Scorps in Florida.

[pandinus]

HEY I KNOW HOW TO TRAP THEM FORGET ABOUT HUNTING!! just dig a small hole and put a glass jar in it fill in the dirt around the jar to the brim and put a LITTLE bit of water in it put a big rock or piece of wood to cover most of the opening of the jar. according to what you want to catch is to how much space to leave. you can catch almost anything that walks on the ground with that, i usually use it to catch crickets for my scorp but i have caught several scorps and tarantulas (i let them go) too!! be sure to check daily. hope that helps!!

the problem is that this spoils the fun of hunting! that is like buying a trout filet instead of fishing for it! there is no sport.

 

[Fergrim]

yuck, I hate fish. Different analogy please?

I wish there were scorpions in New Jersey so I could hunt for some :/

 

[pandinus]

yuck, I hate fish. Different analogy please?

I wish there were scorpions in New Jersey so I could hunt for some :/

no analogies for you!
NEXT CUSTOMER!!!
... sorry, i went a little soup-nazi(seinfeld) there. :8o

 

[Fergrim]

hehe, it's okay. We've all been on the forums for like 8 hours. Everyone has to go a little soup nazi sometime.

 

[carpe scorpio]

i take that info from the Rubio book, and i believe i have heard it elsewhere. it is rumored that they were introduced by mistake, much like C. vittatus in NC. there are rumored to be a few small colonies, all located near BBQ joints, which suggests that they were carried in on hickory shipments from the southwest.

Interesting, I have heard that C. exilicauda travels by shipment of mesquite wood, so there is a BBQ connection, I love scorps and BBQ, but I won't eat BBQ'ed scorps.

 

[woijchik89]

HEY I KNOW HOW TO TRAP THEM FORGET ABOUT HUNTING!! just dig a small hole and put a glass jar in it fill in the dirt around the jar to the brim and put a LITTLE bit of water in it put a big rock or piece of wood to cover most of the opening of the jar. according to what you want to catch is to how much space to leave. you can catch almost anything that walks on the ground with that, i usually use it to catch crickets for my scorp but i have caught several scorps and tarantulas (i let them go) too!! be sure to check daily. hope that helps!!

Really? I gotta try this! With my luck i'll proballycatch nothing but lizards though......Anybody wanna buy a Floridian lizard?

 

[Eurypterid]

From the map I'd guess you're talking about Palm Beach county, or possibly northern Broward county. Probably the only species you're going to find is C. gracilis, or if you're more to the north and in more rural areas, maybe C. hentzi. Despite being a bark scorpion, C. gracilis usually is not found in or on trees, but on the ground. Look under rocks, logs, pieces of board, and along the lower parts of fences and walls. They are very common in that part of Florida. C. hentzi is more likely to be found on trees, especially inside hollow trunks or under large pieces of bark. Venom-wise C. hentzi is not dangerous at all. The Florida populations of C. gracilis are not considered to be medically significant, but they do pack a nasty sting. Also, I'd take the venom of C. gracilis seriously. While some individuals may not have dangerously toxic venom, there does seem to be a large amount of variation, and there is reason to believe that introductions from Central America continue to occur.

V. carolinensis is not found anywhere near that far south, and even if other exotic species like C. margaritatus have become established, it would be extremely unlikely that you would find them.

Gary

 

[woijchik89]

From the map I'd guess you're talking about Palm Beach county, or possibly northern Broward county. Probably the only species you're going to find is C. gracilis, or if you're more to the north and in more rural areas, maybe C. hentzi. Despite being a bark scorpion, C. gracilis usually is not found in or on trees, but on the ground. Look under rocks, logs, pieces of board, and along the lower parts of fences and walls. They are very common in that part of Florida. C. hentzi is more likely to be found on trees, especially inside hollow trunks or under large pieces of bark. Venom-wise C. hentzi is not dangerous at all. The Florida populations of C. gracilis are not considered to be medically significant, but they do pack a nasty sting. Also, I'd take the venom of C. gracilis seriously. While some individuals may not have dangerously toxic venom, there does seem to be a large amount of variation, and there is reason to believe that introductions from Central America continue to occur.

V. carolinensis is not found anywhere near that far south, and even if other exotic species like C. margaritatus have become established, it would be extremely unlikely that you would find them.

Gary

No, I'm talking about Highlands county Florida. Heres a WAY more accurate map, of florida.

[/IMG]

The red area, is where I live, if this helps any more.

