I AM BY NO MEANS A SCORPION EXPERT AND WILL NOT EVEN BEGIN TO TRY TO LIST WHICH SPECIES ARE DANGEROUS AND WHICH ARE NOT. SCORPION ID IS A TRICKY PROCESS AND IS BEST LEFT TO THE EXPERTS. THE BEST ADVICE I CAN GIVE IS THAT IF YOU ARE DEALING WITH A SPECIES THAT YOU ARE UNAWARE OF THE TOXICITY ON DON'T BECOME A GUiNEA PIG. HOT SCORPIONS ARE NOT FOR HANDLING AND THE ANDROCTONUS SCORPS ARE AMONG THE HOTTEST THERE ARE. ANDROCTONUS AUSTRALIS ARE AMONG, IF NOT THE, HOTTEST SCORP PERIOD. TREAT THESE WITH RESPECT AND NEVER HANDLE THESE AT ALL. IF YOU MUST MOVE A HOT SCORP PLEASE USE BOTH A LONG PAIR OF FORCEPS AND A LOT OF COMMON SENSE.
These are absolutely one of my favorite scorps. Androctonus australis have a pretty well pronounced yellow to them. They aren't screaming baby green tree python yellow or anything but in a world of mostly drab scorps they are pretty bright. What makes a fattail look so different however is it's namesake tail. The tail is incredibly thick and well defined and certainly formidible looking. This is one scorp that is all business. Another equally important aspect that sets A australis apart is the level of toxicity of the venom. Please see the above scorp warning. This species is not for children and it is not to be played around with and taken lightly. I am not by any means trying to over dramatize the danger involved nor do I wish to paint a bad image for these animals. They cannot climb vertical glass or plastic and are actually not that difficult to control and move safely when done with a bit of foresight and common sense. These scorps actually make great display only animals and treated as such their care is quite easy and they do very well in captivity. Don't get a fattail to show off or for the morbid aspect of the danger. Respect the animal and appreciate it for what it is.
Emperor scorps are one of the most intimidating looking of all the scorps. They are dark in color, in real sunlight they are deep dark blue or green, indoors they appear black and are quite robust. Emperors can reach 8 inches total making them one of the largest scorps in the world. Their size however is no indication of their level of danger. Emperors rarely sting and if you can even get them to do it the effect is pretty mild, the feeling is comparable to a bee sting. The claws are a different story as emperors use their claws far more than the stinger. They will not hesitate to pinch if they feel threatened and it's a pretty impressive pinch. The pinch is in no way threatening but is still pretty painful.
Black Fat Tail
Androctonus bicolor is one of the most wicked looking, all business scorps available. The tail devlopment is extremely large and bulky. This species is not hesitant to sting by any means and it's sting is among the hotter scorps. This species is not for the novice keeper and should be treated with respect. Like most desert species they prefer a drier environment and are fairly easy to keep.
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