# Who am I? (quiz)



## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

alright, lets see who really knows their scorpions, dont try to cheat, it'll just make it less fun for everyone else. what species is the answer to the riddle


"Though i know few have seen me i am unique. My social behaviors are the most advanced of any scorpion, for my babies dont abandon me but grow under my care and help me hunt for my family kills together and feasts together. What scorpion am i?"




Good luck, if no ne gets it before the riddle goes off the front page i'll post the answer. i've got a few more of these waiting so lets see where this goes!



John


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## Aztek (Jul 16, 2009)

Didymocentrus caboensis


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Didymocentrus caboensis


Ding Ding Ding! Jeez you could have at least let the others have a chance! lol.

Didymocentrus caboensis exhibits the highest form of social behavior present in any scorpion. the young  reamin in the mother's burrow after leaving her back. Family groups of this species have been observed attacking large prey items as a group and then dragging the kill back to the burrow to eat together.


Apparently this one was too easy. I'll have to make the next one more difficult.



John


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

The next question:


"I am a wolf in sheep's clothing and my appearence cloaks my lineage. look for me in the forests of argentina. What am I?"



John


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## ThomasH (Jul 16, 2009)

pandinus said:


> The next question:
> 
> 
> "I am a wolf in sheep's clothing and my appearence cloaks my lineage. look for me in the forests of argentina. What am I?"
> ...


Tityus sp.? I don't know...... serrulatus?
TBH


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## Kathy (Jul 16, 2009)

Bothriurus   or tityus nelsoni?


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 16, 2009)

Potatus nagaensis

LOL I have no idea.


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## ThomasH (Jul 16, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> bothriurus jesuita (sp?)
> 
> LOL I have no idea.


Did you google? ;P 
Yeah, definitely not a serrulatus.

TBH


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

Brachistosternus paulae


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

keep on guessing. so far no one's gotten any closer than family. 





John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 16, 2009)

So I'm guessing it's Bothriurus?
Hmmm, I'm terrible with these things. 
So I will guess.....

Bothriurus burmeisteri, I think they live in Argentina. :?


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

Brachistosternus alienus


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

look at the first part of the riddle and it will help you more than the second half. there's lots of species in argentina so you have to really ponder what the first clue means.




John


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

Is it Brachistosternus genus?   Quite a few aren't quite what they appear to be...  meh I give there are at least like 15 of em I can't name :worship:


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 16, 2009)

Pandinus deylivnargentinus


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

lol, I like that answer


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> Pandinus deylivnargentinus


LOL took me a minute to get that one! but no.


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## Aztek (Jul 16, 2009)

Does the scorpion look like another scoprion, or does it look like something else?
Does the Latin name have to do with the wolf part??
Hmmmmmmmm
Cus there are many.... that look like other things...

Hmmmmmm


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 16, 2009)

Urophonius granulatus


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 16, 2009)

uggggghhhh!


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## Galapoheros (Jul 16, 2009)

I remember reading about Didymocentrus caboensis in a recent link too.  I'm sure this next one is something I've never heard of:?


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

Brachistosternus angustimanus  it's not a sheep but it goes moo :wall:


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

Tityus indecisus it just can't decide if it wants to be a sheep, a wolf, or a scorpion ;P


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

are you just going down a list of Argentenian species? lol



John


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## Treynok (Jul 16, 2009)

I've read about Brachistosternus spp and then looked up species, just messing around, kinda doubt I'm going to guess it genuinely don't have any clue now, exhausted the only guess I thought was a decent one which it prolly wasn't :?


The horrible attempt at good scorpion puns has melted my brain

Oh, I've also been up for the past 40 or so hours... being laid off for the summer blows

I wonder how many more times I can edit this thing...

...


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## Aztek (Jul 16, 2009)

I can only guess these two.

Tityus pusillus
Looks like an I.Maculatus which is not dangerous.
Making it a sheep in wolves clothing.

Or 

Tityus trivittatus

Looks like a C.Vittatus which is not dangerous
And same as above


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## pandinus (Jul 16, 2009)

okay okay one more hint but that's it. it has NOTHING to do with coloration. Aztek is on the right track





John


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## Kathy (Jul 16, 2009)

AAAh, I quit.  What the hell was it......


