Why do you handle your scorpion?

Uncle Manny

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2007
Messages
12
I have noticed there are many of you who photograph scorpions sitting on your hand or arm, which demonstrates that you (obviously) handle them, albeit ocassionally. It would be interesting to have your comments if you also hangle tarantulas or centipedes.

Could you explain why you do this? What motivates the action? What kind of feelings do you have about doing it, or seeing someone do it? As a point of information I would like to know where you live (country, state, etc.).

If response is very good and the feedback is honest I may consider using it as the basis of an article.

Please respond, but be sincere and forthright in your answers.

Thanks

Uncle Manny
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
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Mar 26, 2005
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The only time I even handle a Scorp (non hot species) is if i have to transfer it from one thank to another and don't have my tools available, and even then I try to avoid doing it.
 

Michiel

Arachnoking
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May 22, 2006
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Anyone who exludes the sense of tension, of doing something which might be kind of dangerous, is lying.Your pet, does not recognize you as its caretaker and 9 out of 10 times, the poor animals think they are being eaten.

No, no you are wrong, my emperor "loves" sitting on my palm. No it doesn't, it might sit still for a while but to love or to experience other emotions very aware, you will need a hypothalamus, cortex and some other brainstructures, scorpions miss.

Holding a scorpion/ tarantula is purely to satisfy certain needs (to interact with your pet, to feel how it walks on your hands, how it clings to your shirt or sleece) from the owner, which I do not deem as wrong, as long as people are not clowning around with dangerous species, like the guy a while ago, who let his LQ walk around on his desk :confused: There is nothing wrong with handling scorpions if you know what you are doing.. I do not hanlde my scorpions or tarantulas, I'd rather leave them be in their enclosures....

Why do people jump out of a plane from 10.000 feet, because it's fascinating? Because of the view, no man, it is because of the rush......otherwise these guys would watch it on TV. If people are saying no: you guys are in denial.......
 

H. cyaneus

Arachnobaron
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May 2, 2006
Messages
301
I don't view scorpions as a animal to be handled. I have no idea what it'll do or what the venom's affects will be on me, it's not worth the risk. Anyone, my imperator's scare me, they're all jumpy and snappy.

Mike
 

AirForce1AkaB

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 4, 2007
Messages
28
I own 5 emps and handle them for different reasons but not to often in order to stress them.

Would you explain why you do this?
*when cleaning there hide or to look at closely for mites and what not.
What motivates the action?
*read above
What kind of feelings do you have about doing it, or seeing someone do it?
* If your cautious and you reconize the consequences and what not, Why not.
As a point of information I would like to know where you live (country, state, etc.).
* USA,MD
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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Mar 9, 2007
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The only time I ever handle my scorps is when moving them or to photograph on my hand to give people a general idea of overall size.

Some extra info. I only handle a couple of species and that's only the placid ones. In fact the picture I posted in another thread of one on my hand is really the only scorpion I feel completely at ease with on my hand and it has to be a male of the species, the female is a kick-ass aggro SOB...that I rarely ever pick up. I dont pick up desert burrowrs, they move like lightening and are very reactive, they also spray venom at times, so I dont trust them....and they have a huge telson.

I dont mind people picking scorpions up, its their choice.

I'm from Australia...as shown <-------
 
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Brian S

ArachnoGod
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May 29, 2004
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I dont handle mine. Most of the species I keep are known to possess a very toxic venom so I make it a habit not to handle any, even the less toxic species. The scorpions I'm sure do not like to be handled so I leave them be. In my opinion they are like tropical fish, for viewing only.

You know where I am from Uncle ;)
 

zilch

Arachnosquire
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Nov 7, 2006
Messages
54
all scorpions are venomous, its just how potent their venom is. even if its a h.spinifer or a liocheles sp, i will not risk handling them as scorpions are unpredictable at times, plus i do not know if i have any potential allergic reaction to their venom, and i certainly do not want to find out.
 

polphot

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 5, 2007
Messages
31
Likewise, I also do not handle them with my bare hands or make my scorpions walk my hand either. I dont care for any species that are classified venomous that should make me scared or hesitant to do so. Its just that i think it is stressful for the scorpion to be grabbed by your hand, larger than a tarantula from the heavens. :) I also do not use chopsticks or tweezers to catch them by the metasoma (as much as possible) when transferring them while i'm doing the occasional housekeeping as needed. I just prod them with chopsticks to a test tube (or glass container for my H. spinifer to large for test tubes :D) in front of them for transferring.

I agree with Michiel that the scorpion does not recognize you all the time that you are its caretaker.
 
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BelfastScorpion

Arachnoknight
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May 21, 2004
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I only handle my Emporer. I wouldn't handle any of my other species. Saying that I don't handle her very often. I don't want to stress her out, so most of the time I just leave her alone. When I do handle her I only have her in my hand for a very short time. I don't let her walk all over me for ages as this will cause her stress. I handle her simply because I am fascinated with these creatures and an Emporer is relatively docile.

I am in Belfast in Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.

BelfastScorpion.
 

