Gender Florida Bark Scorpion

GeorgeOfTheJungle7

Arachnopeon
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Apr 18, 2020
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Can anyone help me figure out which gender my Florida bark Scorpion is?
Also he hasn't eaten in 2 weeks or so and still doesn't eat(not even freshly killed crickets) Is this ok?
He also misses 1 pedipalp.

IMG_20200409_012846_4.jpg
 

GordoOldman

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Would love to see an image of the whole scorpion. Especially the metasoma.

So...you are looking at 33 days since the post of not feeding plus 2 weeks prior to that, so roughly 47 days sans food.

A healthy scorpion of most species is capable of sustained lengths of fasting...and the image of the pectines you posted appear to show an animal with good body weight. What temperatures are you keeping it at?

You stated that it was missing a pedipalp in the initial post, was that a recent event at that time? Or was it an old injury that was already healed?

I know, a lot of questions. Asked because while true that under optimal conditions many taxa can go long periods without feeding, there are factors that contribute to that.
 

GeorgeOfTheJungle7

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Would love to see an image of the whole scorpion. Especially the metasoma.

So...you are looking at 33 days since the post of not feeding plus 2 weeks prior to that, so roughly 47 days sans food.

A healthy scorpion of most species is capable of sustained lengths of fasting...and the image of the pectines you posted appear to show an animal with good body weight. What temperatures are you keeping it at?

You stated that it was missing a pedipalp in the initial post, was that a recent event at that time? Or was it an old injury that was already healed?

I know, a lot of questions. Asked because while true that under optimal conditions many taxa can go long periods without feeding, there are factors that contribute to that.
Would you like a picture of the metasoma fully stretched or curled up?

Yes, 47 days without food.

I'm keeping it at my room temperature, which is between 25C and 30C, since it is a local species. (Veracruz, Mexico)
Also I always keep the terrarium a bit moist.

Old injury that had already healed. I can try getting a picture of the stump.

Thank you for your interest and time!
 

GordoOldman

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No need to stress the individual by stretching, curled is fine. If it is possible to get a picture of the healed injury that would be appreciated. Also an image of the pedipalp that it still has would be greatly appreciated.

This is a species I have great interest in and work with on a very large level.

I have always been against the common name of FL Bark Scorpion for this species. Even if it has been naturalized for hundreds if years in Florida as an introduced species, it is also found in many other places outside the native Central American range...could just as easily call it the Canary Islands Bark Scorpion if we are to discount range...sorry, I digress.

So ambient air temps in the 80's (Fahrenheit) good humidity. Has the body weight diminished over the past 47 days? Or is it holding consistent?
 
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GeorgeOfTheJungle7

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I hope this will be sufficient, if not let me know.

Sounds cool! What do you do?

Yeah, I get that, they're originally from Cuba right? What name would you suggest if it could ever be changed?

I don't know about the weight, but he does look skinnier then before. He also now has a slight depression on his telson of which I'm pretty sure it wasn't there before.


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GordoOldman

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Originally Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Personally the nomenclature of gracilis lends itself to slender or graceful...so that is the most apt common name in use for me :)

The indented telson is interesting...

Thank you for taking the time to photograph him.

Was he wild caught as an adult? If so how long have you had him? Age in combination with the disadvantage of not having two pedipalps may contribute to the non feeding.

Looks like they have a great set up.
 

GeorgeOfTheJungle7

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Originally Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Personally the nomenclature of gracilis lends itself to slender or graceful...so that is the most apt common name in use for me :)

The indented telson is interesting...

Thank you for taking the time to photograph him.

Was he wild caught as an adult? If so how long have you had him? Age in combination with the disadvantage of not having two pedipalps may contribute to the non feeding.

Looks like they have a great set up.
Now I know what Gracilis means, thanks!

Yes, he is indeed wild caught. Although he kind of came to me since I caught him while he was making his way into the kitchen. 😁 I've had him for about 2 months. He was already missing the pedipalp.
I've also had 2 female C. Gracilis, one of them I accidentally brought home on a nice log I found and a couple weeks and crickets later I found her with about 40 slings on top. The other I found in the garden with a couple of slings running around her. The gardener prefers killing over respecting or relocating, so I relocated her together with the new mom and her slings, after observing her for about a week.

Thank you! I tried my best to set up something they might've liked to call their home in the wild too.
 

GordoOldman

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Thank you for sharing! I love seeing all those red chela of the scorplings on her back! No matter how many litters I produce, nor how many times I witness it, it never gets old!

She was gorgeous!

Do most of the C. gracilis in your yard appear that dark? Or have you noticed variations in phenotypic expression.

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GeorgeOfTheJungle7

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Thank you for sharing! I love seeing all those red chela of the scorplings on her back! No matter how many litters I produce, nor how many times I witness it, it never gets old!

She was gorgeous!

Do most of the C. gracilis in your yard appear that dark? Or have you noticed variations in phenotypic expression.

View attachment 345765
Yeah I miss her and her kids, She would also put up quite a show while feeding.

So far they've all appeared this dark, the lightest one is my adult male. Which seems to be a bit more brown/blackish.
 

GeorgeOfTheJungle7

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Meant for this cricket to deposit her eggs (since she appeared ready to do so) so my slings would have some pinheads to practice hunting on, but they're already ready for the big stuff!

IMG_20200524_043340_9.jpg
 

GordoOldman

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Their venom is remarkably adept at dispatching crickets! Not that the venom is something to take lightly in other organisms, it always amazes.me how lightly their venoms are taken here in the US.

Fun watching how quickly they grow!
 
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