# Caught a wild scorpion!



## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

Wow well i was about to walk out my front door and found a scorpion.  I need to identify it.  Right now its almost an inch long including tail.  I live in Apple Valley in the highdesert in California.  What kind of scorpions live in this area?  Also on coming back in I found  a huge Solifugid on the outside wall!  Maybe I can get some video of the scorpion so it can be identified.


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 7, 2004)

Just a single still photo might be enough for I.D..


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## ShaunHolder (Jun 7, 2004)

Be carefull, there is a good chance you found a Bark Scorpion Centruroides exilicauda, they have very potent venom. Grats on your finds, I look forward to a photo.


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## Kugellager (Jun 7, 2004)

Scorpiove,

A photograph would go a long way.  Southeastern California into southern Nevada is the most diverse scorpion region in the US other than the Big Bend area in Texas.  Both of these areas, according to Polis have between 8-10 species. Now if you were in Wyoming and asked this question it could only be one species...but you are not...Post a photo if you can.

John
];')


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## cichlidsman (Jun 7, 2004)

*cool*

i live in newfoundland and there is no cool bugs here only pests.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

Thanks everyone.  Ok since my digital camera sucks I took these shots from the camcorder and digitized them.

























For size reference the white keys in the top of hte pic are my keyboard.  My keyboard has a spacebar thats pretty small in itself.  Oh yeah he is carrying a small cricket in his mouth.  Also I don't know if you can see it but he has what look like a dark side by his right eye, I have no idea what that is.


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## Wolvie56X (Jun 7, 2004)

Smeringus mesaensis

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/s_mesaensis3.jpg check that out, kinda looks like that to me, but the camera is kinda dark

Wolvie


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## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

Yeah sorry about the quality of the pics, I'll do some experimenting to get a lighter picture because it is darker than its suppsoe to be.  Thanks though


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## Wolvie56X (Jun 7, 2004)

is it a really bright yellow, kinda almost see through in some parts?  or is it orangish looking?

cause if its in cali, it may be the one i found on scorpion files, check that site out and look through the Smerinigurus ones

Wolvie


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## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

Its not really a bright yellow these screen shots more accurately show the scorpions color.



















This last pic shows best of all the color of the scorpion, as well as his "bruise" as I have dubbed it heh.


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## ShaunHolder (Jun 7, 2004)

It's hard to tell, but it really looks like the bark scorpions I find out here in the mountains in phoenix. The color is still hard to read with these photo's, but the Horizontal stripes at the end of each plate on the back looks to me like a tell tell sign of Centruroides exilicauda. It's pedipals and tail even match my own.  

Is it more orange or yellow? The barks I have are very yellowish/orangish.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

The colors are pretty much just like those in the last pic.  Not really all that bright.  The scorpion isn't all that big either.  But I did notice its palps are skinny unlike _Smeringus mesaensis' _ which seems to be a little fatter.


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 7, 2004)

Wolvie56X said:
			
		

> Smeringus mesaensis
> 
> http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/s_mesaensis3.jpg check that out, kinda looks like that to me, but the camera is kinda dark
> 
> Wolvie


I would agree, now if you want to catch a bunch more of these or other species in the area, here's what I would do. Get a few plastic garbage can lids and bury them upside down flush with the earth and cover them with a piece of plywood, I would put a hole in one corner of the wood and put a 5ft length of rope through the hole and have a knot on the side facing the ground. The reason for the rope is that even though this trap will catch scorps, you want to be able to yank off the plywood out of the reach of any snake that also may have sought refuge under it as well. You are so lucky!, I could set traps all I want and nothing interesting will ever stumble into them.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 7, 2004)

what are the chances of it being a _Vaejovis waeringi_ The colors match up pretty good.  Thanks for all the replies guys.


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## Kugellager (Jun 7, 2004)

I am of the opinion that is of the Vajovid family...possibly Paruroctonus genus...at least that is what first comes to mind.  It is too small (for an adult) to be S.mesaensis...plus they are found on and around sand dunes...from the pics I think you have posted elsewhere, your terrain where you live is not correct for S.mesaensis.  It also could be a Vaejovis spp...my first guess on the genus is still Paruroctonus spp.