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## Aztek (Jul 16, 2009)

kathy_in_arizona said:


> AAAh, I quit.  What the hell was it......


Stop bumping!
He said he'll reveal each one after it goes to page 2.
So as long as we don't post....
he will tell us.:}


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## Kathy (Jul 16, 2009)

BUMP :evil:   

Don't you yell at me young man.  Where does he say that?  Stupid game.


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## Aztek (Jul 16, 2009)

kathy_in_arizona said:


> BUMP :evil:
> 
> Don't you yell at me young man.  Where does he say that?  Stupid game.


Sorry ma'am...
:8o 

He says it at the beginning.


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## Kathy (Jul 16, 2009)

Oh, well, stupid rule.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 17, 2009)

Well maybe they're just stupid answers! lol jk

How about Tityus argentinus! It's name suggests it lives in argentina, but it only has range in Peru! (Right?)


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## pandinus (Jul 17, 2009)

Alirght i'll just come out with it. 



The answer is ZABIUS FUSCUS

a very unique member of the notorious buthid family, its build more resembles that of a fossorial scorpion in that it has exceptionally large chela and a thin and much reduce metasoma, giving it the appearence of a harmless family, when in actuallity its lineage is that of some of the deadliest scorpions known to man. therefore it is a deciever or wolf in sheep's clothing because it is not what it seems, and hidess its lineage for its appearence is unlike almost any other member of its family. i'll post a new riddle later today, and will probably have to make it easier.




John


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## signinsimple (Jul 17, 2009)

A bit misleading.  Wolf in sheeps clothing would suggest it looks like it's prey (say like some of the aggressive ant imicking spiders or something).  Cool fact though.


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## K3jser (Jul 17, 2009)

Expect that the venom of a Zabius fuscus isnt dangerous, it cousins of the same family might have, and saying its has a lineage of being deadly do you have some proof of its great great great great grand uncle had deadly poison?
so you cant really say its a wolf in sheeps clothes? yeah a toothless wolf it might be.. so the riddle was a fail..


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## pandinus (Jul 17, 2009)

K3jser said:


> Expect that the venom of a Zabius fuscus isnt dangerous, it cousins of the same family might have, and saying its has a lineage of being deadly do you have some proof of its great great great great grand uncle had deadly poison?
> so you cant really say its a wolf in sheeps clothes? yeah a toothless wolf it might be.. so the riddle was a fail..



its a buthid that looks like a nonbuthid. i never said it was dangerous or had a deadly poison, and members of its family can be very dangerous and back far enough they are all related it has the lineage of a very old and much more predatory group of scorpions known for having a dangerous venom as a family, but looks like a very different scorpion of a different family and also  negates the general "rule of thumb" that scorpions with large chela and small tails are harmless. As far as i know there is not much data on the venom of Zabius fuscus but the fact that it is a buthid means that its venom is likely to be much more potent than that of the scorpions it resembles, even if not dangerous. the term wolf in sheeps clothing means deception, not deadly. if anyone doesn't like the riddles they dont have to play.




John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 17, 2009)

You have any more?


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## ThomasH (Jul 19, 2009)

pandinus said:


> its a buthid that looks like a nonbuthid. i never said it was dangerous or had a deadly poison, and members of its family can be very dangerous and back far enough they are all related it has the lineage of a very old and much more predatory group of scorpions known for having a dangerous venom as a family, but looks like a very different scorpion of a different family and also  negates the general "rule of thumb" that scorpions with large chela and small tails are harmless. As far as i know there is not much data on the venom of Zabius fuscus but the fact that it is a buthid means that its venom is likely to be much more potent than that of the scorpions it resembles, even if not dangerous. the term wolf in sheeps clothing means deception, not deadly. if anyone doesn't like the riddles they dont have to play.
> John


This riddle made no sense. Just because it is a buthid doesn't make it likely to be potent. The family Buthidae makes up of about 800 or so species, not even a quarter are "dangerous." The Hemiscorpius genus is "deadly" but they aren't a Buthid. So being a Buthid has little correlation to being "deadly." Yes, the term "wolf in sheeps clothing" does mean deception but unless it is dangerous [Which it most likely isn't.] I don't see anything about it being decieving.

TBH


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## alexi (Jul 19, 2009)

ThomasH said:


> This riddle made no sense. Just because it is a buthid doesn't make it likely to be potent. The family Buthidae makes up of about 800 or so species, not even a quarter are "dangerous." The Hemiscorpius genus is "deadly" but they aren't a Buthid. So being a Buthid has little correlation to being "deadly." Yes, the term "wolf in sheeps clothing" does mean deception but unless it is dangerous [Which it most likely isn't.] I don't see anything about it being decieving.
> 
> TBH


hey maybe its not perfect, but I applaud the attempt to distract my lazy self with an intelligent game.  I say good show and lets see another.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 19, 2009)

"Look for me in the Eastern Hemisphere. I have not been as popular as some of my cousins in Africa and Asia. We do bear a striking resemblance, though, although I must say I get agitated more easily and am a bit "longer" and I must say, I am much more streamlined. (my chela, anyway)."

I'm terrible at this stuff.


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## Kathy (Jul 19, 2009)

Orobothriurus Atiquipa


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## pandinus (Jul 20, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> "Look for me in the Eastern Hemisphere. I have not been as popular as some of my cousins in Africa and Asia. We do bear a striking resemblance, though, although I must say I get agitated more easily and am a bit "longer" and I must say, I am much more streamlined. (my chela, anyway)."
> 
> I'm terrible at this stuff.


Heterometrus swammerdami?


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## Aztek (Jul 20, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> "Look for me in the Eastern Hemisphere. I have not been as popular as some of my cousins in Africa and Asia. We do bear a striking resemblance, though, although I must say I get agitated more easily and am a bit "longer" and I must say, I am much more streamlined. (my chela, anyway)."
> 
> I'm terrible at this stuff.


Het.Longimanus


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## pandinus (Jul 20, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Het.Longimanus


that's what i thought at first too, but he mentions not being as popular as some of his asian relatives which made me think that it wouldnt be this since its asian. hmmm....


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 20, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Het.Longimanus


Well that was quick. let me see:
Longer: longimanus
Chela:longimanus
not as popular as H. spinifer and P. imperator.

I told you I was terrible.


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## T.ass-mephisto (Jul 20, 2009)

lets see if this makes sense.

"babies will fight, adults live in peace, can climb up the trees,looks like leaves in the fall"

i hope this makes sense. and is solveable


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 20, 2009)

Babycurus jacksoni


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## alexi (Jul 20, 2009)

I have a good one.

"My name is Centruroides Vittatus.  Who am I?"


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## T.ass-mephisto (Jul 20, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> Babycurus jacksoni


yay it wasnt to stupid to solve!


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## T.ass-mephisto (Jul 20, 2009)

alexi said:


> I have a good one.
> 
> "My name is Centruroides Vittatus.  Who am I?"


desert hairy?


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## alexi (Jul 20, 2009)

T.ass-mephisto said:


> desert hairy?


Nope.  Its a tricky one huh?


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## pandinus (Jul 20, 2009)

"I was the foundation of Gary Polis's work though my name has changed since that time. Who was i then and who am i now?"

Sit this one out Aztek since i know you know it. i'll come up with one more challenging later






John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 20, 2009)

This one's easy.

Hoffmanius spinigerus (formerly Vaejovis spinigerus)


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## Zach Valois (Jul 20, 2009)

Interesting stuff Pandinus, kudos for your rather intellegent riddles..

OK, now this one really is foolishly easy.

Originally described by Stahnke in 1957 as _Vejovis mesaensis_ (yes, Stahnke spelled it incorrectly as V*e*jovis).

Williams later recognized it as a member of the subgenus Paruroctonus, and then eventually elevated it to P. mesaensis.

In I believe his 1983 paper, Haradon described the genus Smeringurus; this is which of course included S. mesaensis.


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## Zach Valois (Jul 20, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> This one's easy.
> 
> Hoffmanius spinigerus (formerly Vaejovis spinigerus)


Keep in mind that not everyone follows this classification..; )


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## Zach Valois (Jul 20, 2009)

One more note on S. mesaensis is that yes, Gary did a paramount compilation of studies on this species. However I think that scorpion ecology, energetics, and behavior can vary greatly. A lot of sources and people take Gary's work as the basic model of scorpion biology. I think his studies were, in some aspects, unique due to the highly specialized nature of psammophilic scorpions. It is amazing to see just how much more we have to learn.


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## redhourglass (Jul 20, 2009)

Hi.

John, great idea with the riddle theme.

Brian at Venom List in 2006 created a similiar theme and had a good following then.  Seeking knowledge is one avenue and looking forward to responces is another LOL.

LINK​
Sinc. Chad

Zach, I don't remember which paper Williams elevated Paruroctonus?


> Williams later recognized it as a member of the subgenus Paruroctonus, and then eventually elevated it to P. mesaensis


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## Zach Valois (Jul 20, 2009)

redhourglass said:


> Zach, I don't remember which paper Williams elevated Paruroctonus?


I was just thinking about that. I was just looking at something about that the other day too.


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## pandinus (Jul 20, 2009)

you got it Zach. the scorpion was Smeringus mesanensis, though at the time the studies were published the name was parauroctonus mesanensis.


Here's another: "Some would say i'm a stripey LITTLE devil but you wont find me in Sonoran lands, but rather look for me in a small dog."



this is going to be a tricky one but i'm excited to see if anyone can guess it.


John


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## Aztek (Jul 20, 2009)

pandinus said:


> you got it Zach. the scorpion was Smeringus mesanensis, though at the time the studies were published the name was parauroctonus mesanensis.
> 
> 
> Here's another: "Some would say i'm a stripey LITTLE devil but you wont find me in Sonoran lands, but rather look for me in a small dog."
> ...


Well ... Stripes always bring vittatus to my mind.. and they're found in chihuahah(Small dog) but you said "little devil"...

Does that make it something else? Smaller?
Since it's also striped and from Chihuaha and smaller....
Vaejovis Waueri?


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 20, 2009)

*Vaejovis spinigerus*

Vaejovis spinigerus

http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/v_spinigerus.htm

Common names:
Official US common name is "Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion". "The Arizona Devil Scorpion" has also been used. The latin name spinigerus means "spine bearing".


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## Aztek (Jul 20, 2009)

Nomadinexile said:


> Vaejovis spinigerus
> 
> http://www.ub.ntnu.no/scorpion-files/v_spinigerus.htm
> 
> ...


Es de Sonora....


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 20, 2009)

kari's scoprion pages has it listed in texas, I didn't think the sonoran made it here!


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 20, 2009)

Could it be 

Diplocentrus Diablo?

They aren't striped, but what the heck


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 20, 2009)

Or,... Is it Vaejovis coahuilae, the lesser striped scorpion?


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 21, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Es de Sonora....



Ah ha, it hasn't been seen in texas since it's original description, so maybe not


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## pandinus (Jul 21, 2009)

Nomadinexile said:


> Or,... Is it Vaejovis coahuilae, the lesser striped scorpion?


Ding Ding Ding Winner!

Vaejovis coahuilae is often reffered to as the lesser striped scorpion or lesser striped devil scorpion and is found in the regions of the Chihuahuan desert from texas on through new mexico, but is not however found in the sonoran desert alongside the larger "striped devil scorpion" aka Vaejovis(Hoffimanus) spiningerus


John


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## Nomadinexile (Jul 21, 2009)

Finally!  I was starting to wonder if I knew anything at all!  Thanks for that Texas sized bone!   



pandinus said:


> Ding Ding Ding Winner!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## pandinus (Jul 21, 2009)

Nomadinexile said:


> Finally!  I was starting to wonder if I knew anything at all!  Thanks for that Texas sized bone!


hey, you also had a good chunk of new mexico to play with too!


"In the battle of the sexes i am unique for the males of my island race rule over females in size and number. Who am i?"





John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 21, 2009)

Isometrus maculatus


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## pandinus (Jul 21, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> Isometrus maculatus


nope. Isometrus males are much smaller than the females, but their apendages are much longer. its not going to be a scorpion that many of you will have ever kept before




John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 21, 2009)

Ahhh.....

<edit> <edit> you <edit>ing I <edit> hate this <edit> thread!
You know what? You can go <edit> <edit> <edit> <edit> for all I care!


