Petstore sold this as a flat rock scorpion?!

joeysgreen

Arachnopeon
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May 16, 2007
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My first scorpion, and I'm a newbie to inverts altogether. This baby flat rock scorpion was pretty cool, and I knew this species to be large enough to handle but not potent enough to be alarming. So thinking it was a good starter species, I buy it.

Once home I look more closely at it. It sure doesn't look like any flat rock I"ve seen at reptile shows or online. Perhaps it's just immature I convince myself :eek:

A fed it baby roaches every day



and it soon shed it's skin... it's about 1 inch long at pic time



It's more than doubled in size and is a beautifully patturned, agile 3" long scorpion. This is it's third shed with me, about a week ago.



So I take this critter, now believed to be big enough to share with friends at a herp meeting and pic it up with a spoon to let it crawl around on my hand. Soon it's confirmed to be nothing of the like and probably a centroides spp. They also said it could very well be dangerous and I should be more carefull until positively ID'd.

With some help from friends and this board I believe it to be centroides gracilis. Is this correct? Are the stings any worse than a bee sting (my limit with having a young son around) I have it on moist but not damp peat moss and mist each day just a little. Baby roaches are devoured. How big will this guy get, and can I improve it's care? I'm about as green as they come to inverts and am learning lots every time I visit this site :)

It was dumb to trust the petstore on this purchase :wall:

Ian
 

lychas

Arachnolord
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looks like a centroides to me, possible centroides gracilis.
 

P.jasonius

Arachnobaron
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I know the Centruroides species around here are quite painful. Throbbing for hours, a bit like hitting your thumb with a hammer. Yes, a bit worse than a bee sting.
Someone please verify this for C. gracilis, my exp with this spp is nil.
Beautiful scorp, by the way.
[edit] I started looking and remembered reading something about the C. gracilis from central/south America being medically significant, but not the florida variety. If this is the case, and this was a pet store buy and you can't verify the location of collection, I wouldn't handle it until someone can verify this.
 
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Spiderface

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It does look alot like c gracilis. I bought a vinegaroon from a pet store once that was labeled as a flat rock scorpion. I guess pet shops just like the sound of that name. At least you didn't get tagged. I liked this species when I had them, If you put some driftwood or branches in the cage for them to climb on they will use them.
 

Raan_Jodus

Arachnodemon
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if its about 3 inchs, it looks like you have a full grown female C. Gracilis on your hands. I could be wrong about the sex if its not full grown though, so don't quote me. Looks rather similar to one I have though. Have the legs darkened at all or have they stayed yellowish?

Definately not a flat rock :p I wouldnt suggest handling it, as they are quick, and tend to be kinda skittish, so who knows where they could end up if startled.

Id suggest giving it something to climb on, and slightly moister environment. She'll be more comfy then.
 
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beetleman

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yeah, they are great scorps:clap: but man!!! they hurt when they sting:eek: been stung accidently. not a good feeling.
 

Dom

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I don't think it's an adult, still has that juvie look. The ones I've been raising up lost that light stripe down the back at 5I. Great species though. Along with B. jacksoni they're the easiest species I've raised.
 

edesign

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yeah, i would advise against handling as well especially if you can't verify the locale it came from.

general rule of thumb...if it has large/thick pincers and a slim tail it's probably nonvenomous. If it has slim pincers and a thick tail, chances are it packs a punch, possibly medically significant. The one in your pictures will pack a punch, and if it's from S. America...heheh, doubt you want to find out.
 

telow

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that is a centruroides gracilis !

i would advise you not to handle it as it can cause you lot of pain,
or worse in some cases so best bet is to look but dont toutch,
being that this is your first scorp you should do some backround,
research on this species so you know how to deal with it,
just be carefull.
 

i_like_scorps

Arachnosquire
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I agree with edesign and use common sense with venomous species. You had/have no idea what it is. ONE sting is all it takes to die! Either by the venom itself or from anaphylaxis (deadly allergy). Common sense will kick into play here with the pincer/tail sizes. Thin pincers and thick tail = dangerous while thick pincers and thin tail is more "pet quality". This is just stuff that we all learn just like the colors of animals in nature. Red, yellow, orange and black are all colors of "dangerous" animals.....usually means they are poisonous. Nonetheless, it is a gorgous scorp; congrats on getting it and HANDS OFF!!!
 

kahoy

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how the hell did that petshop name that as flatrock?

i bet they dont know how to use the internet.

{D
 

Drachenjager

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hmmm all scorps are venomous by the way.... just to differing degrees.
I have found centruroides under flat rocks before maybe thats the reason lol never found a gracilis tho maybe its shoudl have been called scopr FOUND under a flat rock lol
 

joeysgreen

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May 16, 2007
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Thanks guys, I'll add something to climb on and maybe some bark to hide under. He's sucking back another roach as I type. He's hard to measure, maybe he's only 2 1/2 inches. That's a guestimate when he runs with his tail straight out. So these guys get around three inches... and from what I understand they molt 5-6 times and then stop as adults unlike tarantula's which continue to molt, is this correct? How long do they live? The anatomy post elsewhere on this forum showed a pic of some sort of sexual pedipalp things on the ventral side. Mine definately has those, does that indicate male or female?

Is there any way to tell the locale or different subspecies? I'll definately keep hands off, but it would be nice to know.

Thanks again :)

Ian
 

xVOWx

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Your lucky it molted so well. You need to put a peice of wood/bark leaning against one of the walls so it has a verticle place to molt next time. Looks like a jeuvy to me.
 

edesign

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Is there any way to tell the locale or different subspecies? I'll definately keep hands off, but it would be nice to know.
not that I'm aware of but scorps are not my specialty...perhaps there is a certain type of color morph? Maybe Skinhead_Dave will chime in or someone else well educated in the world of scorpion taxonomy.
 

SalS

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Sure looks like a C. gracilis to me. The tricky part is there are 2 kinds that have very different venom. The C. gracilis from Florida is mildly venomous, but the ones from Central America have a much stronger toxin and can be deadly. I've kept both kinds before. The Central American species seem to have a redder legs than the Florida kind. Either way, be on the safe side and limit handling.
 

marcelo_987

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are you guys sure that's a c. gracilis, it looks like an Androctonus to me....



just kidding. That's a SA c. gracilis, the SA morphs have color where as the FL is a monotone color. If yours is 2 1/2 iches than it's a sub-subadult, if it molt once more it will become a subadult and than if it molts again it will be an adult.
These are SA


SA I2


and a full grown FL adult
 
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