ID this one

[BobW]

I am sorry that I had to kill it, but this one was trying to get into my garage and started attacking me when I tried to sweep it away. Whipping its tail towards me repeatedly. Will there be more? Can anyone identify the species? Goldfield, Nevada, high desert, elevation 5,647 feet above sea level, latitude 37.71 north.

 

[squidkid]

looks like hadrurus

 

[BobW]

OK thank you.

 

[Collin Clary]

Hadrurus spadix.

 

[BobW]

Thank you.

 

[Smokehound714]

lame.

 

[Arachnophoric]

You didn't HAVE to kill it, and it wasn't attacking you, it was defending itself because some big bipedal creature was harassing it with a broom. It'd have been just as easy to place a tupperware container over it and move it off the premises.

 

[squidkid]

You didn't HAVE to kill it, and it wasn't attacking you, it was defending itself because some big bipedal creature was harassing it with a broom. It'd have been just as easy to place a tupperware container over it and move it off the premises.

i dont blame him.

for someone that doesn't often deal with arachnids a scorpion acting defensively can be intimidating

 

[NYAN]

.

 

[NYAN]

I am sorry that I had to kill it

No you didn’t. This is simply an excuse that people like to make because they are ignorant about their local fauna and or are afraid.

The only way I could see this response to be justified is if it is a medically significant species in your home and you have no possible way to remove it. You had the means to move it and it sounds like it was outside still.

to get into my garage and started attacking me when I tried to sweep it away. Whipping its tail towards me repeatedly.

It wasn’t attacking you, it was attacking the broom because you were threatening it. Maybe you would do the same if in the same situation.

Will there be more?

Yes. Every year it’s family will return to mourn the loss to an irresponsible human. The scorpion news will also probably show up to take crime scene photos.

 

[Arachnophoric]

i dont blame him.

for someone that doesn't often deal with arachnids a scorpion acting defensively can be intimidating

I see where you're coming from, but I'm firmly in the camp that fear isn't an excuse to kill something, and in fact if you think an animal may be dangerous it's in your best interest to leave it alone. I'm not sure about scorpions specifically, but a good percentage of bites from venomous snakes occur when the person is harassing it and trying to kill it. You're putting yourself in more potential danger that way, and nine times out of ten an animal died for no reason besides people being ignorant/uneducated about wildlife local to their area.

I'm intimidated by dogs that bark/growl at me, but I'm pretty sure no one would say they don't blame me if I reacted to one doing so by beating it to death. Just food for thought.

 

[Galapoheros]

I've learned not to let this bother me much, people killing scorpions, spiders, etc. that aren't familiar with them. I'd guess 90% of the population thinks like Bob does, we kind of live in a bubble here on the AB as far as that goes. All we can do is try and educate people but it's a never ending battle. Most of the fear is started by parents trying to keep the kids safe and it sticks. It never did stick with me though haha!, thank god. I never really did listen to people trying to make me scared of this stuff, been catching this stuff since I've had a memory. My parents tried but I just ignored it. I've been stung by the worst though, maybe I should have listened a little bit.

 

[squidkid]

I see where you're coming from, but I'm firmly in the camp that fear isn't an excuse to kill something, and in fact if you think an animal may be dangerous it's in your best interest to leave it alone. I'm not sure about scorpions specifically, but a good percentage of bites from venomous snakes occur when the person is harassing it and trying to kill it. You're putting yourself in more potential danger that way, and nine times out of ten an animal died for no reason besides people being ignorant/uneducated about wildlife local to their area.

I'm intimidated by dogs that bark/growl at me, but I'm pretty sure no one would say they don't blame me if I reacted to one doing so by beating it to death. Just food for thought.

don't get me wrong, im not for him killing this scorp but because he is new and unfamiliar with arachnids this is a probably normal response. and i dont think he should take flak for something he clearly apologized for.

 

[Arachnophoric]

don't get me wrong, im not for him killing this scorp but because he is new and unfamiliar with arachnids this is a probably normal response. and i dont think he should take flak for something he clearly apologized for.

I wasn't trying to give him flak as much as explaining that he didn't have to kill it and misinterpreted the behavior as attacking when the animal was in fear for its life (and rightly so, since we can see how that ended). Hopefully if he comes across one again it doesn't end the same way now that he knows the species. A quick Google search would show its sting is harmless.

 

[squidkid]

I wasn't trying to give him flak as much as explaining that he didn't have to kill it and misinterpreted the behavior as attacking when the animal was in fear for its life (and rightly so, since we can see how that ended). Hopefully if he comes across one again it doesn't end the same way now that he knows the species. A quick Google search would show its sting is harmless.

i agree that it was unessisary

 

[MoranDisciple]

Lmao imagine going to the effort of wielding a broom against a juvie H. spadix, seeing it react defensively, and thinking "ok now I'm gonna kill it"