The P. Dictator

Mr. Mordax

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If it really does look like a tank next to the emperor, then there's the "big beefy scorpion" appeal.
 

Brian S

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just to get the ball rolling on the dictator again, i've got to ask, what's the appeal? Justify the recent craze over this particular scorpion? Is it just a general matter of taste, or is there something in particular that attracts all of you to this scorpion? I'm not trying to incite or judge, just trying to understand this sub-cultural craze.

John
Im with you John. I guess its what ever floats your boat but after keeping Buthids, it will make you throw rocks at Pandinus spp. Buthids are alot more fun even if they are smaller
 

Deolok

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Im with you John. I guess its what ever floats your boat but after keeping Buthids, it will make you throw rocks at Pandinus spp. Buthids are alot more fun even if they are smaller
But Brian, have you ever owned a P. Dictator? No one is really sure of their captive behavior... I think it's because of the fact that not TO MANY people own them and no much about them that makes them most appealing. P. Dictators also dwarf emperors not to mention they are a blue pandinius spp.
 

Brian S

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But Brian, have you ever owned a P. Dictator? No one is really sure of their captive behavior... I think it's because of the fact that not TO MANY people own them and no much about them that makes them most appealing. P. Dictators also dwarf emperors not to mention they are a blue pandinius spp.
Nope but from my observations with other Pandinus spp they just arent in the same league as say Parabuthus, Centruroides or Tityus. While yes I would take a pair to breed if I had a chance, I would still think the same thing about them. Dwarfing P imp or not, they are still just a boring Pandinus sp to me. If you would ever keep something different you would know where I'm coming from.:)

On a side note, I would certainly jump at the chance to get Heterometrus swammerdami. Now THATS a big bad scorpion!!! Heteros are a bit more exciting than Pandinus in my opinion however we all know what opinions remind us of lol
 

skinheaddave

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I'm going to have to disagree with you here Brian. I've kept a lot of different scorpions over the years and I've really decided that for me, nothing beats those genera that used to be encompased by Liochelidae (Ischnuridae if you want to go back further). These fall under what many people consider "boring," but it is not from lack of experience with buthids that I've come to this point.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Brian S

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Yeah I know Dave. I wont hold it against you though. I keep hoping you will see the light someday LOLOL :D

On a serious note, I have never kept any of those so I cant really say yay or nay about them.
 

skinheaddave

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Brian,

I wouldn't hold out for that one. If a buthid makes me see lights, it probably means I've ended up on the wrong end of one. :)

To tell you the truth, I'm not keeping many scorpions myself these days. A dozen, maybe dozen-and-a-half species. Less than 100 specimens, I would think -- well, maybe just over.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Brian S

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LOL Dave, I'm just messing with ya ;)

I guess you have been quite busy these days? Still around 100 scorpions isnt a small collection by any means.

Just a question for you before I stop hijacking, Have you been able to breed any of your Liochelidae? I have wondered if they are as prolific as some Buthids.
 

skinheaddave

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They are breedable -- if you can get multiple specimens of the same species. I've bred a couple species of Opisthacanthus and am currently working with some Hadogenes and Iomachus as well. That being said, they are nothing like buthids, in that they have long gestation periods, few young and long maturation rates. This is part of the appeal, though. With many buthids, you have a few years to breed them or you will end up re-aquiring specimens. With some of these species you may have a decade or more with mature specimens.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Mr. Mordax

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Just a quick note here, I have one Buthid. She's really fun and full of . . . something . . . but I still have a soft spot for my big ol' emps. They can be a lot of fun too. So I for one am interested to see something as unknown and large as a dictator up-close and personal.
 

pandinus

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i dont know where this stuff about P. dictator being bigger and dwarfing P. imperator is coming from, and if i am wrong, please correct me. But Imperator is larger than dictator, last i checked, P. imperator still holds the world record for the largest scorpion. I cant recall if H. swammerdami ever officially broke the record, but what i can say is that dictators do not dwarf emps.


John
 

Brian S

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i dont know where this stuff about P. dictator being bigger and dwarfing P. imperator is coming from, and if i am wrong, please correct me. But Imperator is larger than dictator, last i checked, P. imperator still holds the world record for the largest scorpion. I cant recall if H. swammerdami ever officially broke the record, but what i can say is that dictators do not dwarf emps.


John
John, I wish we could acquire about 4 or 5 breeding pairs of these. We could make a little dough selling to these folks LOL
 

pandinus

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John, I wish we could acquire about 4 or 5 breeding pairs of these. We could make a little dough selling to these folks LOL
you read my mind. Hey, we got the tityus right? who says we cant. ;)

John
 

Vermis

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We could make a little dough selling to these folks LOL
I like to think I'm usually pretty calm on web forums, refraining from flaming, jumping into arguments, sweating small stuff, etc. But something about your words has flipped a switch. Let's see if I can put across my view without resorting to four-letter words.

