Buying a pet scorpion is an exciting opportunity to have your own prehistoric-looking mini-beast, but with this opportunity comes a responsibility to care for your pet carefully. Since scorpions are nocturnal and shy away from human contact we do not know a great deal about their natural habitat, thus it is hard to replicate in captivity.

The order Scorpiones is within the class Arachnida, and there are around 1,200 scorpion species. Whilst all scorpions may look fearsome, only around 50 are dangerous to man; the most dangerous are native to the arid climates of Tunisia, Morocco, and even Arizona. These dangerous scorpions should not be kept as pets. This article lists some scorpions species that are suitable to keep as pets. Some of these are dangerous so you need to check the care requirements for each species prior to purchase.

LATIN AMERICA SCORPIONS

• Chocolate Scorpion, Chile (Bothriurus bonariensis)
• Cambridge’s Tityus, Ecuador (Tityus cambridgei)

MIDDLE EAST SCORPIONS

• Black Scorpion, Israel (Buthus judiacus)
• Common Yellow Scorpion, Israel & Middle East (Buthus occitanus israelis)

CARIBBEAN SCORPIONS

• Haseth’s Black Scorpion, Lesser Antilles (Centruroides hasethi)
• Haseth’s Diplocentrus, Lesser Antilles (Diplocentrus hasethi)

AMERICA SCORPIONS

• Spotted Scorpion, USA (Isometrus maculates)
• Yellow Vaejovis, USA (Vaejovis flavus)
• Stripe-tailed Vaejovis, USA (Vaejovis spinigerus)
• Giant Hairy Scorpion, Arizona (Hadrurus arizonesis)
• Hentz’s Black Scorpion, Florida (Centruroides hentzi)
• Three-stripped Black Scorpion, USA (Centruroides vittatus)
• Sculptured Bark Scorpion, Arizona & Mexico (Centruroides exilicauda)

ASIAN SCORPIONS

• Asian Forest Scorpion, Southern Asia (Hteterometrus longimanus)
• Forest Scorpion, Malaysia (Heterometrus spinifer)
  

Scorpions are hardy creatures that have been on earth for millions of years. They are able to withstand fire, floods and earthquakes. The one thing that scorpion species don’t like is cold weather! They live in areas that are at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and you should mimic native conditions for scorpions kept in captivity. Depending on where your scorpion is from that will be one of three habitats:

• Mediterranean: 70 degrees Fahrenheit, 50-60% humidity
• Rain forest: 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, 70-80% humidity
• Desert: 80-95 degrees Fahrenheit, 0% humidity

In order to recreate these environments you need to chose the vivarium materials carefully. For example, for Mediterranean scorpions you can use pretty much anything as substrate, with gravel making a good cheap option. Some moss is a good idea as it can be sprayed to maintain the humidity. You will need at least three inches of substrate to allow your scorpion to burrow, and ensure that it has somewhere to hide.