What's better p.cavimanus or h.spinifer?

Just as long as you are gentle when handling them. Armor-clad emperors they may be, the most robust scorpions are indeed fragile creatures. Their soft internal organs can damage easily in the event of handling; particularly around the tail region which in actual fact houses their central nerve all the way to the base of the sting. If this should rupture in the process of handling, the scorpion will ultimately die.

Consequently, they are not too fond of being handled unlike your garden variety cat or dog. I admit, I too was once fond of regular handling, but after much experience with them, I prefer observing their natural behavior, especially when it comes to hunting and feeding, without my interference.

The other element of the hobby I draw much joy from is crafting the variety of habitats ranging from steamy tropical rainforest to arid deserts, for which specific species are suited. Once you make them comfortable, they become more active in their enclosures and become evidently more rewarding to watch than to hold. Try camp out at night by your scorpion tank under red light. It is uncanny what some species get up to when the bright lights go out…

Have fun kiddo… the right kind goes a long way

P.S. Of all the species you can get at a pet store, emps are probably the most tolerant to handling. Cavimanus is just angry all the time. Spinifers are named the Asian hissing scorpion for a reason, and the longimanus are a more skittish cousin of the spinifers that may take unexpected flight off your hand to the concrete floor once they feel jilted. We all know what happens next.

On the topic of scorpions getting conditioned or tamed, there is a good reason my Androctonus and Lieurus remain double tanked other than their venom potency. To this day I can't pick them up properly with a pair of tweezers. They wiggle out of the grip very easily and start attacking the tweezers. A small creature like that has enough force behind its tail to shake a pair of 12 inch long tongs. All the more reason why scorpions simply should not have to be handled to be appreciated. lol

i think there's a reason why scorpions don't crawl on your hand and wait to get petted

Alex, talking about trying to manipulate Androctonus with tweezers -- I had to ship two juvenile A. mauritanicus and discovered that those thick tails house a lot of muscles. Suffice to say, I was glad they were double-tanked even during the packing process! They can really launch themselves via a tail-swing when suspended by the tail.

What do you mean double-tanked? Just as it states one tank in another or somethin? For caution or somethin? What kind of scorpion needs a setup like that? Do they break glass? Now im all hyped up about some super scorp! That can break through a layer of glass!
Or acidic blood thats melts through anything to escape like on alien!! 0.o
But really whats it mean and whats it for?

Edit: PS Id go Spinifer! Thats at least the next on my list!

Sorry if Alex and I got it a bit off-topic, but yes, double-tanked means a tank within a tank. It's so if by some means of scorpion sneakiness they manage to escape their tank, they have another one to contain them.

Very useful when preparing for shipping, as a vial or delicup is pretty dang easy to climb out of.

i like hets mine ate 5 crickets 3 days ago and 1 cricket 2days ago.

I've gone for het. spinifer. greatful for suggestions.

Yeah mate you wont regret getting a Spinifer great sp, and great excavators.

i'm more into desert species but i would defo love to add a spinifer to my collection.

SickOfYou wrote:

What do you mean double-tanked? Just as it states one tank in another or somethin? For caution or somethin? What kind of scorpion needs a setup like that? Do they break glass? Now im all hyped up about some super scorp! That can break through a layer of glass!
Or acidic blood thats melts through anything to escape like on alien!! 0.o
But really whats it mean and whats it for?

Edit: PS Id go Spinifer! Thats at least the next on my list!

yup, tank within a tank. Some of them buggers can escape miraculously and also, it's to prevent people such as kids from messing w/ them and doing something stupid!

I honestly own both these scorps my p.cav I NEVER see and it's very agro. My h.spin I can handle when I need to do tank maintenance and comes out every night at the same time. In my opinion I would get the H.spin.......or both

Also I just read through the post and I have to add that if you constantly hold your scorp you can really really stress it out so please only do so when needed.

I have a P. Miliataris or P. Cavimanus and love the little guy...he is a monster during feeding and has built an awesome tunnel. I've yet to own a Het. species, but just wanted to represent the other side. They are also a beautiful reddish black color. Get one of each...seriously doubt you would be disappointed.