John
];')


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 7, 2004)

Scorpiove said:
			
		

> what are the chances of it being a _Vaejovis waeringi_ The colors match up pretty good.  Thanks for all the replies guys.


You may be right, after looking at all the photos, the pedipalps are more of a match as well as coloring.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 8, 2004)

Here is a vid I took of it....

Scorp video


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 8, 2004)

That scorpion is FAST!!, what did you take the video with?, and how did you manage to catch this thing in the first place?.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 8, 2004)

Yeah he is fast.  I used a camcorder thats 10 years old, and I plugged it into my videocapture card.  With the camcorder I'm actually able to  see more detail than with my digital camer that has no macro function.

Edit:  He was crawling on the wall in the entry way. scooped him up with some paper into a slippery glass bowl.


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## pandinus (Jun 9, 2004)

WHEW! forget the id, that thing is FAST! its like the friggn Flash or somethin! it has super powers!


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 9, 2004)

It moves like a Centruroides vittatus!!


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## pandinus (Jun 9, 2004)

it doesnt look like _any_ vittatus ive ever seen. sorry buddy but i have to disagree with you on that. vitattus has lateral lines. i would guess vaejovis of some sort.


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 9, 2004)

I didn't mean species, I meant SPEED!!


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## pandinus (Jun 10, 2004)

sorry, i accidentally read "moves like" as "most likely"

oops! :8o


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 10, 2004)

pandinus said:
			
		

> sorry, i accidentally read "moves like" as "most likely"
> 
> oops! :8o


no prob, I wish I had some of those, though.


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## Fausta (Jun 10, 2004)

I have a Paruroctonus boreus which looks much like it and is also very fast.
I will take a picture when she presents herself for one. It came from the Mojave Desert near Palm Springs.


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## bam10860 (Jun 12, 2004)

*Babies anyone*

My son caught a giant hairy scorpion in the Arizona dessert at Christmas time and we brought it home. Around the 28th of May a friend wanted to see it.  I took her out in the garage where we keep it and it looked like it had a frayed burlap sack stuck on its back.  I thought it had a disease, but the kids noticed it was moving and there were lots of little eyes.  I was so disturbed by the sight and the knowledge that it was what looked like hundreds of babies that I couldn't sleep for two nights.  I duct taped the top of the aquarium afraid they could climb out. On the 30th of May they fell off the mothers back.  Now we have around 35 baby scorpions that need a home. If anyone is interested let me know.  bam10860@comcast.net


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## errit (Jun 12, 2004)

Isn't it a vaejovis species?


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## Scorpiove (Jun 12, 2004)

Ahh finally fixed my computer..... Well it looks a lot like it belongs to the Vaejovis genus.  The thing is mad it took down a large cricket, kept stinging it until it wouldnt move anymore, then proceded to eat starting with the crickets head lol.  Today I found it under its water bowl.  So since we aren't sure on what type of scorp this is.  What are the chances of it being deadly as in like a very hot species.  I only worry about things "might" kill me.  As I have an emp scorpion which of course I don't even worry about its venom if I were to get stung.  Thanks in advance!


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 12, 2004)

Mild venom only.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 13, 2004)

Thanks, now I know not to panic.  If I get stung.  Also I noticed something weird.  I thought that scorpions were like tarantula and had 4 book lungs or "2 pairs".  This thing has 6 book lungs or "3 pairs".  Does this vary from scorpion to scorpion?  Or maybe those things I see aren't lungs at all?


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 13, 2004)

Actaully there are always eight of them, although it is sometimes difficult to see this in some species.


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## Scorpiove (Jun 13, 2004)

Yeah I notice that the Scorpion in the pics in ShaunHolder's post had 8 of the "white things" that I saw on the scorp I caught and that is why I thought they might not have been lungs since 8 would be a lot! Heh But yeah I was right the first time.   I didn't get a good look so that is probably why I thought I only saw 6.  I also noticed that his lungs have "brown bruising" sort of type deal.  Kind of like the brown spot by his eyes.  That got me kind of worried for him.  Another question.... If I were to find another would beable to keep it with this one?  Thanks in advance!


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## carpe scorpio (Jun 13, 2004)

As long as they are well fed and have plenty of space and hiding places.


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