Hello. I'v been thinking about getting a Tarantula or a Egyptian Death Stalker. Any thing specific I should know about them I know they're Venom is dangerous. They dont jump or anything do they? If you get stung is there anything you can do or are you basically a dead man walking? I will do lots of research on them before I buy one. So can anyone help me out please.

Thanks,

I am sure Matt will be along soon to help you out. I dont have a clue

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

I actually don't have any scorpions - or any venomous animals at all right now - but I'm thinking that it might be beneficial for you to keep some less deadly scorpions before you try with Egyptian Deathstalkers. That way you get to know a little more about their behavioral patterns and habitats first.

I don't believe Tarantulas are actually venomous at all, although I don't know as much about them as I should, so I could easily be mistaken.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

Your probally right. If I do get the Death Stalker or for that matter any Scorpion at all there isnt going to be any handeling involved lol. Strictly for looks.

They certainly are venomous. They just aren't considered dangerous to people. However, you get nailed by some of the species, you'll sure know it (Yeeeeoooowwwwch!).

I keep a deathstalker, Leiurus quinquestriatus, myself. You are right, their venom is extremely potent. Personally, I wouldn't recommend them as your first species. Being a desert species, they are easier to keep than the ever-popular emperor scorpion, and being scorpions they can't jump and shouldn't really be handled anyway. Still, I would suggest getting accustomed to "the ways of the scorpion" by making another species your first, just in case. After that though, honestly, keeping deathstalkers really isn't that bad. Don't do anything stupid and they make interesting pets.

Now if you did get one, they require a sandy habitat and they like to burrow. They need hiding places, but a bone dry habitat. No water dish, no misting, they get all their moisture from their prey.

Advice on getting stung...don't. If you're not sure you could avoid it, don't get one. If you did get stung, it's hard to predict what would happen. For one, not many people that keep them get stung. They can kill you though, and if stung you could die. Drop for drop they have the most potent venom of any scorpion species (Androctonus australis is considered second, but injects much more, and thus kills more people). Scorpions will either deliver a dry sting, with no venom injection; "pre-venom" a concoction that causes much pain, but won't kill you. It's designed to repel attack while saving precious venom; they can inject you with some real venom, and your reaction to it depends on how much they inject and just your body's individual reaction, you can't predict what will happen; or you could get the whole load of venom, in which case I'll send your family flowers.

A good starter scorpion would be a hairy scorpion, Hadrurus sp. The most popular are the Arizona/giant desert hairy, Hadrurus arizonensis, and the black-top desert hairy, Hadrurus spadix (I keep one of these also). They're another desert species, attractive to look at, aggressive, but not dangerous. They're large and active and aside from the "thrill" of owning a "dangerous deathstalker", I find them more interesting to watch.

Personally I like scorpions more than tarantulas, though I keep both. If you opt for a tarantula I highly recommend a New World species. Old World T's are poor beginners. The genera Grammostola, Brachypelma, Aphonopelma, and Avicularia house some good species. Aphonopelma can be nervous though, and Avicularia are arboreal, but all in all these genera house some pretty mellow, yet attractive, spiders.

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

Yikes I will add that to my list of things to never own!!!!!! And people wonder why I do not like bugs, theres your answer

lol, but they're so cute!

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+5 bonus points to whoever finds me a job!

"Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines." - John Benfield

cute? If I ever saw one of those in my house I would have to call the Orkin man Thats scary looking! I always tease my hubby about screaming like a girl but if I ever saw one of those I would definately give him a good run for his money!

I used to take care of my grandma in Arizona before she passed, her backyard looked out to natural desert, acres and acres of it, I did get to see lots of scorpions, I doubt they were those, but there were some pretty good sized ones out there and they would be occassionaly found near her pool, yuck! Believe it or not I never killed them, just got the shovel and put them back on the other side of the fence where they belonged. They are kind of fascinating to watch but not in my house, lol. But them again so were the rattlers, sunning themselves, but I would still never own one

Actually come to think of it there was a lot of fascinating wildlife in the Arizona desert.

Well im not trying to sound like im concreate on getting one but what is the average price for Leiurus quinquestriatus I found most people were 40 and found one person that was 15 anything to be worried about there?