Emperor Scorpion - Pandinus imperator

The Emperor Scorpion is arguably the largest scorpion in the world. They can grow up to 8 inches long though that is not the longest a scorpion can get. Male Flat Rock Scorpions can grow longer but that is only because they have an unusually long metasoma (tail) compared to its body length. The emperor Scorpion is officially the heaviest scorpion though there are reports that Heterometrus swammerdami may be even larger. The Emperor Scorpion originates from Africa and is jet black with a bluish tint in daylight and the claws have a rough surface which helps identify them from the Asian Forest Scorpions which are fairly similar in appearance.

Dispite its large size it is not dangerous to humans. In fact, because of its large size it is not dangerous to humans. In general the larger the scorpion the less toxic the venom (the same is true for spiders). This is because they do not need a toxic venom to kill their prey because they are big enough to simply crush them in their claws, where-as a smaller scorpion doesn't have the strength to tackle large prey "bare handed" and so require a more toxic venom than larger scorpions.

The female Emperors tend to be reasonably docile however handling any species of scorpion is not recommended.

Check out the Invertebrates section of the website to see what Scorpions we currently have for sale!