Scorpions and Beatles

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Ricardo

Ricardo

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Joined
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So I don't know anything about Scorpions but I was wondering if I was to purchase one what's a good species?

Or beatles anyone sell beatles? Mantids were kind of the gateway insects for me :p

Can scorpions be handled like mantids?

Now I wouldn't mind a beetle or scorpion. I have arachnophobia though so no spiders.

 
Hey Ricardo, I've had tons on scorps, some a little more exciting than others.

For a good starter I'd recommend a desert hairy (Hadrurus arizonensis). They're super exciting to watch hunt crickets, especially if you're into seeing them sting (vs. a species like a emperor who rarely stings and just crushes them with their huge pincers). They're a desert species, so sand with a rock or piece of driftwood they can burrow under will do just fine. They dislike humidity, so never spray into the enclosure. Placing them into a new enclosure and watching them make a burrow from scratch in less than 2 minutes always brings a smile to my face!

The toxicity of their venom is similar to that of a bee sting, unless you're allergic in which case you may be in trouble haha. I've been tagged a couple of times by mine and most of them are usually dry stings, so there isn't much swelling. Btw, these guys are pretty aggressive so I don't advise handling them unless you get them really young for practice (maybe 2nd or 3rd instar).

I also have some Babycurus jacksoni which have venom a tadd bit more toxic, but won't kill a human. They're a forest species, with beautiful reddish brown coloring. You need to keep the humidity around 65-75 percent so they can molt properly. They're not as aggressive as a desert hairy, but I really don't handle them too often either (I prefer to watch them =p)

If you're looking for a species you can handle frequently and won't spaz out on you, I'd shoot for an emperor scorpion. I just find them a little boring since they're not too active and the one I had previous rarely stung any crickets. I'm all about the action =)

 
Ryan.M said:
Hey Ricardo, I've had tons on scorps, some a little more exciting than others.

For a good starter I'd recommend a desert hairy (Hadrurus arizonensis). They're super exciting to watch hunt crickets, especially if you're into seeing them sting (vs. a species like a emperor who rarely stings and just crushes them with their huge pincers). They're a desert species, so sand with a rock or piece of driftwood they can burrow under will do just fine. They dislike humidity, so never spray into the enclosure. Placing them into a new enclosure and watching them make a burrow from scratch in less than 2 minutes always brings a smile to my face!

The toxicity of their venom is similar to that of a bee sting, unless you're allergic in which case you may be in trouble haha. I've been tagged a couple of times by mine and most of them are usually dry stings, so there isn't much swelling. Btw, these guys are pretty aggressive so I don't advise handling them unless you get them really young for practice (maybe 2nd or 3rd instar).

I also have some Babycurus jacksoni which have venom a tadd bit more toxic, but won't kill a human. They're a forest species, with beautiful reddish brown coloring. You need to keep the humidity around 65-75 percent so they can molt properly. They're not as aggressive as a desert hairy, but I really don't handle them too often either (I prefer to watch them =p)

If you're looking for a species you can handle frequently and won't spaz out on you, I'd shoot for an emperor scorpion. I just find them a little boring since they're not too active and the one I had previous rarely stung any crickets. I'm all about the action =)
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I want one of the biggest meanest most intense looking species out there for entertainment and viewing pleasure.

And I'll buy one that's a bit more friendly.

what is the biggest species > :D

 
Ricardo said:
I want one of the biggest meanest most intense looking species out there for entertainment and viewing pleasure.

And I'll buy one that's a bit more friendly.

what is the biggest species > :D
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The problem with the big ones is that natural selection has chosen for bigger pinchers and less toxic venom. So they don't necessarily put on a show for you when they eat hahaha. The emperor is a good example of that.

And to be honest most scorpions don't take kindly to handling. The emperor is really the only one that I've personally handled and haven't been the least bit nervous.

I still think a desert hairy is your best bet. The hairs on their body and the pectins that fold down from their underside help in sensing vibration in the sand. I can put a cricket on the other side of a 10 gallon tank and the scorpion will literally scurry right over to where he is and put on a show for you! I'm never left unsatisfied with these guys.

They're pretty big and menacing looking too; two of mine are almost 6 inches.

Good luck!

 
Ryan.M said:
The problem with the big ones is that natural selection has chosen for bigger pinchers and less toxic venom. So they don't necessarily put on a show for you when they eat hahaha. The emperor is a good example of that.

And to be honest most scorpions don't take kindly to handling. The emperor is really the only one that I've personally handled and haven't been the least bit nervous.

I still think a desert hairy is your best bet. The hairs on their body and the pectins that fold down from their underside help in sensing vibration in the sand. I can put a cricket on the other side of a 10 gallon tank and the scorpion will literally scurry right over to where he is and put on a show for you! I'm never left unsatisfied with these guys.

They're pretty big and menacing looking too; two of mine are almost 6 inches.

Good luck!
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6 inches ? Pretty beast sounds like what I'm looking for. I'll look into it. Illegal to import into canada or anything?

 
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I don't like to recommend desert hairy scorpions because they don't tend to molt in captivity. Another species you might consider, if you can find them up there, is the flat rock scorpion. These used to be almost as common in the hobby as emperors.

They're even less likely to sting than emperors/safer to hold. Just some food for thought...

 
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Ricardo said:
6 inches ? Pretty beast sounds like what I'm looking for. I'll look into it. Illegal to import into canada or anything?
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Oh not at all man, I bought my first from a pet store (I'm not sure if you guys have Petland in BC).

The second and third I've bought online through some breeders in Edmonton.

And like Peter said, the flat rock scorpion is an excellent beginner choice too, especially for handling (I had completely forgotten about them!). However I've never personally cared for one and I'm not sure how active they are.

**Edit: To comment on what Peter said about molting problems in H. arizonesis, I've never personally had any problems with them molting in captivity, but I do acknowledge it's quite a common problem in keeping them. The humidity here in Calgary is almost always around 30-50%. It's obviously alot more humid in Vancouver. I'm not sure whether the molting problems are related to humidity or something else. Might be something you'd wanna look into prior to picking one up. If you guys have any reptile/arachnid specialty shops that's be a great place to ask around for more info since they're bound to have them there.

Cheers

 
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Ricardo said:
and is it true the desert hairy can live for 20 or 30 years?
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A more reasonable expectation would be 3-5 years from a subadult/adult specimen in captivity, possibly longer depending on care and conditions. Something I have had success with to get around how this species often has trouble with molts in captivity is to simply make sure it can build a decent humidity holding burrow in the substrate. About 3-5" of 50/50 or 25/75 sand/peat substrate with water poured to the base of the substrate via a piece of pvc pipe worked for me quite well, but ymmv!

As someone before mentioned, if you are in a humid climate you will not have the problems those of us nearer to the native habitat will.

 
Emile said:
at aqauriums west they sell emperor scorpions :) Favorite pet store
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Yes, my local store caries "emperor" scorpions too. For anyone interested in the genus Pandinus, Orin's latest Invertebrates Magazine has a six-page article on the captive care and breeding of this genus with full details on keeping P. imperator, P. smithi and P. millitaris. Of interest to me is an article on the Macropanesthia rhinoceros roach. This is the third of three articles, published over the years by the magazine (Yay! I have all three!) . I am saving up for an adult pair of these roaches and only have $917 to go. There's also a lot of other good stuff. Subscribers already know this. Non members can go to Peter's store and muddle around a bit until they find it.

Sorry. back to desert hairy scorpions :D

 

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