'These folks'... Do you realise how incredibly arrogant and condescending you sound, snorting and guffawing with your little buthid clique? And for poor reasons? I'd guess the best part of my outrage is sheer unpleasant surprise that I could see this kind of - snobbery, for want of a better term - on a forum where most should recognise the kind of ostracism, however subtle, that comes with the hobby. We don't need it within the hobby.
I don't know P. dictator from Adam. I don't know if it's blue or huge or hollow with a creamy caramel centre. It's not? I'll take your word for it, but so what? I've only recently read through this topic and it's been hugely entertaining if nothing else. It's also made me interested in P. dictator, and I think I'll keep an eye out if a scant few do make it into the trade.

You won't, you say? It's just another boring Pandinus? That's your opinion; one that a lot of people don't share, and that's fine. But you've made it perfectly clear already. Do you have to keep reiterating it and changing the topic to buthids to the point that you feel you have to sneer at the vast bulk of the thread, and in the face of its posters and readers?
 

fusion121

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I have a collection mostly composed of buthids, but I'm the first to admit they are the most boring family of scorpions. They have the least interesting behaviours of all the scorpion families, are the shortest lived etc. I think their popularity mostly derives from the fact they are easy to keep and are venomous, which isn't a great reason to keep anything;)
 

skinheaddave

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Do you have to keep reiterating it and changing the topic to buthids to the point that you feel you have to sneer at the vast bulk of the thread, and in the face of its posters and readers?
I would agree with you on this if I didn't know Brian. Sometimes web communication is hard on this front, but I know that as he's typing this stuff, Brian has a big goofy (yes, I said goofy Brian ... deal with it) smile on his face.

Plus, there is an underlying point here. I see a lot of interest and talk about P.dictator, but I have yet to see any attempts to garner more real information. Instead, I see hearsay stacked on speculation. It reminds me of the troglobytic scorpion described by Damsel and Kefirov. A fantastic beast -- large, very attractive, posessing many interesting morphological modifications. Also, 100% completely made-up.

Cheers,
Dave
 

skinheaddave

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I think their popularity mostly derives from the fact they are easy to keep and are venomous, which isn't a great reason to keep anything;)
Also, their population densities and propensity for wandering from their burrows (if they even have burrows). Due to their reproductive strategy, field collectors have a relatively easy time of it and this is reflected in what comes out of these countries.

Anyhow, they do have their uses. Being relatively primitive, they make good controls for a lot of behavioural studies. :D

Cheers,
Dave
 

Brian S

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I like to think I'm usually pretty calm on web forums, refraining from flaming, jumping into arguments, sweating small stuff, etc. But something about your words has flipped a switch. Let's see if I can put across my view without resorting to four-letter words.

'These folks'... Do you realise how incredibly arrogant and condescending you sound, snorting and guffawing with your little buthid clique? And for poor reasons? I'd guess the best part of my outrage is sheer unpleasant surprise that I could see this kind of - snobbery, for want of a better term - on a forum where most should recognise the kind of ostracism, however subtle, that comes with the hobby. We don't need it within the hobby.
I don't know P. dictator from Adam. I don't know if it's blue or huge or hollow with a creamy caramel centre. It's not? I'll take your word for it, but so what? I've only recently read through this topic and it's been hugely entertaining if nothing else. It's also made me interested in P. dictator, and I think I'll keep an eye out if a scant few do make it into the trade.

You won't, you say? It's just another boring Pandinus? That's your opinion; one that a lot of people don't share, and that's fine. But you've made it perfectly clear already. Do you have to keep reiterating it and changing the topic to buthids to the point that you feel you have to sneer at the vast bulk of the thread, and in the face of its posters and readers?
Man, You have me all wrong:rolleyes: . I'm being silly and everyone that knows me will tell you I am. I enjoy messing with people and I never mean no harm by it. When I am engaged in idle chatter like that, take what I say with a grain of salt.

I would agree with you on this if I didn't know Brian. Sometimes web communication is hard on this front, but I know that as he's typing this stuff, Brian has a big goofy (yes, I said goofy Brian ... deal with it) smile on his face.
See, Dave knows how I am.:D I am goofy when I want to be especially in a thread like this;P . Thank you Dave for helping me out. Yeah I like being goofy and Vermis, please for the love of God relax.
 

Thaedion

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Brian, I've been keeping a read on this thread as it is very entertaining. I'm a Pandinus type of person with a little Heterometrus in for good measure. I took NO offense to your comment.

Dave, since I began reading this thread by "Deolock" way back, I've been actively seeking knowledge and even querying importers, (importers that require you to own CITES import license's) to the where abouts of this Pandinus, it just isn't available and info on it is much harder to come by, (PS I try to keep my posts 98% fluff free)

CITES doesn't allow them to exported, and of what I read only a couple of hundred have been exported alive over a course of a few years, compared to the 10's of thousands of P imps. which are also CITES protected.

All in all I believe it is an American trait (commercialism and all) to want what we don't have and want even more something tha's not allowed, I think that's why this thread is so interesting.

Just my spin, Thaedion
 
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