trip pics etc

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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Not a lot to tell and/or show, but a few things to yak about.

Sampled a small isolated population of Urodacus yaschenkoi on a dune and discovered quite a dark variant. I'm not sure I've ever encountered one this dark in pigmentation before, funny things can happen in small populations. I found another that was half way between the two shown. The light coloured one is the dominant colour form in this area. Both of these are adults. I think at this stage the light coloured one is male, the other female.







A couple of shots of U armatus burrows.





Burrow entrance of U yaschenkoi:



A shot of me holding a plaster cast of a U yaschenkoi burrow. Burrows were very common.




Early morning light on the dune, with a little death in the foreground:

 

drapion

Arachnobaron
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Great pics Mark!! Now we know what the man behind the aussie scorps looks like..
 

cricket54

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Hi Mark! Thanks for sharing your pictures.Its always nice to see the scorpions habitat on here.

Sharon
 

Gigas

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How slim are those burrows! I am regretting visting this thread again, not too long ago alot of australian theraphosids were legally exported, hopefully we can get some scorps out aswell!
 

P. Novak

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Simply amazing! Great pics, I'd love to visit Aussie one of these days, such a beautiful place. I love seeing pics of scorps natural habitat. :clap:
 

~Abyss~

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Nice pics Mark. I like the dark colored one simply beautiful.
 

arrowhd

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The burrow cast is such an odd shape. Not what I expected at all. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
 

EAD063

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The burrow cast is such an odd shape. Not what I expected at all. Great pics. Thanks for sharing.
I assume the spiral shape is to protect the burrow from unwanted climate changes, or something like that sort. It is genius though if you were a scorp. :)
 

JSN

Arachnodemon
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some of the burrows don't look that odd to me, half-moon shaped like alot of Hadrurus burrows, etc.
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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I assume the spiral shape is to protect the burrow from unwanted climate changes, or something like that sort. It is genius though if you were a scorp. :)
We cant be sure about the spirals. I understand some African species dig spiralling burrows. There are various theories. I tend to think it is most likely to keep water vapour trapped within the burrow and also to allow rain to soak into the sand rather than run straight down the burrow and flood the scorpion.
 

EAD063

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We cant be sure about the spirals. I understand some African species dig spiralling burrows. There are various theories. I tend to think it is most likely to keep water vapour trapped within the burrow and also to allow rain to soak into the sand rather than run straight down the burrow and flood the scorpion.
Exactly what I meant. :) Things like wind also doesn't have the energy to penetrate after the first turn or two. Do yuo take a lot of castings.. I'd be curious if they make close to identical burrows in the wild.
 

Mark Newton

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Rigelus

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Well done Mark............There's not many people that would post a picture of themselves up on such a well visited forum as this one...

Great hat!
 

P. Novak

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How do those burrows maintain they're shape like that when you remove them from the dirt/sand? Very interesting.
 
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