C. vittatus (Pics) and some questions

[MrDeranged]

Okay all, just picked up supposedly 2 C. vittatus. I'm wondering though. I know that there is color variation, but one looks completely different to my untrained eye. Tell me what you think. Here's a few pics of the enclosure I have them in and the scorps themselves....

Enclosure:

With scorps in it:

Scorps together:

Scorp #1:

Scorp #2:

What do you think? Two different scorps or the same???

Scott

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Scorp two is identical to mine. Scorp one appears to have only lighter coloration insignifying it is merely a differentiation in subspecies. They do not fight consistantly? If not, ten-to-one, only subspecies. If so, I'd recommend moving one away from the other until a positive id can be made on the first. Centruroides subspecies tend to do quite well together, as I have a large group of margaritatus varying in color morph together, as well as a number of other Centruroides genus scorpions all kept with the others of their species. Yes, this includes exilicauda which is said by many to not be the community type. I keep the exilicauda in a custom flat though. If the scorps weren't together in the photo, I would be asking if the lighting is different between the tanks. lol. In this case, they appear to be near identical, other than size and color morph.

Over all, I'd say, same species but brought in from a different area. Lighter color morph usually tends to say that it is from a warmer climate (allows their color to reflect heat instead of absorb).

edw.

 

[skinheaddave]

Exilicauda not communal? Who said that?

Yes, Scott, they both look like C.vittatus, which can have quite a colour variation accross their range. Whether or not their canabalistic instincts are mediated, they seem to be of similar size so if you keep them well fed you should be fine.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Bob the thief]

I once bred a female scorp that looks exactly like those , sold em all though

It was a petshop that had them listed as texas desert scorpions.
Never saw them again.
The owner of the shop got stung by one the day he sold it to me. so I know it most likely wont kill you it was painful though.
But like I said she looked exactly like it.

Oh and wasent to agile with the tail like the arizonus are.





BTW where did you get that enclosure ? looks nice

 

[MrDeranged]

Well, I didn't really see too much fighting per se. At one point, one walked by the other and looked like it struck with it's telson and them kept on going. The other slight instance I saw was also with them walking by and their telsons kinda got tied up with each other. As for being well fed, I put in 8 1/2 crickets yesterday and they were all gone today. As you can see in some of the pics, they dove right in

Scott

 

[MrDeranged]

Originally posted by Bob the thief

BTW where did you get that enclosure ? looks nice

Made it myself. Do a search for "Arachnohomes" in "The Watering Hole" forum.

Scott

 

[Bob the thief]

Oh and if its the same nameless one I had bought they breed like wildfire.

 

[steve055]

The heart shaped "mask" that they have on their eyes is the best way to tell C. Vittatus from other similar looking Sp.

 

[Kugellager]

I'm nearly 100% sure what you have is the aforementioned color variation of C.vittatus. The best and most sure way to tell the difference between C.exilicauda and C.vittatus by looking at them is that C.vittatus has that dark triangle marking extending from their medial eyes toward their mouth and C.exilicauda does not have that triangle. Other wise they can look identical is most other respects.

I have heard of people keeping both of them (C.ex and C.vit )together communally. I have not tried it myself.

John
];')

 

[zoobugs]

They look like the vitts that I have. Both appear to be females also.

 

[Weapon-X]

re

yeah those look exacty like the 9 i just sold, John: i have been keeping my texas barks and arizona barks together in the same tank for the last 2 weeks without any problems, they have tons of hides and have been fed reguraly to make sure no one gets cannibalized so far no problems.---Jeff

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Upon reading, I reply to your question... and quote Ann Webb of the British Tarantula Society from a book titled "SCORPIONS KEEPING & BREEDING THEM IN CAPTIVITY" (1998), "CENTRUROIDES EXILICAUDA (FORMERLY SCULPTURATUS) - SCULPTURED BARK SCORPION
Species considered DANGEROUS and must be housed alone."

I know they can be housed together, as I had said before, I keep them together as well. Though many authors and scorpionists say otherwise.

edw.

Originally posted by skinheaddave
Exilicauda not communal? Who said that?

Yes, Scott, they both look like C.vittatus, which can have quite a colour variation accross their range. Whether or not their canabalistic instincts are mediated, they seem to be of similar size so if you keep them well fed you should be fine.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Yeah but you really need to be careful with that Ann Webb book as there are many many errors in that book. For instance...she states that C.hentzi is dangerous...it is nothing of the sort unless you have an allergic reaction. It has many nice pictures but it is severly lacking on correct information. A better book to rely on for basic information is the most recent edition of Manny Rubio's book 'Scorpions: A complete Pet owners manual.

John
];')

 

[skinheaddave]

John,

C.hentzi is dangerous. Consider, if you would, that you are driving down the road and you see a C.hentzi on a tree by the side of the road. While you're going "hey, there's a C.hentzi on the tree" you aren't paying attention to where you are driving and are likely to get into an accident.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Kugellager]

Excellent point Dave.

If I indeed did see one on a tree as I was driving down the road I would probably attempt to stop so fast so I could catch it the car behind me would end up in my back seat. =D

John
];')

 

[invertepet]

Hey Scott, what's up with the straw? Watering? Soil aeration?

Nice looking pair of scorps, btw.

bill

 

[MrDeranged]

I use them to get water to the layer of gravel underneath the peat so that the moisture leaches into the substrate from below.

Scott

 

[invertepet]

Good idea! Hadn't thought of that. Similar to sandy or scrubby environs where the moisture level is inches or more below the surface.

bill

 

[XOskeletonRED]

*lmao* I am in total agreement with you on that one. heheh... The reason I have that book, is definitely not for information, but rather the photography. Most impressive, in my own opinion, is the photograph taken by one W. Wuester of the Tityus stigmurus. Excellent photography for a most menacing appearance of a scorpion. One of these days, I am going to find someone to get me a few sent here. *drools* Definitely a very killa scorpion, though not nearly as venomous as many others, including the yellow counterpart which appears almost identical, off the coloration side, the Tityus serrulatus, which is also a very impressive scorpion.
Does anyone happen to know what the species name is of the scorpion photographed on pages 40 and 41 and listed as a Guatemalan buthid (photograph by Zoltan Takacs)? I can find many that appear similar, but nothing I find seems to match up perfectly, not to mention, Zoltan's site doesn't specify anything about it.

later,
edw.

 

[Kugellager]

The red in that Tityus sp. is awsome coloration...I got it mostly for the pics too. I believe the scorp on pages 40-41 is a C.gracilis.

John
];')