Yellow Spitting Scorpion/Yellow Fat Tail Scorpion

[Kisato]

Hey everyone!

My boyfriend and I recently bought a young Scorpion from a vendor at Repticon and it was labeled as a Yellow Spitting Scorpion. I had never heard of a Yellow Spitting Scorpion before. So when we got home, I tried looking up care sheets for a Yellow Spitting Scorpion and absolutely nothing came up. So after a few searches, I looked up Yellow Fat Tail Scorpion and the images I found look a lot like the little guy we bought. If you guys need a picture, I can ask him to take one. The little guy is still very young and his tail isn't "fat" so if that's something that even the young ones have, then he might not be a fat tail after all... Also, he cost about 35 dollars, if that helps at all.

So basically my question is... Is a Yellow Spitting Scorpion a nickname for a Yellow Fat Tail Scorpion or is it a different Scorpion all together?

If it is truly a Yellow Fat Tail Scorpion, I'm making sure he's damned careful around it!

 

[Shufle3]

We'd need to see some pictures of it to tell you what it is for sure because as of now I'm assuming it could be either Parabuthus sp. or Androctonus.

 

[Kisato]

Right now, all I really want to know is if it definitely IS or IS NOT a Yellow Fat Tail Scorpion... Because honestly, I don't want my boyfriend handling such a lethal invert! But I will definitely get him to take some pictures tomorrow!!

 

[jake9134]

It may be a A. austalis, does it have a black or dark area near or on the tip of the tail? its a characteristic of 2 of the most dangerous scorpions (deathstarker is the other).
even then, scorpions don't climb and its easy to take care of them safely with some tongs. Also they only pose the most serious threat to the elderly, young and those with preexisting conditions.

 

[KDiiX]

That's why 1. Scientific names exists because while several common names exist for one animal only one scientific name for each animal exists WORLDWIDE! 2. You should never buy a animal when you don't know which animal it is exactly, how to care about and how dangerous its venom is... just for the future you should think about that before buying a life animal for that you might be responsible for several years...

 

[~Abyss~]

Someone Posted this in facebook as well wonder if they got from the same seller? If so it’s P.liosoma. Which is the most common species under that common name. They aren’t exactly known to spit but it’s been recorded in the past so…sure why not.

 

[Kisato]

That's why 1. Scientific names exists because while several common names exist for one animal only one scientific name for each animal exists WORLDWIDE! 2. You should never buy a animal when you don't know which animal it is exactly, how to care about and how dangerous its venom is... just for the future you should think about that before buying a life animal for that you might be responsible for several years...

You are absolutely right! I asked the vendor all of those questions. What was the venom like, how to properly take care of it, how big did it get. In regards to the venom, all he said was "It'll make you sick if you get stung.". If it were ME, I wouldn't have bought it. However, it was something that my boyfriend wanted to buy and I didn't want to stop him. After asking all of those questions, I did talk to him about it and asked him if he was absolutely sure if he wanted it because it could very well be dangerous and he still said yes. That might sound like a dumb thing for me to do but... Anyway, you are absolutely right.

 

[KDiiX]

All parabuthus sp. are known for the ability that they can spit venom. But most won't spit if you don't force them to do it. Same thing with the stridulation of my P.villosus oranje. They can but almost never do so.

@kisato i wouldn't buy a animal I'm not informed before, if i don't know and trust he seller. Don't forget that the seller is a seller and the main thing a seller do is sell things so it's not uncommon that you got things told which the seller things you want to hear no matter if it's true or not.
If the seller can't give you the scientific name i wouldn't buy at him too. Today there are such many ways to get scorpions from people hoe care about what exactly the keep and breed so theres no need to support those guys who do this just halfhearted.
Btw in Germany on most expos its not allowed to sell animals without giving the scientific name!

 

[Kisato]

@kisato i wouldn't buy a animal I'm not informed before, if i don't know and trust he seller. Don't forget that the seller is a seller and the main thing a seller do is sell things so it's not uncommon that you got things told which the seller things you want to hear no matter if it's true or not. If the seller can't give you the scientific name i wouldn't buy at him too. Today there are such many ways to get scorpions from people hoe care about what exactly the keep and breed so theres no need to support those guys who do this just halfhearted. Btw in Germany on most expos its not allowed to sell animals without giving the scientific name!

