Tarantula vs Emperor Scorpion

[Ringo]

I have a small collection of reptiles but have an extra 10 gallon tank laying around. I considered getting a pacman frog but wouldnt mind getting an invert. I have a pretty big phobia for spiders and thought a tarantula might help overcome my fear of spiders. I was also leaning toward an emperor scorpion cause they look really awesome. They will eventually be in a biology classroom in high school or middle school as soon as I get a job as a teacher. I know that both are venomous and would like to know which one would be the safer option for a classroom for the students to take care of under my supervision and what species you can recommend if any.

[Lucas339]

not all schools will let you have pets anymore. something to keep in mind.

i like Ts

[Boanerges]

IMO a tarantula is eaiser to take care of. A emperor scorpion needs a deep enough substrate to burrow (you might not see it much). A heat mat and you got to keep your humidity up without letting the tank get moldy.
Tarantulas on the other hand, stay at room temperature (most of them). If the temperature gets real low you would need a heat mat. And if you get a terristerial tarantula they wont burrow and stay out in the open most of the time. With tarantula's a lot of the pretty mexican species kick hairs so you would have to consider that. This was a real quick reply so if somone has something to add or whatever please feel free...
This should help you out with picking a tarantula (plus other things):http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=55206

[Neal]

Easier would be a rosehair T. I was also quite scared of spiders, and I find that owning a T did not help me overcome it. I had to overcome it myself. My rose hair is great, she eats good, I can take her out, she's not mean or fiesty. Just after handling her make sure you wash your hands because the hairs fall off, and if you don't wash your hands good and you end up touching your eyes, it will make you ich for a few days. I useto breed scorpions on the other hand, Emperors are nice, but if you can't keep the humidity up with good air flow then you will get mold.

So if you get a emperor, get the eco earth bedding, get 2 flower pots, well 1 flower pot, and 1 flower pot dish, put the dish upside down on an angle with a small size opening, and for the flower pot do the same thing, your emperor will choose the flower pot dish, so you might as well get 2 of those. I've been stung by a few emperors, and i've even been stung on the lip once, feels identical to a bee sting, maybe a little less painful. Another thing to be aware of is people keep emperors comunal so you may end up getting a gravid one, and just make sure you keep the feeding proper.

[kjhowland]

Both the rosea and the emperor are on the low end of the venom scale. Both tend to be calm, less prone to bite/sting, although personalities can vary. Roseas are dry desert species whereas emperors are more temperate with higher humidity. I've never seen a threat display from my Rosea unless you call attacking the water that I'm pouring into her water bowl. I have a H. Spadix scorpion which is another desert species although a bit more active and slightly higher on the venom scale. I don't handle either.

[_Venom_]

Get an emperor

[Neal]

Scorpions are awesome, but majority of them stay hidden. I've had everything on the scorpion scale, i'll give a list of the common names because most people probably won't know the scientific. Death Stalker, Black Fat Tail, Black Thick Tail, Yellow Fat Tail, Red Thick Tail, Arizone Bark Scorpion, Dune Scorpion, Emperor Scorpion, + several others. The only 2 that I wanted I could never really locate were the: Titys Paraensis and Lychas Scutilus, and i'll show you why i've always wanted them: