# Androctonus Crassicaudas in Iraq



## Swemba (Jul 20, 2008)

Greetings all first time poster here.  Recently we moved to a new patrol base hear in Iraq and there are Androctonus Crassicaudas everywhere.  I was never interested in scorpions until I decided to catch some of these guys.  The critters are amazing.  I have read on these boards Androctonus scorps are very dangerous so I'm aware some of you may flame since I've never kept scorps.  Since there isn't alot of info of this particular Androctonus on the boards I thought I would share my experience and some pics.

There tails are very strong.  It is impressive how much force they can apply.
They are very active except when sleeping when they borrow.  They like to spend most of their time vertically or just wandering around lol.
They seem to be defensive with lizards and small insects and only kill when hungry except with the case of Solifugae (Camel Spider)  The scorp kills those things immediately and the Camel Spider actually puts up a good fight.



















Like I said these things are everywhere.  I have 4 adults and 1 baby.  I have seen upwards of 20 since we have been here.

I'll keep updating if anyones interested and if you have questions let me know.


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## Thongy (Jul 20, 2008)

haha, you're going to get flamed by a lot a few people on here for making them fight.

Nice scorps though, send some my way =]


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## Fauxshow (Jul 20, 2008)

I say, a good way to pass time in the doldrums of warfare.  Needless to say, getting tagged by one of these would mean a victory for the terrorists.  Let's not attempt Jackass Iraq II, OK?

Chris


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## radicaldementia (Jul 20, 2008)

Very cool scorps, that species is fairly hard to get in the US.  They are considered one of the deadliest species in the world, a sting probably won't kill you, but you'll still need medical attention so be careful!

There are quite a few species native to Iraq.  They are nocturnal so if you can look around at night you'll find all sorts.


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## Thongy (Jul 20, 2008)

got a question, how long are they from head to the stinger? they look bigger than my h spinifer


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 20, 2008)

Hey man if possible bring a lot back and sell them off to some experienced scrop hobbyists so they can get them established in the scorp hobby.

What type of gecko is that?


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## talljosh003 (Jul 20, 2008)

dude any way you could get those back to the states?!


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## quiz (Jul 20, 2008)

very beautiful .


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## Malcara (Jul 20, 2008)

My cuz was in Iraq you can't bring anything back that isn't approved. He would have to smuggle it back and if caught your talking time in the brig. (If that's how it's spelled.)


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## Swemba (Jul 21, 2008)

Hold for that sizing, don't really have access to a ruler.  I'll post a pic next to a lighter or something.  They are longer than a standard Bic lighter from head to tail.

I've already been trying to find a way to send them home.  No luck so far as everyone seems to be against it.  I'll keep trying though.  If I can the numbers I could send are endless.

I don't know anything about the Gecko, only seen two kinds so far with that being the most common the other I couldn't catch for the life of me, but but larger and was blue with yellow stripes.

Another piece of info on these guys.  I have only seen them in flat black.  No other color morphing or whatever you guys call it.


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## Swemba (Jul 21, 2008)

Here is a picture for sizing of one of my largest next to a reg Marlboro Light.


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## XMX (Jul 21, 2008)

Wow, the tails are extremely impressive.

The tails are freaking HUGE.

Nice, but not a good idea to fight them, bad bad boy =/.


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## GartenSpinnen (Jul 21, 2008)

Awesome . Theres other cool scorp species in Iraq also... If you get a chance to send some, i would be willing to send an Xbox system with games your way  for some. Be careful over there, and thank you for your service.
Cheers


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## halendrix (Jul 21, 2008)

cool!!! impressive Androctonus, it is wild caught right?? its still have some dust, hope to see more hot scorps, goodluck to it, hope it wont escape hehe..


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## bluefrogtat2 (Jul 21, 2008)

*nice pics*

i need a male.
be careful,i have a friend who claims he is  gonna smuggle some back.
told him no thanks they are here,just rare.
andy


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## Michiel (Jul 21, 2008)

The are several reports of sting incidents, involving A.crassicauda, and US or coalition troops. Most of these stings did not lead to systemic effects and no serious harm was done, in general. 
sometimes the symptoms are not even serious enough to report. But the fact that no serious harm was done is due to the excellent fitness and health of the troops and the medical services of the US or coalition troops. 
Do not get stung by these guys anyway to be sure. And stay ON the road!