Really? Man, I wish they would do that here in the US! From now on, I'm making sure my boyfriend doesn't buy any animals, inverts or otherwise, unless they are labeled with their scientific name. The sad thing about all of this is... I REALLY like the seller! I've known him for years, have bought Tarantulas from him before and I trusted him, so I probably let my guard down when it came to him giving me less information than I needed. Either way, I'm making sure that no matter what type of Scorpion my boyfriend got, he's going to take good care of it! I'm going to do as much research as I possibly can and he is too. If it really is a dangerous Scorpion, we are NOT handling it and in my opinion, there's no need to handle it even if it wasn't dangerous... Thank you for all the information! I REALLY appreciate it!!!

 

[~Abyss~]

Really? Man, I wish they would do that here in the US! From now on, I'm making sure my boyfriend doesn't buy any animals, inverts or otherwise, unless they are labeled with their scientific name. The sad thing about all of this is... I REALLY like the seller! I've known him for years, have bought Tarantulas from him before and I trusted him, so I probably let my guard down when it came to him giving me less information than I needed. Either way, I'm making sure that no matter what type of Scorpion my boyfriend got, he's going to take good care of it! I'm going to do as much research as I possibly can and he is too. If it really is a dangerous Scorpion, we are NOT handling it and in my opinion, there's no need to handle it even if it wasn't dangerous... Thank you for all the information! I REALLY appreciate it!!!

That's an awesome response! Google images of P.liosoma and see if thats what you have. Moving forward, you can still be a responsible owner and you can ask any questions you might have as far as care and we'll be more than happy to answer. It'll be a learning experience

 

[KDiiX]

I don't want to say that the seller isn't trustable, but on expos you should never forget that there are also a lot of black sheeps. So best is to inform before buying an than only buy if you are sure what you buy.

I noticed since i registered here that in us the hole common name thing is much bigger than in Germany. I don't know why, because with a bit practice the scientific name aren't much more difficult then the common name but much more precise. For example i remember a conversation on fb where somebody had a "African fat tail scorpion" bought on a expo and asked how to care about. The problem is that Androctonus sp. And Parabuthus sp. are fat tailed scorpions from africa. But juveniles of parabuthus often needs more moisture then the Androctonus sp. Next problem is if you want to buy a second one and get a different species because an other seller uses this common name for an other species.
Best thing would be to ask everytime for the scientific names and only use them if you talk about them or if you sell later your own breedings. If you do this 1. You learn the scientific names as quick as common names 2. You "force" other to think about scientific names too and if enough do so there's chance that once the common names are almost gone. This is a big advantage for multi language trading and also maies research on web much easier.

Now to your scorpion if it's really a P.liosoma, which isn't confirmed 100% in my opinion but seems most likely, then you have to keep him pretty moist for a desert scorpion or they will get problems with moulting. Best thing in my opinion is some spaghnum or similar in one corner of the box/enclosure which should be moist all the time. But not such moist that the hole substrate of the enclosure swimms away ;-)

 

[Kisato]

Thanks guys!! I seriously appreciate all of your input! It means A LOT!!! Once I get a picture, I'll definitely ask you guys for more help!

Abyss, it looks kind of like a P.liosoma. Some of the pictures look similar but others don't. The little guy is.. well.. LITTLE. And some of the pictures show ones that have a darker body while others show a lighter body. The little guy my boyfriend bought has a lighter body at the moment and I'm not sure if that's because he's young or maybe he had just molted. My boyfriend doesn't get off of work until 8 PM (It's 4:30 PM right now) but I'm going to ask him to take a picture and send it to me if he can.

KDiiX, I completely agree with you about scientific names! I have a lot of experience with Tarantulas and I never really call them by their common names. I only ever use their scientific names! It's just so much easier! Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Scorpions and here in the US, we only ever hear the common names more so than the scientific names. So for instance, I knew what a Yellow fat tailed scorpion was and I knew what a Black fat tailed scorpion was but I had no idea what their scientific names were. It causes a lot of problems just like you mentioned!

Oh! This is something that I asked the vendor and his answer confused me a little. I asked him if Scorpions molt just like Tarantulas and he said "Not really". He said that Scorpions can actually grow without molting for a long time. Is that true? Or is there more to it than just that?

 

[~Abyss~]

Thanks guys!! I seriously appreciate all of your input! It means A LOT!!! Once I get a picture, I'll definitely ask you guys for more help!

