# Scorpion ID Southern California



## R U 4 THC 2 (Jun 21, 2011)

I found this little guy around palm springs at a friends house. It's significantly smaller than my dune scorpions. It has very small, seemingly weak pedipalps and a much thicker tail than a dune scorpion of the same size. It's color is more rusty as well.

I hope this is the right forum, Sorry, Im new


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## neubii18 (Jun 21, 2011)

Looks like a sarraigitus(spelling?) sp. to me.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 21, 2011)

Thinking maybe a small _Hadrurus arizonensis_, I've been finding a lot of slings of them out near Palm Springs recently.


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## R U 4 THC 2 (Jun 21, 2011)

compnerd7 said:


> Thinking maybe a small _Hadrurus arizonensis_, I've been finding a lot of slings of them out near Palm Springs recently.


I dont know too much about Identifying scorpions, but this little guy has such small pedepalps, I just dont think its a desert hairy. When I throw crickets in with it, itll wait for the cricket to die then eat it. Almost like a scavenger. It's pincers just dont look very strong at all.


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## compnerd7 (Jun 21, 2011)

R U 4 THC 2 said:


> I dont know too much about Identifying scorpions, but this little guy has such small pedepalps, I just dont think its a desert hairy. When I throw crickets in with it, itll wait for the cricket to die then eat it. Almost like a scavenger. It's pincers just dont look very strong at all.


Yeah your right, that's a taxonomy fail on my part.

It looks like _Serradigitus gertschi_, I have found those out there too.


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## Bazzgazm (Jun 21, 2011)

not being from california.. that is spot on the baddest but mini scorpion i've ever seen..
rivaling even androctonus for just menacing looking.


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## neubii18 (Jun 21, 2011)

compnerd7 said:


> Yeah your right, that's a taxonomy fail on my part.
> 
> It looks like _Serradigitus gertschi_, I have found those out there too.


That's why I was thinking to.I don't think it's S.g.striatus,so probably S.g. gerschi.


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## super-pede (Jun 21, 2011)

that scorp is pretty BA looking.


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## R U 4 THC 2 (Jun 22, 2011)

http://bugguide.net/node/view/421079/bgpage

It seems, judging by the few images I've found online after that suggested ID, that the little guy is Serradigitus gertschi. I'm welcome to other suggestions, but it seems pretty fit.

Thanks for the help everyone. Now I have another question, does the size of the pedapalps compared to the size of the tail mean anything at all? I'd assume with such thin, weak looking pedapalps that the reason it'd have a thicker tail would be to hold more venom because it can't hold on to prey as easy as a scorpion with larger, stronger pedapalps?

Feel free to correct me, thats just an observation. ;P


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## compnerd7 (Jun 22, 2011)

Found this guy in Desert Hot Springs just north of Palm Springs. prolly same SP


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## R U 4 THC 2 (Jun 22, 2011)

compnerd7 said:


> Found this guy in Desert Hot Springs just north of Palm Springs. prolly same SP


Oh wow, very cool bro! Do you go out with a blacklight at night, flip rocks in the day, or find these on your property? Im a huge fan of the Desert Hairy's! They are so bad ass! I may have a couple gravid female Dune Scorpions


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## compnerd7 (Jun 22, 2011)

R U 4 THC 2 said:


> Oh wow, very cool bro! Do you go out with a blacklight at night, flip rocks in the day, or find these on your property? Im a huge fan of the Desert Hairy's! They are so bad ass! I may have a couple gravid female Dune Scorpions


I've never been out with a black light, if I were to do that i'm sure that i'd have way better success.... I just go out herping in that area a lot, and I work out there alot so I'm always checking under wood and trash piles. I've found most by naked eye just flipping wood and trash at dusk, right when they come out. I'll eventually do a night run for rattlesnakes and Scorpions when it gets a little hotter, as in staying hot ( 90 degrees ) at night. Just did a night run out there last week, it was terrible, good temps, but really high winds.  I'm going out there tomorrow hopefully I can snag a few if i'm lucky.


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## R U 4 THC 2 (Jun 22, 2011)

compnerd7 said:


> I've never been out with a black light, if I were to do that i'm sure that i'd have way better success.... I just go out herping in that area a lot, and I work out there alot so I'm always checking under wood and trash piles. I've found most by naked eye just flipping wood and trash at dusk, right when they come out. I'll eventually do a night run for rattlesnakes and Scorpions when it gets a little hotter, as in staying hot ( 90 degrees ) at night. Just did a night run out there last week, it was terrible, good temps, but really high winds.  I'm going out there tomorrow hopefully I can snag a few if i'm lucky.


Right on, that sounds cool. Yeah last time I was out lookin for scorpions we found a sidewinder. Unfortunately we didnt have anything to catch it with. I love sidewinders. Id build a real.sweet enclosure for that if I had it. 

Yeah 114 degrees farenheit today in palmsprings


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## compnerd7 (Jun 22, 2011)

What am I thinking? That pic is of one of my _Vejovis confucius_ haha sorry, This is my last catch that I kept in the desert.... 

Found some dope sidewinders out there too! http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=209676


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