When measuring scorpion length...

[the19thScorpion]

when you measure a scorpions, do you just measure the body (not including the tail) or do you include the tail also? I didn't realize how small some species were!

I'm still trying to figure out what species is best for my 20g long tank. I don't want them to be so small where it would be hard to find them in such a big tank..... and yes I do plan I get more than one of whatever species I choose (leaning towards Florida bark...)

 

[Lorenzo Benevento]

Theoretically it should be from the body to the end of the tail! Excluding pincers.
As far as I know at least! But I may be wrong.

 

[Jason Brantley]

You just measure the body, no claws or tail.

 

[Lorenzo Benevento]

Are you sure about it? Here in Italy we measure they following two metods. The difference beetwen the two is just that one doesn't include the stinger (telson).
I was pretty sure about how to measure a scorpion! Ahahahah, anyway, if here you do it like this, it is good to know!!
Sorry for the wrong answer so far!

 

[Mila]

I'm pretty sure you measure claw to top of stinger. It makes no sense to exclude the stinger/tail and claws. On every other animal you measure the two points furthest apart. That's like going to a doctor and him excluding your head and legs from the measurement

 

[Lorenzo Benevento]

Ahahahah, I would think the same thing! Don't know because here in Italy we don't measure claws!

 

[keks]

In my scorpion book they measure from the head to the telson.
Seems to be the same as measuring tarantulas. We measure bodylength, US measures legspan?

 

[callum b]

Mouth/front of the carapace to the tip of the aculeus is the measurement used in most scientific literature.

 

[Patherophis]

when you measure a scorpions, do you just measure the body (not including the tail) or do you include the tail also?

You just measure the body, no claws or tail.

"Tail" is considered part of "body" in scorpions and is included in size, as it is only prolonged part of abdomen.

 

[keks]

"Tail" is considered part of "body" in scorpions and is included in size, as it is only prolonged part of abdomen.

So measuring from eating to pooping (plus killing) ^^.

 

[RTTB]

Mouth to base of tail is what I consider total body length.

 

[Patherophis]

I am sorry, but ignoring half of opisthosoma simply does not make any sense. Legth including metasoma is used in both hobby and taxonomy literature.

 

[the19thScorpion]

I'm asking because I've seen some sites that have something like "3.5" to the base of the tail" and then I've seen " 4" total body length." So its a little confusing to me. And I know fish are usually measured to the middle, inner part of the tail instead of the whole length of the tail (which doens't make sense to me really) so I didn't know if it was the same with scorps.

 

[RTTB]

Including the outstretched tail in measurement would lead to even more confusing results. Using mouth to base of tail is commonplace. To each their own.

 

[Galapoheros]

The formal, scientific way is as callum said above.

 

[Jason Brantley]

Oh yeah, duh, everyone is right. You do measure to tip of tail. I had a derpy derp moment there.

 

[Jason Brantley]

Mouth/front of the carapace to the tip of the aculeus is the measurement used in most scientific literature.

Yup I agree too, I guess I was kinda spacing off when answering the question

 

[Jason Brantley]

I don't care about the length of the scorpion I just ask what instar it is. Instar 2 is a certain size is like a 1/4 inch. Instar 6 is like full grown 3 to 4 inches depending on species etc. etc.

 

[keks]

I don't care about the length of the scorpion I just ask what instar it is. Instar 2 is a certain size is like a 1/4 inch. Instar 6 is like full grown 3 to 4 inches depending on species etc. etc.

I'm not sure if I understand this right (sorry), but this doesn't help me when I read a description with the adult size of a scorpion, does it?
At the moment I am researching for scorpion species that would be interesting for me. When I read in a description "size up to 8 cm" I would like to know if the tail is IN this measure included or not. Finally I need this info for the enclosure's size .

 

[Lorenzo Benevento]

I think you can't be sure. As other members and I wrote the best way to measure a scorpion is starting from the mounth (front of carapace) to the tip of the tail. Someone exclude the telson, someone else doesn't! But I think you can't be sure about how someone measure a scorpion! Those should be standard measurment but as far as I know, they aren't!