Abyss, it looks kind of like a P.liosoma. Some of the pictures look similar but others don't. The little guy is.. well.. LITTLE. And some of the pictures show ones that have a darker body while others show a lighter body. The little guy my boyfriend bought has a lighter body at the moment and I'm not sure if that's because he's young or maybe he had just molted. My boyfriend doesn't get off of work until 8 PM (It's 4:30 PM right now) but I'm going to ask him to take a picture and send it to me if he can.

KDiiX, I completely agree with you about scientific names! I have a lot of experience with Tarantulas and I never really call them by their common names. I only ever use their scientific names! It's just so much easier! Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Scorpions and here in the US, we only ever hear the common names more so than the scientific names. So for instance, I knew what a Yellow fat tailed scorpion was and I knew what a Black fat tailed scorpion was but I had no idea what their scientific names were. It causes a lot of problems just like you mentioned!

Oh! This is something that I asked the vendor and his answer confused me a little. I asked him if Scorpions molt just like Tarantulas and he said "Not really". He said that Scorpions can actually grow without molting for a long time. Is that true? Or is there more to it than just that?

Scorpion will continue to molt until maturity. Which is usually 6 or 7 instar depending on species, after the last molt they are sexually mature and can be bred. I know most people here like to have a picture a before answering any questions but I love this guessing game LOL. Does P.liosma can be identified by the two black segments at the end of the tail (right before the stinger/aculus). If only one black segment at the end of the tail it could be…well something else we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I still have my money on liosoma. Just a hunch. The actual coloration isn’t that important as they can vary from light to dark.

 

[Kisato]

If it is a P. liosoma, what is their venom like? I think I read that it's still pretty potent, but is there anything else I should know about it? If someone were to get stung by a P. liosoma, what would they have to do, what would happen?

 

[~Abyss~]

If it is a P. liosoma, what is their venom like? I think I read that it's still pretty potent, but is there anything else I should know about it? If someone were to get stung by a P. liosoma, what would they have to do, what would happen?

The best thing to do is say your prayers and hope for the best…No I’m just kidding. Look if you’re a healthy adult it’s really rare that a scorpion sting will kill you. That being said; ALL scorpions should be treated with respect, an emperor scorpion sting is know to be mild but an allergic reaction can occur and complicate things. A medically significant scorpion (HOTS) can cause a lot of pain and you still risk the chance of an allergic reaction. My best advice is don’t get stung. It’s really easy NOT to get tagged. When I first started the hobby I will admit that I was more careless and I’ve had my share of stings from including deathstalkers and C.sculpturatus (most venomous US species). I never bother using tongs and would just stick my hand in the enclosure. Now that I have a kid I want to make sure I set a good example. All my scorps are kept out of reach, locked, and I never use my hands any more. If you were to get stung by a P. liosoma chances are your hospital wouldn’t carry any antivenim. It’s good to keep some antihistamine and painkillers on hand as well as an ice pack.
PS I wont be logging in to AB for the rest of the night so if you’d like any specific answers from me you can email me at ehdz88@gmail.com

 

[KDiiX]

Stay cool. Visit a doctor to check your vital function and so on. Don't drive a car or do physical hard work just to prevent any accidents might occur. If you feel sick quick after the sting you might even visit hospital. But the most important is to stay cool. Even high potent scorpions aren't deadly if you're healthy and get medical care.

 

[Kisato]

Thanks guys!! That makes me feel A LOT better!!! My boyfriend is VERY healthy and young (He's 21) and if he gets stung, I'll be damned sure to take him to a doctor ASAP!!

 

[2nscorpx]

Just to say here, P. liosoma is not considered to be medically significant...but Parabuthus spp. are in general. I think, once you get a species from a known medically significant genus, the particular species you have may not be as important; I would almost consider it irrelevant in terms of venomosity, because it's best to be careful for all species in those genera that are considered dangerous.
For the rest, Abyss and KDiiX are absolutely correct, and I'd reinforce everything that they are saying. If you do not go to buy a species without having the species that you want as a definite decision, then I certainly wouldn't recommend getting one until you do, as you can see why. Anyway, good luck!

 

[~Abyss~]

I was just popping in to see if you had a picture already ?

 

[Kisato]

I was just popping in to see if you had a picture already ?

The picture he sent me was REALLY crappy quality from his phone... So I'm waiting until I can go over to his house with my camera to get a MUCH better quality picture! Sorry it's taking so long!!