Hopefully I'll run into more than 1 type of scorpion. I don't live near all the beaches, The most pest we have is lizards they're EVERYWHERE!

Thanks again Gary!

~Ben

 

[Eurypterid]

No, I'm talking about Highlands county Florida. Heres a WAY more accurate map, of florida.

[/IMG]

The red area, is where I live, if this helps any more.

Hopefully I'll run into more than 1 type of scorpion. I don't live near all the beaches, The most pest we have is lizards they're EVERYWHERE!

Thanks again Gary!

~Ben

Oh, the earlier map made it look like you were closer to the coast. Well, you're probably more likely to find C. hentzi there, but that and C. gracilis are the only two species that live in that part of the state. The only other species found in Florida are only in the most extreme northern and southern counties. The good news is that both C. hentzi and C. gracilis are easy to find, catch, keep and breed. And they are both nice scorps. With a good spot and a good UV light, you should be able to catch quite a few. If you have *lots* of lizards, the scorp population may not be so great there though. In more residential areas along the coast, where people's landscaping brings in more lizards (like you said, they're *everywhere*), you don't usually find scorpions. Try areas where you see fewer lizards, as C. hentzi and young C. gracilis would both make perfect lizard food.

Gary

 

[woijchik89]

Oh, the earlier map made it look like you were closer to the coast. Well, you're probably more likely to find C. hentzi there, but that and C. gracilis are the only two species that live in that part of the state. The only other species found in Florida are only in the most extreme northern and southern counties. The good news is that both C. hentzi and C. gracilis are easy to find, catch, keep and breed. And they are both nice scorps. With a good spot and a good UV light, you should be able to catch quite a few. If you have *lots* of lizards, the scorp population may not be so great there though. In more residential areas along the coast, where people's landscaping brings in more lizards (like you said, they're *everywhere*), you don't usually find scorpions. Try areas where you see fewer lizards, as C. hentzi and young C. gracilis would both make perfect lizard food.

Gary

Woah, how'd you know so much about scorps in florida? Do you live in Florida? A good freind of mine say's he used to have alot or orangish scorps with very long tails in his backyard, any idea what they may be? And its a liuttle hard to find a place with no lizards were I live.
Thanks agian for the info Gary!
~Ben

 

[Eurypterid]

Woah, how'd you know so much about scorps in florida? Do you live in Florida? A good freind of mine say's he used to have alot or orangish scorps with very long tails in his backyard, any idea what they may be? And its a liuttle hard to find a place with no lizards were I live.
Thanks agian for the info Gary!
~Ben

I'm a biologist and collect a lot of scorpions in Florida. If your friend lives near you, then they're one of the two species I already mentioned. C. gracilis is the larger of the two, and colors can be highly variable. C. gracilis can be dark brown, orange, yellowish, or even blueish. They don't usually have stripes down the back, although they will sometimes have a very thin bright orange stripe down the center when young or freshly molted. C. hentzi is smaller, tends to be lighter in color (and is often orangeish), and usually has some wide stiping down the back. In both species the males have noticeably longer and thinner tails than the females.

You don't need a place with no lizards (I don't think such a place exists in Florida anyway). But the places that are crawling with them are probably not the best places for scorpions. I often find scorpions and geckos in the same place, but where you see lizards scattering everytime you take a step I hardly ever find any scorps at all.

Gary

 

[woijchik89]

I'm a biologist and collect a lot of scorpions in Florida. If your friend lives near you, then they're one of the two species I already mentioned. C. gracilis is the larger of the two, and colors can be highly variable. C. gracilis can be dark brown, orange, yellowish, or even blueish. They don't usually have stripes down the back, although they will sometimes have a very thin bright orange stripe down the center when young or freshly molted. C. hentzi is smaller, tends to be lighter in color (and is often orangeish), and usually has some wide stiping down the back. In both species the males have noticeably longer and thinner tails than the females.

You don't need a place with no lizards (I don't think such a place exists in Florida anyway). But the places that are crawling with them are probably not the best places for scorpions. I often find scorpions and geckos in the same place, but where you see lizards scattering everytime you take a step I hardly ever find any scorps at all.

Gary

Thanks alot Gary!
Its helps alot! I'm pretty sure now it's a C. hentzi.
It's also great to hear I don't ned to find a spot with absolutely no lizards. It will make the hunt easier. I just bought a U flashlight off of eBay and the second I get it I'll see if I can catch any thing.

Thanks again!

~Ben