LOL I'm joking!


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## pandinus (Jul 21, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> Ahhh.....
> 
> <edit> <edit> you <edit>ing I <edit> hate this <edit> thread!
> You know what? You can go <edit> <edit> <edit> <edit> for all I care!
> ...


nope that's not it either.  


John


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## Aztek (Jul 21, 2009)

Euscorpiops??


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## alexi (Jul 21, 2009)

amazonius matriarches  
Forgive me, I have no friends and am clueless.


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2009)

alright this one may be just a wee bit too vauge so i'll also throw in one more hint that you will find this scorpion living uninvited in another arthropod's house.


John


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 22, 2009)

Androctonus bicolor


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2009)

Warren Bautista said:


> Androctonus bicolor


nope doesnt qualify for any parts of the clue.



John


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## Aztek (Jul 22, 2009)

Tityus trinitatis


I'm sure it's right now...
right?


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Tityus trinitatis
> 
> 
> I'm sure it's right now...
> right?


Yep!

Tityus trinitatus is a scorpion that is found on Trinidad that live in aggregations in termite mounds. They are unusual in that in this species the male is much larger than the female and dwarfs her in comparison. This species has an unusaul sex ratio of 3:1 in the male's favor, which some scientists attribute to cannibalism on the much smaller females. this socrpion is also known to have some very medically significant venom.




John


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## ThomasH (Jul 22, 2009)

pandinus said:


> Yep!
> 
> Tityus trinitatus is a scorpion that is found on Trinidad that live in aggregations in termite mounds. They are unusual in that in this species the male is much larger than the female and dwarfs her in comparison. This species has an unusaul sex ratio of 3:1 in the male's favor, which some scientists attribute to cannibalism on the much smaller females. this socrpion is also known to have some very medically significant venom.
> 
> ...


That is very interesting.:worship: Any more?
TBH


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## Aztek (Jul 22, 2009)

Okay let me try.

"There are a few others like me, living in the abyss. But my name describes what we all are in the language spoken where I'm from."


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## ThomasH (Jul 22, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Okay let me try.
> 
> "There are a few others like me, living in the abyss. But my name describes what we all are in the language spoken where I'm from."


_Scorpio maurus_?
TBH


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## T.ass-mephisto (Jul 22, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Okay let me try.
> 
> "There are a few others like me, living in the abyss. But my name describes what we all are in the language spoken where I'm from."


wow.........thats a tricky one....:?


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Okay let me try.
> 
> "There are a few others like me, living in the abyss. But my name describes what we all are in the language spoken where I'm from."





Alacran tartarus


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## Aztek (Jul 22, 2009)

pandinus said:


> Alacran tartarus


Oh damn, that dude fits the description perfectly.
But it wasn't what I was aiming for.

You're technically right though.
Should I just say what I was going for? Or you want to keep guessing.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 22, 2009)

sAY THE ANSWER


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## pandinus (Jul 22, 2009)

Aztek said:


> Oh damn, that dude fits the description perfectly.
> But it wasn't what I was aiming for.
> 
> You're technically right though.
> Should I just say what I was going for? Or you want to keep guessing.


However you wanna play it. unless its a Balisarius spp. i might be out of luck on another guess though. i can think of one or two that fit the description but none that are very unique



John


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## Aztek (Jul 22, 2009)

Troglocormus ciego

Cus ciego means blind....
And there's a couple other blind ones...
And they are from the caves.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 22, 2009)

"Don't touch me, man. I'm related to someone notorious for their sting, so I can't be all that good. Don't touch my roomy either, if you reach into our bunk, I'll sting you, which'll probably scare your camel. And btw, my roomy has a backbone."


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## thedude (Jul 22, 2009)

A. bicolor?


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 22, 2009)

Wow, either I'm stupid or you're smart. I'm leaning towards the first one.
You are correct.


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## Aztek (Jul 22, 2009)

Everyone's seen that video. 

And it's probably why the other guy thought A.Bicolor was the answer to the last one pandinus said.


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## Warren Bautista (Jul 22, 2009)

Hey, wait a minute, I answered A bicolor for the last one!


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## thedude (Jul 22, 2009)

i'm no scorp guy.. but yeah tha tvideo didn't help xD


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