Black fat-tailed scorpion
Androctonus bicolor
Medically significant venom
A. bicolor is on the Scorpion Files list of scorpions documented to cause moderate to severe symptoms in humans (Ward et al. 2018), and Androctonus as a genus is medically significant. A case report from Israel (cited secondhand by a keeper on Arachnoboards, Nevo and Spirer, PMID 1885103) describes a 3-year-old with vomiting, agitation, hypotension, convulsions and myocardial involvement, recovering in 6 days; the authors call both the black and brown forms dangerous, especially to young children. Wikipedia, citing Clinical Toxinology Resources, describes a neurotoxic venom, a 10-20% envenoming rate and an available monovalent antivenom. Treat any sting as a medical emergency. This record is not a substitute for medical advice.
About
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.
Taxonomy
Size & growth
Climate
Enclosure
Feeding
Times kept: 0