Opinions on Desert Species

I've been doing some research on desert and bark scorpions. And I think I want my next scorpion to be a desert species. Only problem is, there are many desert species out there, I just can't decide on one.

So I started this topic so I can get some opinions on what are some of your favorite COMMUNAL or NON-COMMUNAL desert species.

I'd like this to sort of help people who have the same problem as me. So please include the following info:

What makes this species your favorite as opposed to other species?

How aggressive are they?

Are they long lived?

How active are they?

not done any reading up yet so cant help much but there's a couple i would like to get soon
Hadrurus arizonensis(Desert Hairy)
Vaejovis spinigerus(stripe tail/devil scorpion)

there's some other vaejovis sp that look cool

Are we talking any desert species or only species that are not medically important?

All desert dwellers of all kinds! Whether they are Buthids or not, this is to help give people a variety of opinions on all desert scorpions.

Opistophthalmus sp are interesting scorpions to keep but not very active but I am a Parabuthus person and will recommend them to anybody who has enough experience. I have had the pleasure to work with 5 different species and everyone of them is a joy to keep. They are very active after dusk and will patrol their enclosure for hours on end, especially the males who are on the lookout for females. They are fairly aggressive but they are not on the Androctonus level of aggression IMO. Life span is between 3-5 years. They are the only Genus of scorpion that I currently keep that I can say has a personality.

Agreed .. Parabuthus species are indeed interesting scorpions although most are obligate burrowers and as such remain hidden for long periods. An exception to this rule though is Parabuthus villosus. I have adult pairs of the regular morph plus black and orange and they are very often out on display...despite the bright light from my basking spots. They are large, never seem to refuse a meal and inquisitive and if i had to give up all but 3 pairs of scorpions it would be these 3 pairs i kept. Parabuthus schlechteri is also a stunning looking scorpion, not quite as big as villosus but what it lacks in size it makes it up in attitude. They are not as active as villosus, rarely showing themselves during daylight....but as soon as the lights go out, so they come out. Great eaters and beautiful looking scorpions....also they are great for photo shoots as they adopt the classic "one inch closer and you die!!!" pose as soon as they are disturbed.

Another great scorpion is Smeringurus mesaensis..Smaller than P. schlechteri yet full of attitude and excellent hunters of prey. I don't have any at the moment but i used to have them....These are one of the few scorpions that will actively hunt down prey as long as you don't overfeed them. They are generally active under low light conditions and settle for a scrape under a stone rather than digging burrows...Like most desert species though you need to be able to maintain high temps (30-35C) to facilitate moulting and general well being. Also, as in most desert species, S.mesaensis can be prone to mycosis so good control of enclosure humidity is required.

Next up i'd choose Hottentotta jayakari...They look good with the bicolor appearance, they have a decent size (approx the same as P.schlechteri), they are good eaters and adults can be kept communally in groups. They are fast and full of attitude. Focus on heat and humidity the same as S. mesaensis.....These scorps, like most others are not very active during daylight and in fact you rarely see them until it is totally dark but when they do come out they are entertaining. I have 2 pairs of adults in each their 1.1 enclosure and i've often noticed one of them munching on a cricket while the other hangs around close by...Before the cricket is eaten the other adult comes closer and literally takes the half eaten cricket from it's mate without any fuss....I almost get the impression there is a conscious decision to share.

Another desert scorpion i can heartily recommend is Buthus paris....These guys are not that large, being similar or slightly smaller than a female S. mesaensis but they are soooooo full of attitude. They actively hunt prey and if you disturb them you'd better not have your fingers anywhere close to them..They are total nutters lol...Excellent scorps and thoroughly entertaining- Like most other scorps they are not especially active during daylight hours but usually start their rounds at dusk...They rarely ignore a meal and will easily take down a cricket twice their size...Low to mid 30'sC is needed to facilitate moulting.

Lastly i'd go for Leirus quinquestriatus hebreus....Slightly smaller than L. quinquestriatus yet still a stunning looking scorp with the darker tergates. These guys to will eat right up to they go in premoult and as soon as the lights go off they come out..Their long pedipals and elongated chela set them apart from other desert species i own and give them a characteristic appearance. They grow quickly as long as they have a good warmth and are generally very easy to rear.

One must always remember though that most desert species require higher than average temperatures and lower than average humidity if they are going to grow and behave optimally. Low temperatures can and do often result in moulting problems and above average humidity can and does often result in mycosis.....but if you can control these environmental factors then there would be no problem in keeping any of commonly found desert species.

I can agree fully with Den's comment on P.schlechteri. If they are available to you then it would be a crime not buying them. They are absolutely stunning. I personally keep 2.4 of P.schlechteri and if the chance ever arises I would get more. Females of this species will stay in their burrow for weeks on end but my males are active every single night.
Another choice of mine would have to be Mesobuthus eupeus. They are pretty small, only reaching about 5-6cm but what makes them so special to me is because some of mine are active in daytime when it isn't too bright. They are also excellent communal scorpions. They might be difficult to source but they are out there but if they are not available then any other Mesobuthus sp will be just as good.
Another option is one of the Androctonus sp, while I'm not a huge fan of Androctonus, I do love my A.mauritanicus and would recommend them to most people. Larger than A.bicolor and with an awesome mat black colour they do catch your eye and their metasoma are FAT and who doesn't like a fat metasoma?

i like my dune scorpion

but he is too fast and aggressive to be handled.

and he doesnt attack food as soon as it goes into tank, he eats when he is ready

and he is a burrower , he made pretty cool underground tunnels.

i want to get a parabuthus species, the black one. begins with a T

Den, your comment was extremely helpful, well written, and informative. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

shadowfoot, your comment was also helpful. I like the way Mesobuthus eupeus have that sort of rough looking, striped mesosoma. Definitely a species to look out for.

emperor5, you know I saw ken the bug guy selling bulk order of 10 dune scorpions (mix size and baby's) but I don't understand why since they aren't very "social" scorpions. You would need to have a bunch of ready enclosures. But the dune scorpion caught my eye before and thought it would be cool to have. How long do they live for? Also I believe the Parabuthus you talking about is Parabuthus transvaalicus.

i adore P. transvaalicus! they so love to get fat

as for desert species, i find mesobuthus caucasicus, v./h. spinigerus and b. occitanus interesting in terms of appearance

Coming from the southwest desert, I kept alot H. arizonensis/spadix, they are big and ferocious eaters. Also most Vaejovids are cool and can be kept communally in my experience.

The Androctonus sp. are all real lookers.

Last but not least Scorpion maurus are by far the most pissed off little scorpions I've ever kept. There like little yellow tanks! and you don't have to worry about a hospital trip if you get stung. You have to keep the humidity up a bit on these though.

I think you ment Scorpio maurus. Those are hard to find though.

exoticvirus, great suggestions. They're all pretty cool scorpions.

TortureRack, how long did your H. arizonensis live? I read that they can live for 15-25 years. Can you confirm that?

Yes, Hadrurus may live a couple decades if kept correctly..perhaps even longer, given that most in the hobby are caught as adults.

All Hadrurus? That's amazing!