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## cjm1991 (Jul 21, 2008)

talljosh003 said:


> dude any way you could get those back to the states?!


You can by them in the US on a few different sites. Ajexotics.com has them.


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## v4climber (Jul 21, 2008)

Haha... "I'm probably gonna get flamed" and then " Anyway you could send me one/bring it to the US when you're done over there"

Haha.

They are nice looking though, must be a trip to be over there...


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## Tleilaxu (Jul 21, 2008)

I was so excited over the scorps that I forgot my manners,

Thank you VERY MUCH for your service over there! I am extremely grateful!

Anyways I hope you are safe and succede on bring some back with ya.


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## Swemba (Jul 21, 2008)

Thanks all for the praise it is much appreciated.  Gotta keep this sorta abridged for security reasons.  (gotta love the NSA) Things are really well where I am at south of baghdad.  In the beginning there where some incidents, but there hasn't been any incidents in months.  All our patrols go smoothly and we plan to leave in the next few months.

On to the scorps.  While others have claimed to see "brown ones and white ones" I only see the Crassicaudas.  Usually I can find a few every night If I wander with a flashlight.  I have seen 2 centipedes, but the holes they where in where too deep.  Camel Spiders are around, but if you see one it's usually gone in seconds and they are nearly impossible to catch without flat out stomping on them.  Very big critters.

Here is a photo of one we squashed last deployment.







Scorpions are not too fond of these guys and are the only things I have seen them act aggresively against.


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## tabor (Jul 21, 2008)

What branch of the service?


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## Swemba (Jul 21, 2008)

active army 3/187 INF 101st ABN


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## tabor (Jul 21, 2008)

Oh sweet, I've got friends in the Army and Marines over there, never met anyone from the 101st. Nice.


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## Swemba (Jul 22, 2008)

A little more info for you guys as I learn more about scorps.  These guys are highly communal.  I dont have a very large tank, maybe like 2 Gallons with 4 large Andro C. and a baby one (Don't know instars yet, but soon, he's all black and about the size of a dime.) and they all basically borrow in on top of each other.  I placed a piece of shrub branch with some sand in there and when I remove it in the morning they are all pilled up on top of each other and won't move even if I touch them.  They don't awake and spread their legs until I tweeze their tails.


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## Swemba (Jul 22, 2008)

Pretty rad new pics.  
That baby I was talking about eating remains of a lizard 2 other Andros ripped in half.  They sucked it dry.  Put 2 more Geckos in today.







And a nice close-up, still working on this picture taking thing.  Got a dirty tank and a crap camera.


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## Joshua_J (Jul 22, 2008)

The little one is Orthochirus sp. may be it is adult now.


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2008)

he's right. that's an Orthochirus sp. a pretty awesome find! they have photoreceptors perforating their metasomas. its cool that hes cohabitating with the andros as well. these are the orthochirus sp. found in iraq

Orthochirus iraqus
Orthochirus scrobiculosus mesopotamicus
Orthochirus scrobiculosus persa

john


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## tabor (Jul 23, 2008)

Awesome man. What ever it takes to keep you entertained over there! I have an ever lasting respect for the 101, you got a screaming eagle patch?


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## Swemba (Jul 27, 2008)

Interesting update.
So my friend stumbled across a new andro today.  This one is huge.  (see pic below)  Bigger than my other four.  Well we added it to the tank and some very strange things started to happen.  Two of the other Andros started grabbing it and tugging on it.  We pulled em off and they started to beat the crap outta each other.  Then a third andro jumped in.  They ended up locked in like a 3 scorp triangle.  Broke them up again and 1 started grabbing the new one and dragging it around.  It ended up getting face to face with it holding the new ones pinchers with its pinchers and doing like this strange dance lol.  It was like wobbling its pincher and moving it's "teeth" doing like a bouncy motion with its body.  Really cool to watch.  Pic below doesen't do it justice at all.












