What scorpion is for me!

I was thinking one that can be kept in a 10gallon or less and lives in the desert. Any ideas? PS: I've kept lots of pets but first time doing scorpions.

https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/t2198-the-scorp-o-matic-choose-your-scorpion-wizard
Check that out, it may help, it may not. Only takes a second.

Ok now which one of these would be best. One that does not burrow as much also.

Eeldude wrote:

I was thinking one that can be kept in a 10gallon or less and lives in the desert. Any ideas? PS: I've kept lots of pets but first time doing scorpions.

I think a Hadrurus sp. would be good for you. It's large, active, and has relatively mild venom.
Here is a link (click) to where you can purchase one.
And here is a general caresheet.

These do like to burrow though, but most scorpions do.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

How big is a 20gal tank? I don't know any of these American measurements lol.

As scorpion19981000 said, Hadrurus sp. or desert hairys are good first scorpions. Yes they do burrow alot, but if your worried about not seeing your scorpion much because of this, don't worry, these guys are generally regarded as one of the more active scorpion species.

Other species you could have a look at are Hoffmannius (formely Vaejovis) spinigerus or related species.

I would say Hadrurus sp Or a SMP would be ok

Scorpio maurus are great, but going by how mine behave, you never see them. Give them a deep substrate to burrow into and that is exactly what they will do, never to be seen again haha.

Ok it's not quite that bad but I rarely see them, and when I do it's usually just their chelae sticking out of their burrow.

OP if your in the US there are a few Buthidae scorpions you could have a look at. I can't comment on these due to being in the UK lol.

Hadogenes are not bad either, if you can get atleast a mid-sized one. Otherwize, they grow too slow.

I would say Parabuthus transvaalicus even though they are a bit dangerous. As long as you dont do anything stupid nothing will ever happen to you anyway.

I don't think it's a good idea to propose a medically significant buthid as a first scorpion.
We are all here to learn and to teach others, but we should not promote potentially dangerous scorpions to be kept by unexperienced hobbyists.

P. tranvaalicus is definitely NOT a good way to start. Accidents happen, specially in the beginning of your scorpion journey, until you learn all the needed "tricks".

Besides that, the OPs profile says he is 14 years old. Age is never something we should completely rely on, when suggesting a specific specie. But I would definitely not promote the keeping of medically significant species by underaged hobbyists.

Shadowfoot, please do not take it personally, that is not my intention. I'm just trying to keep this thread in line with what ASF is all about.

That being said, I suggest for Eeldude (or any beginner starting out with desert spp.) to start out with a Hadrurus, Hadogenes or scorpio maurus. When enough experience is gained and the keeper feels confident with these species, a move to "hotter" species can be made, but again, it should be done gradually, never directly into something that can potentially get you in big trouble.

No offense taken, did not see his age. Scratch that, dont start with P. transvaalicus. I started with P. granulatus, the most dangerous Parabuthus in South Africa, so I might have been lucky not getting stung when I was still new to this hobby. Sorry for the bad recommendation.

@ Eeldude--- Yes, you should stay away from medically significant scorpions for your first one.
And I would just like to say that this has nothing to do with your age, (I'm also 14) but with your lack of experience with scorpions.
(I also don't think your parents would be too happy if you got a medically significant scorpion.)

i would never suggest a hot scorpion for any one this young, especially transvallicus or villosus because of their ability to spray venom. but honestly in my opinion, all scorpions should be treated like they're dangerous. some species like the emperor have a very weak sting that is comparable to a bee sting. the question is, who likes getting stung by a bee? i don't think it should matter what kind of scorpion you have, anything from a flatrock to a death stalker, you should learn to avoid being stung. thick leather welding gloves and decently long tongs are your best bet. androctonus hit hard enough to launch a mouse twice their size, and they couldn't get through a welding glove. personally, i would suggest a red claw because they're active and agressive, otherwise, a desert hairy would be fine too if you prefer desert types. keep in mind, desert types require less maintenance than jungle types, but having to do the extra work for a jungle type will teach you greater responsibility as you grow in the hobby. either way you choose to go, you should probably invest in some welding gloves and a pair of 10-12inch tongs

Im sorry, but this has to do with age. Im not trying to generalise, but I would say a person over the age of 18 is much more responsible than somebody below the age of 16. Of course there are exceptions, but those are few and far between, most kids acquire exotic pets because they are cool and want to show off to their friends. So yes, age definitely plays a part in this.

I understand where you guys are coming from, and I know that some people that age can be somewhat unresponsible, but I think you guys are generalizing quite a bit. In my opinion, the amount of experience that the person has, is much more important than their age.

This has gotten way off topic, I could argue about this all day but I'm not going to. If you really feel the need to say more about this, send me a PM. We have made our points, now let's let the matter drop.


@ Eeldude---- You got several answers to your question, and I'm sorry that the thread has turned out like this.

Callum B wrote:

... Hoffmannius (formely Vaejovis) spinigerus or related species...

+ 1.

Active little buggers, and would also be reasonably priced in your country.