# Scorpions? Good or Bad?



## predatorfish86 (Aug 12, 2003)

I have been interested in getting a scorpion but can't find alot of info. on them. I was wondering if anyone has any experience with them. Also I'm allergic to bees and wasp would a scorpion effect me?


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Great question!

They can be very rewarding captives, however it is very important to realize that many species are potentially lethal; meaning not all are good captives.

Being allergic to bees or wasps does not guarantee that you will be allergic to scorpion venom, but more importantly if housed, and kept correctly you should never be stung.

If you are looking into scorpions, I strongly suggest species such as :

FLAT ROCK SCORPION (_Hadogenes troglodytes_)
EMPEROR SCORPION (_Pandinus imperator_)
ISRAELI GOLD (_Scorpio __maurus_)
DESERY HAIRY SCORPION (_Hadrurus __arizonensis_)

Those species are all good starter species. They all can sting and they all very in venom potency but non are generally life threatening (anaphylaxic reactions excluded).

Avoid taxa belonging to the following genera (just a few of the more commonly available genera, this is by no means a complete list) as a beginner as they contain potentially lethal species:

_Androctonus
Buthacus
Centruroides
Leiurus_

Happy scorp keeping


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

couldnt have said it better :nod:

now if you are allegic to bees then i would recommend an emperor scorpion or the desert hairy scorpion as these use their claws more than there stingers

flat rocks i have not kept before so i will not speak of them but i have heard good on them as good beginner scorpions

i just had a emperor scorpion die on me but it was be far the scorpion that had the greatest personality

as for care, do not let the temp drop below 70 degrees cause it will kill them

you can feed them *STORE BOUGHT* crickets and mealworms and the occasional feeder mouse

a full grown emp scorpion can be house in a 10g for life but i like bigger tanks

give the scorpion coconut fiber or dirt to dig a burrow it self in, 6" to 10" is a good depth for the dirt

also replace bedding every week or nasty mold will grow

plants and rocks are also good as they will burrow under these and rearrange them to make themselves happy

a tight fitting lid is good cause if there is enough dirt they will climb out like mine has down before

i like the clear tanks cause you can see the scorpions burrows and watch them better

do not place their tanks in direct sunlight cause it will harm them adn shoten their life

a blacklight is something fun to have as you get a really good look at scorpions but do not have it on them all of the time cause they will eventully lose the luminosity abilty for a while but will get it back and is also stressful for them i believe

always have clean water but shallow water cause i cannot stress this enough after losing many scorpions to drowning

keep humidity at about 80%

feel free to pm me if you have any questions reguarding scorpions

i beleive that scorpions are one of the worlds coolest creatures and i deeply love them

hope that helps one

it sounds like a lot of work but it really isnt as they repay you in fun and their personality

happy scorp keeping


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

oh here is a good link for handeling scorpions

http://www.angelfire.com/extreme/emperorsc...s/Handling.html

another link to flat rock scorpions

http://www.key-net.net/users/swb/pet_arthropod/frs.htm

another about scorpions not the care of them though

http://www.museums.org.za/bio/scorpions/

i really like this site

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~caijw/care/care.htm


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## predatorfish86 (Aug 12, 2003)

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm totally going to get a few emperor scorpions now.


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Here is a neat link for some more info on emperor Scorps: http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/du_jour/p_imperator.html

Not all pandinus are created equal. There are many times when some species from eastern african countries are imported and sold as "Emperor Scorpions".
While similiar in appearance and habitat requirements, they pack a little more of a wallop.

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/p_...oris(m).jpg...A "red Claw" species of Pandinus, from East Africa

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/p_cavimanus(f).jpg... Another "red Claw" species from East Africa

Here are some links to Flat-rock species pictures..

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/p_cavimanus(f).jpg, A male _Hadogenes_ _troglodytes _from South Africa

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/h_...latus(f)2.jpg..._H_. _granulatus_..under a blacklight

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/h_...nsis.jpg...This is a desert Hairy, _Hadrurus __arizonensis_


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## camotekid (Sep 21, 2003)

I onced owned a thai black. looks like the emperor type but smaller. I also feed him crickets and meal worms from LFS like sweet lu said. My sister gave him an insecticide-ridden cockroach, you know what happened next. So be careful on what you feed him. Goodluck!


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

Heterometrus spinifer, aka the Thai Black..not a good beginner species, and yes, superficially they do resemble the emperor..
here is a link to a pic: http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/h_spinifer.jpg


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

crockeeper your links dont work

i think i might had have a red claw emp scorpion cause when you put a light on his claws they glowed red

now what size tank are you going to put your emp scorpions in

in a 20long i think 3 would be fine and in a 10g only 1 scorpion could live in

about 10g per scorpion is a good rule

now when you go to choose your scorpion make sure you choose a healthy looking one

with white in between the black outer shell

and get a active one with some meat on him, not a super fat one or a skiny one as these are ether pregnat or have a parasite

housing scorpions together usually means that you will lose some

pm me if you have any questions


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

here is a good specime of a heathly scorpion


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

I house my Emperor Scorp breeders communally Lu, in 10 gallons, 1 male with 3 females. They are a communal species, and if well fed you will not lose any.

http://wrbu.si.edu/www/stockwell/photos/p_cavimanus(f).jpg


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## Black-Phoenix (Oct 21, 2003)

Hey croc Your not selling any Emps Are you?


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

yes, they are listed in the classifieds, under cornsnakes/emperor scorpions


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

do you sell rare and hard to find species of scorpions?

do you ship?

i am kinda wondering if i should get ann flat rock scorpions and maybe try o breed them or get a couple of newts


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

I keep and breed quite a few species Lu, unfortunately most are species whose venoms are potentially lethal, and I do not offer them for sale to the general public. I do breed two different species of _Hadogenes_, and two species of _Pandinus _that I offer young, sub adult and adult animals occasionally. I also offer _Hadrurus_, _Vejovis_, and _Centruroides _species occasionally. The Centruroides species being offered being _C.vittatus_, _C.hentzi _, and _C.gracilis_.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

common names please

i am not good at scientific names but i am studying them

you have any small scorpions that are for sale

like 1" to 3" size

or even babies


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

When I have animals for sale they will show up in the classified section guys, I do not wish to abuse this forum for commercial purposes. If you have questions of this nature keep them in PM to me, do not waste thread space on this type of question.


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## sweet lu (Oct 3, 2003)

good point

hey just a thought on the scorpion you are getting

maybe you should get a mix kinda you know like one or 2 emps and maybe a flat rockand throw in something else

i think that might work out fine


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## CrocKeeper (Dec 26, 2003)

NEVER mix species of scorps in a tank,







NEVER. You will end up with one of them being consumed by the other.


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