad idea after all.

 

[Scorpfanatic]

aggreed!!!!!!!! ;P

 

[Australis]

Funny to say, but this is the 9th "I'm new, I want an emp" topic this month only Maybe that sticky imp topic isnt such a bad idea after all.

How bout I am new here and I am looking for Centruroides species...lots of them

 

[MattM]

That's at least more original

 

[intrepidus6]

Emperors are deffinintally a good starter, I don't know much about Vinegorons though, I really haven't had any desire to keep one.
I also realy don't recomend handling any scorp, it is a selfish thing to do, as it is very stressfull on the scorpion.