Giant scorpions!

[cloud jaguar]

Last night i went herping for snakes in the mojave desert - i saw 2 sidewinders, 1 lyre snake and a western banded gecko --- i also saw what must be the creepiest bugs ever running around on the road --- Giant Desert Hairy Scorpions!!! I saw two of these guys - the were so large and fast -- i was tempted to keep one but it just seemed too big and deadly looking -- i don't think this kind is deadly but they sure look it. Last week i released a bark scorpion i found herping -- i kept it for 3 days and fed it some crickets but i did not want it around since i have young curious kids so i let it go in the canyon behind where i live.

 

[more_rayne]

OMG, the next time you come across scorpions, please catch them and send them my way. I love scorpions!

 

[Plits]

Cool herping hitory.

 

[Ghostie]

Cool dude!

I didn't know California had desert Geckos! :blink:

I spent a short while living near the Mojave out of an Acura Integra and never saw any geckos. That's very cool!

 

[Peter Clausen]

The desert hairy is moderately aggressive in defending itself, but most people only experience bee sting-like symptoms. The bark scorpion is of more concern, medically. Even bark scorpions in the US have a worse reputation than they probably deserve. My mom was stung by one a month ago (in Mexico), two hours after being bitten by a black widow. A quick trip (back) to the hospital, and then home again and she was almost symptomless after a few days.

I assume you weren't using blacklights. Had you been, you'd have likely seen a hundred of these scorpions, and others. This species is best left alone, but not for concerns over human safety. Shrinking habitat, long time to maturity and low reproductive rates combine to make this a future species for concern. I'm sad to say I know one person that had planned to collect 1000 of them this summer. I'm not sure if that was for the live pet or dried specimen hobby. Personally, I will no longer sell wild caught specimens of this wonderful, native (US) species. It is unfortunate that some dealers continue to offer adults for nearly pennies.

 

[cloud jaguar]

@ghostie, i am new to desert herping so i had not seen one either - the one i saw on the road was very cool because he had his tail arched up over his back while he was walking - from a distance he looked exactly like a desert hairy scorpion! -- i believe the western banded gecko actually must be a scorpion mimic from what i saw. I saw everything between 1 and 3 am

 

[cloud jaguar]

peter, that sounds pretty hectic to have both those bites! when i found the bark scorpion under a rock i was wearing these open toed shoes and when i was calling to my kid to bring a deli cup the scorpion i looked up for an instant - the bug must have left the rock - when i looked back he was not there - then i looked at my foot and he was literally starting to crawl into my shoe from the front! i flipped the shoe off very fast indeed - that definitely would have been unpleasant to be stung

 

[Peter Clausen]

ah, but it would have made a great story/addition to Mantidforum!