Scorpions are good pets in general.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =Notes= I understand that you don't need or intend to prove that scorpions are better pets than other animals. You only need to show that they are good pets. However, assuming cats, dogs, birds, and the various other animals commonly kept as pets are considered "good," scorpions would need to rank comparably to them in order to be a good pet. Without some sort of baseline example of what a "good pet" is, the resolution is meaningless. For parts of my argument, I intend to use the more common pets as that guide. If scorpions are considerably worse pets than most, then they surely cannot be considered good pets. Do you accept this form of debate? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =Rebuttals= You have not proven that scorpions are good pets, you have only proven that they are not as dangerous as their reputation suggests. I do not dispute this (though I do have a minor problem with your "safety of owning a scorpion" section. It's pointless to compare deaths by dogs to deaths by scorpions. In the U.S., where your research comes from, people generally interact far more with dogs than with scorpions. It stands to reason that the dog-related mortality rate would be higher). Anyway, your "Scorpions and Other Pets" section especially seems tailored to show only that scorpions aren't a threat, and ignores any other possible concern about scorpion ownership. For instance, you say that if a scorpion were to escape its terrarium, it would likely die. This may make a scorpion less dangerous, but it's a terrible trait in a pet. A creature so fragile is a poor choice to bring into our human-sized civilization, if a mistake as minor as a two-foot drop could evidently kill it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =Original Arguments= 1. Benefits of Owning Why do people keep pets? Given that 97% of pet owners talk to their pets [1], it's clear that relatability and companionship are major factors. I doubt most scorpion owners talk to their scorpions. Why should they? Unlike, say, a dog, a pet scorpion is kept in a glass box most of the time. It's easy to ignore the scorpion's presence, and even when one pays attention to it, the interaction is more like scientific study than companionship. That's no way to foster the kind of relationship that makes pet ownership meaningful. 2. Safety in Handling Unnecessary handling of even the safest of scorpions is generally discouraged [2]. It causes them great stress. And it's true, the empire scorpion is unlikely to use its stinger, the same cannot be said for its claws. How many people can say they would remain fully in control of their hand if it was pinched? It can't be predicted, and it would be difficult to avoid dropping the scorpion in this situation. As we have already established, scorpions are unlikely to survive such a drop. While most pets are cuddly, scorpions are obviously not. This is not merely a subjective judgment. Even if one can ignore a scorpion's terrifying appearance, one must remember that this is a creature for which the recommended mode of interaction is TONGS. 3. Adaptability of Habitat I had trouble naming this section. The idea behind it is that a scorpion will never be at home in a human household. This is largely based on the need for a terrarium. Dogs, cats and other household pets can survive in the atmospheric conditions of an unaltered home. As a result, it is safe for them to roam around. I contend that this ability to roam and share space with humans is integral to their function as pets. Scorpions cannot do this roaming, as they must spend most of their time in a terrarium, on account of being adapted to a different climate from that of most homes [3]. A good pet is a creature that is accepted as a member of the family. How can a scorpion be a family member when it is locked in a glass box, completely isolated and yet within view? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =Sources= [1]: http://www.thedailybeast.com... [2]: http://exoticpets.about.com... [3]: http://www.drsfostersmith.com... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~