Can someome identify?

Ephesians

Arachnobaron
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These are the scorps I was referring to in my post about a month ago. I just now got a digital cam...lol, and still trying to get good pics out of it. My apt. just has really crummy lighting so its hard to get good detail....anyway...here she blows. I have two of these, I think they're just common Texas scorps for the price the guy sold them to me for,...but ya'll can be the judge of that. Thanks a mil.
 

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Arachnobaron
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Also...is this emperor gravid? Shes gotten REALLY fat in the past month...
 

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Ephesians

Arachnobaron
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Better picture. Mind you she is only about 3" not including the tail.
 

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Ephesians

Arachnobaron
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Anyway, her top scales have seperated quite a bit, and she has grown steadily fatter in the past month. I wish she would come out of her burrow because the picture doesn't really justify the ratio of her fatness...lol. Anyway, I got these two at the same time and so far she (and I'm not totally positive its a she, either) has been the only one to grow and it has been just within the time period noted. In a way it'd be good if she was gravid, but at the same time I wouldn't know what the crap to do with the little chitlins.
 

Kugellager

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Its hard to ID from your pic...The color looks like it could be a female Texas Bark scorpion(C.vittatus). A pic from directly above would make it easier to ID.

The emp could be gravid...it is quite fat...though could also be well fed though emps usually don't get that chubby unless its a gravid female...at least the ones I've seen.

John
];')
 

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Arachnobaron
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Well considering that she has eaten very little up until recently definately clarifies that she isn't overfed. I took a good shot of her today but it came out blurry. Okay...then it wasn't a good shot...ANYWAY...yeah, positive she's gravid. Any advice for this one, doc? How many little rugrats will I have on mammas back and how long do they remain gravid until birth? Here is a top pic of the other scorps. Thanks again so much.

Marcus
 

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steve055

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To me it looks to be a Vaejovis Sp. maybe V. spinigerus.
 

Kugellager

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Well marcus...I'm going to need more information on who and where you got that scorp to ID it. Below is a reply I recieved from Chad Lee who is and arachnologist in Texas who is quite knowledgeable with scorps from there. If you have any other information Marcus It would definitely help...That scorp isn't anything I'm familiar with.

John
];')

Quote:Subject: Re: Un ID Texas Scorpion

John,

I'll comment further to an speculative id but if you can extract any
information from your correspondence as to which dealer sold it I'm more than interested off list.

Without going into the specimen collection and digging into tax
papers tonight, it isn't C. vittatus, any Paruroctonus nor
Psuedouroctonus...

Are there any other photographs to view or any other viable
information as a pectinal tooth count per comb or possible behaviors?

Best regards,

Sinc. Chad
 

Stormcrow

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The emperor appears to be gravid, though, female scorpions are more prone to eatin more abuntantly than males in some instances (especially noted among buthids). The males seem to be more scrupulous about the amount of their nutrition (a la crix, roaches, etc.) intake. A fact that has been noted by one of the hobby's leading authority.

Looking at the first scorpion... my best guestimate, it appears to be a Centruroides because of the cephalothorax. But the dark triangular marking in the ocular forward region of the cephalothorax is absent which is one of common characteristics of the C.vittatus not shared by C.exilicauda. Though there have been C.vittatus that have lacked the dark triangular marking completely.

(Don't let that very last statement confuse you, just a misinformation disclaimer)
 
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Ephesians

Arachnobaron
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I aquired her in a small town petshop in Temple, TX. They seem to be really light eaters, and really docile. I have to venture back into that town today to get some crap so I'll go by the pet shop and see if they remember what the scientific name was they had it under (which I doubt they even had) or if they remember who they purchased it from. THanks so much for the help.
 

skinheaddave

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Originally posted by Stormcrow
A fact that has been noted by one of the hobby's leading authority.
Who was this? I would be interested as to whether they accounted for dimorphism in their assessment and whether they bothered to quantify their observations.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Stormcrow

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It was Dave Gaban on the Scorpion-Enthusiasts mailing list a few years back. He observed the female buthids usually eat more than the males do.
 

Kugellager

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Marcus,

When you get the information from the pet store be sure to post it.

Upon doing some of my own research it is definitely NOT a C.vittatus...not even of the Centruroides genus.

The fifth segment of the metasoma is not long enough compared to the other 4 segments and all of the metasomal segments are too 'stubby'. Also, the first segment after the chela is just too 'stubby' for it to be of the Centruroides genus.

At this point I'm leaning toward Vaejovis Sp. as well...still need more info and possibly closer pics of last telson segment and head/pedipalp region.

John
];')

P.S. By the way...if it really is mellow in behavior its prob not a V.spinigerus...they are wicked little MF's and go into a defensive posture even if you blow air across them.
 
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Ephesians

Arachnobaron
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A friend and I are going there tomorrow and I will be sure to get the infomation for you. I'll tell you I really do appreciate the effort you are putting forth. If you will give me a list of the photographs you need I will take them and post them.
 

skinheaddave

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John,

I'd agree that it is Vaejovis sp. The pedipalp segment just proximal to the chela shows the angularity typical of the genus. Unfortunately, of the two dozen or so Vaejovis species native to the Southern US, I can only seem to find pics for a few species. Of all the ones I've seen, some of the V.spinigerus seem to be closest. I wonder how much colour variation there actualy is, though, as I am skeptical of any pics other than the ones on Stockwell and Jan's sites. With V.spinigerus and V.carolineaus seeming to dominate in the pet trade, I imagine there will be many species misidentified as those two.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Kugellager

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The ideal photos would be close-ups of the last 2 segments of the tail from its side and close-ups of the 'head' region as well as the pincers where you can see the 'teeth' on the pincers. The sharpness of the photos will show some of the detail need to ID it and are the easiest to obtain. Photos of the underside would be ideal but it is difficult to convince the scorp to hold still and may not be necessary in this case.

John
];')
 

Stormcrow

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The vesicle and cephalothorax look too wrong for a Vaejovidae. In fact it appears to have the keel patterns near the median eyes that is so common with buthidae. Plus the sexual dimorphism in the Centruroides genus would be acceptable as female.
 
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skinheaddave

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Originally posted by Stormcrow
The vesicle and cephalothorax look too wrong for a Vaejovidae. In fact it appears to have the keel patterns near the median eyes that is so common with buthidae. Plus the sexual dimorphism in the Centruroides genus would be acceptable as female.
Actualy, the vesicle seems to be rather bulbous. Centruroides vesicles are almost universaly slightly elongate. Vaejovis, on the other hand, has a more bulbous teslon.

Also, consider the fifth metasomal segment. Even in Centruroides having shorter metasomal segments (i.e. C.vittatus), the fifth metasomal segment is noticably elongated. The fourth metasomal segment is often also elongated, though to a lesser degree. Metasoma length is greater and keeling on the metasoma also tends to be much less pronounced.

As for your assertations regarding the cephalothorax, I can see where you have gone wrong. The shape is indeed close to that of some Centruroides species. In fact, when I first looked at the picture from the top, my first impression was of Centruroides. Some species of Vaejovis (V.spinigerus, for example), also have that shape, however. Also, in case you hadn't noticed, the keel patterns near the median eyes I think you are refering to are not at all unique to the Buthids, much less Centruroides. In fact, the patterning of the posterior mesosoma would be atypical of Centruroides.

Your last sentence is completely incomprehensible.

Cheers,
Dave
 
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