Where do I buy emperor scorpions (UK) and how do I know if it's legit

[Ghost3272]

I am looking to buy an emperor scorpion and the only ones I can find online cost at least 100 pounds. I have also come across a petshop selling one online for 30 pounds, but I am a bit hesitant about buying it because I have heard pet shops know nothing about the pets they sell and I could actually be looking at a fake emperor like an asian forest or red claw. So I have a few questions I thought I would ask because I heard that this forum has the best people to talk to about scorpions.
1) How do I tell if it's an emperor and not a fake?
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Thanks for your time!

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

Your worries are justified, we came across multiple instances of pet shops selling Heterometrus species as 'emperor' scorpion.
It helps if you use the scientific name, that way you specify exactly what you are looking for.
Using the common name can lead to mistakes. You and I probably mean a Pandinus imperator when we hear about a 'Emperor',
but other people/sellers may assume all scorpions that belong to the Pandinus genus are 'Emperors', so you may end up with a Pandinus Cavimanus.

Identifying adults is not too difficult, you can tell by looking at the manus, observe this picture.

But this won't work for juveniles! Juveniles Pandinus imperator (emperor) and Heterometrus (Asian forest scorpion) look very much alike.
At that age both of the species will have a cream white telson which at a later age darkens. Juvenile P imperators don't have that heavy granulation on their manuses yet,
they are still smooth.
Personally i can't properly identify them by eye at a juvenile age, although in my experience a juvenile P imerator has a much more relaxed behavior,
while juvenile Heterometrus species behave pretty nervous and skittish. But that's not really a good measuring stick.

You really need a seller that you can trust, and trustworthy sellers are usually not the cheapest out there.
Please be aware that Juvenile P imperators are worth approximately €60 in Europe(and hard to find), adults range from €100 to €145 (without shipping).
Be careful if you are seeking the absolute lowest priced ones, you could end up with a damaged cheapy.
When you try to scrape the bottom of the barrel you may not get the quality you want.
I will be honest with you, if I would be aware of a place that sells me real P imperators for 30UKpounds/piece(incl shipping),
I would have bought them all....like yesterday.... and I'm not even a dealer/breeder.
If you are a beginner it would be better to buy a adult. For several reasons but to keep it short: those won't die so easily if you make husbandry mistakes.
To get the best price and a safer deal I would wait until this Covid19 party blows over and visit a invert show. I'm not from the UK, but i hear BTS is the main event.
I hope another user can lead you to a good (UK) webshop that sells you one for cheap.

And lastly, it is impossible or at least very very very difficult to sex juvenile scorpions, so you will buy a 'unsexed' scorpion instead of a garanteed male.

 

[clive 82]

Check out the thespidershop.co.uk Excellent site. Have used them in the past for buying tarantulas. They also sell scorpions. They provide an excellent delivery service although Im not sure if they are delivering now because of the virus?

 

[Harmonicon]

Check out the thespidershop.co.uk Excellent site. Have used them in the past for buying tarantulas. They also sell scorpions. They provide an excellent delivery service although Im not sure if they are delivering now because of the virus?

Is the shipping expensive there?

 

[Lubed Tweezer]

I would be careful about shipping live animals internationally at this moment during Covid crisis.
In many countries postal services are overloaded with work and part of their staff is at home thinking they got the C19 virus.
Many packages take much longer to be delivered, including some of my own (no live animals) that take over 4 times longer than usual.
Read this thread as an example:
A certain post from @FrankLewis12 : https://arachnoboards.com/threads/intar2-3-water-bowls.331806/

Yer thats my thoughts someone said to put a bowl in and i wasnt too sure if i should just incase but sadly i found my l.q dead earlier my heat mat wasnt plugged in i have a hottentotta tamulus a.a.hector a.crassicauda p.capensis and a p.radius on the way but its nearly been 2 weeks in transit so my thoughts are the are dead too

When you can expect a package with a live animal in it to be in transit for 2, 3 or even 4 weeks (which happens these days) that would be torture to the animal in my opinion.
Better wait until this Covid thing blows over unless you are sure that it will arrive in a timely manner.

 

[clive 82]

Is the shipping expensive there?

From memory I think its about £9 ( pounds sterling ). But not ordered anything in about 2/3 years.

 

[ignithium]

I would be careful about shipping live animals internationally at this moment during Covid crisis.
In many countries postal services are overloaded with work and part of their staff is at home thinking they got the C19 virus.
Many packages take much longer to be delivered, including some of my own (no live animals) that take over 4 times longer than usual.
Read this thread as an example:
A certain post from @FrankLewis12 : https://arachnoboards.com/threads/intar2-3-water-bowls.331806/

When you can expect a package with a live animal in it to be in transit for 2, 3 or even 4 weeks (which happens these days) that would be torture to the animal in my opinion.
Better wait until this Covid thing blows over unless you are sure that it will arrive in a timely manner.

It depend on location I think I didnt having any issues shipping stuff in eastern europe recently