noob questions

Hi im interested in getting a scorpion, this will be my 1st. I was wondering what kind I should get. I definitely want one that uses its stinger, I read that usually the smaller the pincers, the more it uses its stinger. also I would like one thats pretty active and doesnt burrow too much. So what type of scorpion do yall think I would be interested in? Thanks

Hello 813Cholo and welcome to the forum.

May I suggest you to make a post at Introduce Yourself and do a quick introduction?

As for choosing your first scorpion, I suggest you take a look at The Scorp-O-Matic Choose Your Scorpion Wizard! it enlists the most popular choices for a scorpion.

Usually most people go for either an emp (Pandinus imperator) or a Desert Hairy (Hadrurus arizonensis). Desert hairies sting their pray but they can be either very active or they can stay away in their burrows for long periods of time.

Take your time to research your choices and you will certainly find the a scorpion to your liking. And remember to take it slowly, step by step and don't jump straight away to an advanced species that may potentially get you in trouble.

Welcome to the forum. +1 to everything Dolby said.
I recommend either a Hadrurus species, or perhaps a Smeringus mesaensis. Both of these are active scorpions, but they do like to burrow.

My advice would be a little different although everything Dolby says is spot on..

I think one of the best approaches to this kind of question is for the asker to reword their question so that instead of asking "what should i get?" ask "what is available to me and from that list what would i like"
Wanting a scorpion from arizona would be hard if you lived in australia..likewise many american keepers find certain species hard to get hold of....If you're european the possibilities are greater (except if you're in england) and if you have a connection to germany (as in you can understand enough german to join one of their forums) your possibilities are about as good as they'll get.
So, see what's available to you both physically and judicially and from that list find out what you want.

Dolby's advice about not jumping in the deep end and researching your scorpions is well worth heeding...Not only does their venom have different potency's but their characteristics vary quite a lot as well.

One thing you may want to keep in the back of your mind though is that most scorpions are quite inactive and reclusive. If you want a scorpion to be active during the day so that you can watch it, you might be disappointed. Although saying that i have a couple that are quite active during the day but they are not beginner scorpions.

Your best chance for seeing scorpions active is to get scorpions that can be kept communally (as long as there is food present and the scorpions are adult) so that there's always a chance of seeing something going on.
Babycurus jacksoni would be my first thought if you was american. These are also incredibly easy to breed and the females can have many litters (2 or 3 usually) with just a few months pause between them after just one mating. Also their venom is not considered medically significant...a good nip from a emp might be no worse than a jacksoni sting..and they can be quite aggressive with their prey..

Dolby is right when he says that most people go for emps..This is because they look impressive and they can be brought from almost anywhere...Unfortunately, as most people find out..emps are almost invisible once they've settled into a correctly fitted enclosure/terrarium .. Popularly know as "pet holes" because basically all you'll mostly see is the hole they've dug.
Hadrurus sp are also quite impressive to look at but they do need a good deep substrate because they DO like to dig and they can be both active and passive although....yeh....strange how people experience both extremes with this scorpion..makes me think that it has as much to do with the local environment (where it's enclosure is in the house, vibrations/noise/light/heat) as it has to do with the individual scorpions...So basically, Hadrurus might end up being a 50/50 toss up .. active or passive.

Euscorpius sp are not generally thought about as communal but i once had a colony of E.mingrelicus (about 30) in a 250 liter terrarium and there was always something going on. They weren't what you would consider aggressive scorpions though and they are not very big either. They didn't always use their stinger and when they did it was often kinda half heartedly ... but ... there was nearly always something to see or watch.

So.....good luck with your search mate..

Dolby, I was looking at scorpion videos on youtube, and I noticed emps dont use there stingers, so I dont want one of those. I understand all species are going to burrow, but i would like to find a species that tends to be pretty active. the desert hairies look pretty cool, could that be an option?. With the hadrurus and the smeringus mesaensus do they use there stinger? Den, I live in the US in Florida. I dont want to breed, I think I only want one scorpion. Later on down the road I might get another one, but if I do I would like either 2 males or 2 females. Thanks for everyones input.

also I think I would like a jungle type terrarium, I dont really want a desert one. so that probably eliminates the desert hairy. although Id be willing to do a desert terrarium if they use there stinger, and are pretty active.

813Cholo wrote:

Dolby, I was looking at scorpion videos on youtube, and I noticed emps dont use there stingers, so I dont want one of those.

That is correct. Emps usually don't sting.

813Cholo wrote:

the desert hairies look pretty cool, could that be an option?. With the hadrurus and the smeringus mesaensus do they use there stinger?

Yes, both the Hadrurus and the S. mesaensis sting their prey, while the latter is pretty quick too and fun to watch.

813Cholo wrote:

I live in the US in Florida. I dont want to breed, I think I only want one scorpion. Later on down the road I might get another one, but if I do I would like either 2 males or 2 females.

Another suggestion for you is Centruroides hentzi, AKA Florida striped bark scorpion. It is a local scorpion so keeping conditions (climate etc.) will not be a problem. They can also be communal when adults if you do decide to take another specimen later on.
Please note that not all scorpions are communal, you can't just stuck two S. mesaensis or H. arizonensis in a tank and expect them to lieve happily together.

813Cholo wrote:

also I think I would like a jungle type terrarium

In this case you really don't have much choices for a scorpion that stings its prey. Pandinus and Heterometrus are the most common forest scorpions around and both rarely sting.

As Den said, check what species you can easily get and choose among those the one that most fits your requirements. All species have their pros and cons.

thanks, ill look into that. also if theres not any scorpions that sting that would like a jungle terrarium, than I would be willing to do a different type of terrarium

You could also get some Centruroides gracilis. They are bark scorpions that are from relatively tropical areas. They are active and they always sting their prey. They are also communal as adults. (They are not as communal as juveniles, as they can become cannibalistic during molts.)

If you do decide to go for them, make sure you get the Florida species..... C. gracilis from Central or South America have much more powerful venom.