So what just happened?  Everyone is fine now and the 5 are living together with no probs.


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## tabor (Jul 27, 2008)

They were breeding.


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## radicaldementia (Jul 27, 2008)

lol they were doing a mating dance.  The male deposits a sperm packet on the ground, and then he grabs the female and guides her over it so she can pick it up with her body.  They'll probably be doing that a lot if you keep them together.


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## Swemba (Jul 28, 2008)

lol a "sperm packet" lol rofl

didnt take long.  only was in there like 5 min.  so where the other scorpions who are normally docile beating the crap out of each other over her?  it was like instant chaos as soon as i dropped her in.


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## tabor (Jul 28, 2008)

Swemba said:


> lol a "sperm packet" lol rofl
> 
> didnt take long.  only was in there like 5 min.  so where the other scorpions who are normally docile beating the crap out of each other over her?  it was like instant chaos as soon as i dropped her in.


Males will fight over females. Now that you know which is the female, I would recommend isolating her and then giving each male a shot at breeding with her, one by one.

It can take a while for them to give birth though. So if you don't see babies before you return home, at least turn her back out in to the wild


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## johnharper (Jul 28, 2008)

What are you keeping them in it looks like they could climb out?


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## jettubes (Jul 28, 2008)

if you catch a centipede post some pictures of them aswell.:}


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## Swemba (Jul 28, 2008)

Well after that mating incident I saw the 5 of them have been in the tank without issue although they may have been acting up at night.  I also caught a second Orthocurius (SP?) the 7 are all doing fine communally.  I am very impressed by this females size, much larer than the males.  The tail is very strong.

They cant climb out of the case its just short of where the wall I have for them on the back is.  Although that female hasn't tried yet she may be able too.  It has a lid though and it's only open when I need it to be or I let it get some fresh air, which i'm always around.

I've seen 3 centipedes now all about as long as a can of coke.  The buggers can dig though and I've almost been bitten on one attempt at capture because of how they can bend their bodies up.  They are like a light brown color.


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## tabor (Jul 28, 2008)

Dang, I wish I was in your boots, but not getting shot at  

Like I said a bunch of my friends are over there, they are all scared of the bugs though lol. A lot of the guys I used to work with out on the AFB nearby was right next to an EOD training school. Yeah, all those guys are there now, that's a job I would hate to have in Iraq. Bomb defuser :8o


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## Swemba (Jul 28, 2008)

there hasn't been any shooting for awhile we have pretty good control over this area.  the EOD we work with is air force and those cats are pretty cool.  lol they love blowin stuff up.  they mostly do controlled detonations of old munitions we find and blow up berms and make ditches on off limits roads and stuff.


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## tabor (Jul 28, 2008)

Yeah the EOD guys were air force, I live right next to where they train all the Air Force special forces, like close aircombat support and such. And interesting lot. It's great to see a guy over there interested in scorps! Keep up the good work, and promise me when you come home you will let them got back in to their natural habitat.


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## Swemba (Jul 28, 2008)

you in san antonio by chance?  yea I'm gonna let them go.  At first I was all about locking them up and having epic battles lol.  Now i've grown quite fond of them and watching their behavior actually gives them personalities.  I am definitely going to purchase some Andros when I get home and get a real deal tank.  nah i'm not gonna kill em, but I feel bad for the Iraqi army platoon that moves in here after us.


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## tabor (Jul 29, 2008)

No, I worked out with guys from Hurlburt Field, which is where I think they train AF special forces. Haven't been hitting the gym at all lately due to injuries and laziness. Also, as a dependent, when you turn 23 you lose all privileges, so I cant even go on base anymore without being signed in


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## Nate-87 (Jul 29, 2008)

Tleilaxu said:


> Hey man if possible bring a lot back and sell them off to some experienced scrop hobbyists so they can get them established in the scorp hobby.
> 
> What type of gecko is that?


pretty sure it is a _cyrtodactylus scabrum_

-Nate


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