Black fat-tailed scorpion

Androctonus bicolor is a small, black fat-tailed scorpion from North Africa and the Middle East, and it is medically significant. It does not belong in a beginner collection. Stings have caused severe systemic illness, including in a child treated in Israel, and the species is on the Scorpion Files list of scorpions with documented moderate to severe effects. Keep it only if you have scorpion experience, a secure lidded enclosure, long forceps, deep catch cups, and a plan for emergency care before the animal arrives. Keepers describe a desert setup: temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s F, 3 to 4 inches of dry sand or decomposed granite, something to burrow under, and a dry surface. Desert scorpions are prone to fungal problems in damp substrate. Detailed feeding schedules and humidity figures are poorly documented in the sources we could find, so rely on an experienced Androctonus keeper for those.