Question..

[Valael]

I was watching a show on the National Geographic channel the other day, and they were talking briefly about scorpions (I think it was venomous animals and they happened to come across one) and the guide said "Remember, big pinchers mean not very venomous, little pinchers mean very, very venomous"


Does that rule hold true to all scorpions?



(They showed an emporer scorpion, but it appeared to be somewhat red in color.. So maybe it was just a local thing..)

 

[Reitz]

No. It is true, at least as far as I know, that there aren't any dangerous scorps with thick chela (pinchers), though it looks like the jury is still out on the O. glabifrons.

However, there are plenty of non-dangerous scorps with small chela. For example, the desert hairy (H. arizonsis), which has a sting that hurts a lot, but won't kill a non-allergic person.

The rule is good for uneducated travelers though. If you come home from Africa and find a scorp in your suitcase you can be sure that if it has large pinchers it's safe. If they're small, however, it could be dangerous. So the rule is helpful, though not by any means absolute.

Peace,
Chris

 

[XOskeletonRED]

Indeed, keep in mind that any non-deadly scorpion could possibly cause an allergic reaction and therefor, become a very dangerous scorpion for such a person.


adios,
edw.