Many people have heard the rumor stating that scorpion venom is the most valuable liquid in the world, but is this really true? And if it is, then what makes scorpion venom so special? While it is true that scorpion venom is highly valuable, it should be kept in mind that there are over 2,000 scorpion species in the world, and not all of them produce venom that is sought after. Of the many forms of scorpion venom that are valuable, the prices vary in accordance with the species. That being said, possessing a gallon of any type of valued venom can net you millions of dollars. At the moment, the venom produced by the dreaded deathstalker species is the most valuable. One gallon of deathstalker venom is worth 39 million dollars. The dangerousness of this particular scorpion species is the main reason for the high price of its venom.
Before you decide to go into the scorpion venom business, you should know that a full gallon of scorpion venom would take a very long time to procure. Milking scorpions for their venom is a difficult undertaking, as milking is still done almost exclusively by hand. One scorpion produces only two milligrams of venom at a time. Also, scorpion venom is not purchased in large amounts, as 130 dollars buys a single droplet of venom that is smaller than a grain of sugar. To put this in perspective, if you own one pet deathstalker scorpion, you would have to milk it 2.64 million times before obtaining a full gallon. Even if you had all the time and patience in the world, simply sustaining one sting from a deathstalker scorpion would likely discourage you from ever coming near one again, as their stings are reported as being one hundred times more painful than a bee sting. Deathstalker scorpion venom is also deadly enough to kill a human, and fatalities are not at all rare in many Arab and African countries.
Scorpion venom is fetching top dollar due to its medically valuable chemical components. For example, chlorotoxin binds to cancer cells located in the brain and spinal cord, which allows medical professionals to determine the exact size and location of cancerous tumors. Another component in scorpion venom known as Kaliotoxin is successfully being used to fight bone disease in rats, and researchers are hopeful about its successful application in humans. As a result of this medically promising research, many entrepreneurs are attempting to take part in the emerging economy of scorpion venom. Not long ago, a tech company developed the first milking machine that can extract scorpion venom with tremendous efficiency and none of the human labor.
After reading this blog article, do you feel inclined to enter the lucrative world of scorpion venom sales?