Alakdan

Arachnoangel
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Jan 24, 2006
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I would be a liar if I said I don't handle them. I do, but not all the time. At first it was more of curiosity I let them crawl on my hand and arm. Eventually, I learned how to handle them without causing too much stress. I observed that they get easily agitated if you are also stressed. I avoid tailing as much as possible. Scorps really hate it when you do that. Now, I handle them only when needed, like when sexing, closer inspection to check if gravid, tank maintenance, and occasionally when I hunt.

To give you a better idea. These are the scorps I've handled so far:
H. longimanus/spinifer/laoticus/fulvipes
P. imperator
I. maculatus
C. vittatus
V. spinigerus
H. arizonensis

These I handled because I caught them with my bare hands. I figured my tongs might injure them.

L. waigiensis and australasiae
C. celebensis
L. infuscatus
Selenocosmia sp. tarantula

I will never handle hot scorps. Definitely risky if not totally foolish.
I haven't purposely handled my Ts. Once I was force to handle my C. fasciatum and S. perboomi to prevent them from escaping their enclosure.
I stay away from centipedes. I got bitten by a 5 inch Scolopendra sp. when I was 11 years old. My arm got swollen and I had fever for 3 days. I cried real hard that day and swore to myself never again!
 
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Bigboy

Arachnoprince
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I don't handle my scorpions. I've moved non dangerous species by hand into new enclosures but everything else is done with forceps and cups. I just think it is better to minimize contact with them as much as possible to cut out any more stress (conditions that may cause a negative physiological response). I figure captivity alone gives them enough of that.
 

~Abyss~

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I only handle my P.imps, and H.spin for a few reasons.
1. Study the species: I enjoy seeing differences between my other scorpions and also take notes on behavior as well as physical differences.
2. Cleaning: whenever i gotta clean the tank i handle my scorpions to move them from tank to tank
3. Sexing: sometimes i cant find a plastic container for pectine count so i simply pick them up breifly to examine the bottom.
4. Isolation: Sometimes if i think a scorpion is molting or gravid i pick them up to put them in a seperate tank.
I only handle them briefly where my longest session is about 5 minutes. I very rarely do so to prevent stress.
Los Angeles, Ca. USA
 

Thiscordia

Arachnobaron
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Sometimes to transfer them from an old eclosure to another and i know this doesn't justify the action because i have tweezers for that and i still do it. At the petstores to sex females and males when i want to buy pairs.
Sometimes to prove that some fears can be the product of ignorance, and because of that they can be changed.
I live in San Garbiel CA.
-.Raul
 
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Mr. Mordax

Arachnoking
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In addition to tank relocating, I'll admit I handle them because of the fascination. I can also get a better view of my scorps if they're in my hand and I'm not sticking my head into an aquarium. Another reason is for size comparison when photographing different specimens. I'm not worried about venom from non-hots because I don't have any alergies beyond hayfever, so I have little reason to believe I'd go into anaphylactic shock from a sting.

The species I've handled are:
Pandinus imperator
Heterometrus laoticus
Heterometrus longimanus
Hadogenes paucidens

I don't handle hots for obvious reasons. Same goes for specimens that are overly-agressive.

As my info to the left says, I live in Oregon in the US.
 

konrad16660

Arachnosquire
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Jun 30, 2006
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I hold my emps. I enjoy holding them a great deal and i believe that it helps you bond with your scorp in the pet/owner kind of relationship. Also they love sitting on you, not because they "love" you, because they really like the warmth. I do not generally try to hold many other species because they won't let me even slip a pencil or tongs into their neighborhood without giving it a sting.
I would also have to agree, that without holding your scorps to a certain degree it would be hard to make sure they are always healthy.:D
 

Brian S

ArachnoGod
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i believe that it helps you bond with your scorp in the pet/owner kind of relationship.
:? :? :? :?

I would also have to agree, that without holding your scorps to a certain degree it would be hard to make sure they are always healthy.:D
How does holding them assure you they are healthy:?
 

Tleilaxu

Arachnoprince
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May 7, 2006
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I only handled emperors only because they are docile, and the venom is mild. Generally once a week but never if they have just fed or are gravid. Stress is a key factor in my handling schedule. I handle them for several reasons mainly its to intereact with it even though I know they will never like you. Secondly to check them over for health issues. I THINK that after a time they get used to being handled but don't really like it, even so some emps tolerate handleing much better than others leading my to wonder about some things that are best left for another thread.
 

LeilaNami

Arachnoking
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Jun 8, 2006
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I hold emps and P. cavimanus to show people they aren't evil monsters out to get you :rolleyes:
 

Thaedion

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Nov 20, 2006
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I hold emps and P. cavimanus to show people they aren't evil monsters out to get you :rolleyes:
But P cavimanus ARE evil monsters...

I try to only hold mine for tank transfers, cleanings or IDing. I have P imps, P cav. and H spp I'll either tail them or use the 12" tweezers. It's always real nice when my Heterometrus pinches my wrist or finger (that's why I bought the tweezers). I had a morbid fear at first of my emps that is why I held them initially, but now I try not to bother them ever, as noted above it's not natural for them to be held. (maybe that's why they are evil creatures, no cuddling or nurturing from infancy)

Male from OH USA
 
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