Scorpion keeping skills

I am just wondering, when exactly you know that you are ready to step up from mild scorpions to more advanced species. Whenever I read a caresheet about an Androctonus or Leiurus, it clearly reads for advance scorpion keepers. I know they are highly venomous, I don't handle my emps, so I don't think I would handle a Leiurus either! I have a few scorpions already, my collection grows slowly, and I have a chance to add some Androctonus Australis, but I hesitate because of the warning.

i look at it this way, if you know what your dealing with and you have the brain power to take some precautions when your dealing with the scorps/Ts then you can keep what ever you feel like,

My first T was a Poecilotheria regalis

I think you should just go for it, as long as you understand how dangerous the animal can be. just give the scorpion a great deal of respect and you shouldn't get tagged.

The way I see it is that if you are asking yourself if you are ready for a hot species then wait a bit. There are plenty of non-hot species that are cool. The moment you stop asking youself if you are ready then make the move.

Just don't be stupid and you will be ok. Some 10-12" tongs will help out a lot too.

The thing you have to remember is that if you screw up when taking care of an emp, it's no big deal. But if you screw up when taking care of a hot, you're gonna be in a world of hurt.

as sean said there are quite a few species that have the temperament and aggressive/defensive nature of some 'hot' scorpions. Scorpio maurus are pretty finger stinging ready lol! it is actually quite funny from such a dinky scorpion.

Just work your way up the ladder so to speak as you get more confident

I feel quite confident, I don't have my hands in the enclosures all the time. If i have to do anything in an enclosure, I put the scorpion in a temporary container, even with my emperors. I pretty much think i'm ready, just wanted a "second' opinion.

the way i think, those who r allergic to venom, it's better not to try handling scorps of any kind, but if u aren't, just go ahead n do a little experiment urself i wudn't mind getting stung by my own pet, as long as i know what to do after that!

well you never know what your allergic too and you can be allergic to one thing one day and then never be allergic to it ever again. And vice versa, you can be allergic to nothing and get one ouf of nowhere. Dont sting yourself.

having to live nearby a clinic with anti-venoms around wud be handy too!

I handled my emperors once and my desert hairy, I don't feel that it is really necessary to repeat. I ain't allergic to the bee stings, but that isn't a reason to get stung.

I stand by my earlier statements of not believing there to be potential allergens in scorpion venom until I see a reliable peer-reviewed case study.

That statement aside, some people can be more sensitive to venom than others. But if you're a reasonably healthy adult, chances are good that no scorpion will kill you (thought it may make you wish for it).

As far as living near somewhere with antivenom, most scorpion antivenoms are available only in their native ranges -- so if you've got A. mauritanicus and expect to get antivenom when stung, I hope you live in Morocco.