Hello, and welcome to InverteCast.
I am Leah from Torrentialia, and I have with me, as always, Simon from the Mantis Garden.
Hello, Simon.
Hello, Leah.
And our topic today is scorpions, and Simon and myself, we both have little guests to
show you.
So Simon here has an Asian forest scorpion, and I actually, I have the, let me look here,
do do do.
Oh no, you know what, that's one that I didn't, because I was like, everybody knows that one.
I actually went with the emperor.
Whoops.
But I myself have a little pseudo scorpion right here with me.
So this is a tailless whip scorpion.
As you can see, that's my little buddy named Cheesecake.
So we're going to talk about these guys, because they are really, really cool.
If you can see that the tailless whip scorpion is moving these little whips all around.
They're essentially, they're little feelers.
So cool with things.
Right, aren't they awesome?
So yeah, okay, we're going to talk about it.
And so, so firstly, what are scorpions, right?
Like, they are arachnids, because they have two body segments, and they have eight legs
and two front pinchers.
So they are definitely arachnids in the arachnid family.
There are 1750 species worldwide that are described, because they're still discovering
species of scorpion pretty much everywhere.
And only 25 to about 30 of those species are actually dangerous to humans.
So yes.
And that, that means that the ones that are dangerous to us are the ones that have venom
that is, that can be lethal are known as hots.
So H-O-T-T.
Or if you ever, you know, like, it's kind of like reptiles in the reptile world.
If you have a hot reptile, it usually means that it's a venomous reptile or a venomous
snake, like a rattlesnake or a viper.
So the venom is produced in glands that are called telsons, which is located at the very
end of their tail.
However, their tail is not technically a tail.
It's actually a part of their digestive system.
So when, when they do inventimate, they are inventimating you through the same part in
which they defecate.
Poo-poo.
Yeah.
And they are among the first animals to have ever adapted to living on land, which means
that they are 420 million years old.
So yeah, I guess the first fossil that was ever found of a scorpion is 420 million years
old.
That's a lot.
Like as compared to other inverts that we talk about, that is really, really old.
Super good looking creatures though.
I mean, that they've never prehistoric in book.
Right.
So they're super adaptable too.
So like they, they pretty much live on every single continent except for Antarctica, which
definitely makes them really adaptable to all sorts of climates.
They live anywhere between, you know, the tropical jungles to grasslands to, to deserts.
So everywhere.
So a lot of cultures also have myths surrounding scorpions.
Again, probably because they can be found pretty much anywhere on earth.
So of course people will garner interesting myths and legends about them.
As time goes on, my little buddy is just chilling.
Still just chilling.
They're so cool.
Yeah.
Okay.
So in Egyptian mythology, the goddess Isis is also linked to a scorpion because she actually
is a symbol of a devoted mother.
And the scorpion moms are also very devoted and protective of their young.
So a little fun fact that people might not have known.
And some scorpions venom can have up to 45 different toxins.
So yes, we are going to also talk about the varying venom potency.
And we're going to go kind of into that and some of the symptoms that if you ever got
stung that you could possibly expect.
Another surprising fact about scorpions, I don't know if you know this Simon, but they
give birth to live young.
So they don't actually lay eggs acts.
Instead they keep the eggs inside their bodies.
And then when the baby scorpions are ready, they just give birth.
Yep.
I've actually seen it.
Oh, wow.
I bet that was amazing.
The first real, I don't know how to put this, the first time I ever bought an invert from
a shop was the end for a scorpion.
We got a couple of them for scorpions.
Oh, wow.
Early 90s, late 80s, something like that.
And one of them was pregnant.
Well what do you know?
So it dropped out the babies and they sat on its back for ages, which was just an amazing
thing to see really.
Oh, absolutely.
If you've seen it when they're mating as well, that's also amazing.
It's equally as amazing.
Oh, I can imagine.
I've never seen it.
Yeah, they do a little dance and sort of hold hands if they are close.
And he drops his sperm packet on the floor and then drags her over it and they do this
little dance to make sure he's got her going over the sperm packet.
Right.
Which is really an unusual way.
I've got to admit.
That is.
That's incredible.
I read about it.
It all got scorpions for 15 million years later.
So, you know.
Wow.
Yeah.
It works for them.
I'm fine.
I'm glad we don't do that.
But you know.
Yeah.
She's getting jumped on me.
I was like, oh no.
Whole different meaning to dancing.
But yeah.
Yeah.
Quite a fascinating one to watch when they're mating.
Absolutely.
I can imagine.
Truly fascinating.
And that did not as aggressive as the movies would have you believe.
Right.
Absolutely.
So, we're going to get into.
I'm sorry.
I'm trying to get cheesecake to not.
Because that's why I carried on waffling home.
Don't run away from me.
Oh my goodness.
I mean, in the movies, you have to believe that like every scorpion is deadly and that
every scorpion is just able to get you.
Yeah.
And that is.
That is nowhere.
And it's pretty much like tranquility really have to, you know, wind them up to from to
bite you.
Right.
And most of them, like you say, which have already touched on.
Don't really do anything so terrible.
I mean, you're definitely going to go out.
There's definitely going to be an out.
Yeah.
And if you're older, possibly a few choice words, I should imagine.
Right.
And I think that would be a need to like treat the steam and, you know, get some medicine
because they are, it can be a really quite painful.
Inventimation like it's, it's a lot like.
For them, the least potent venom, it's a lot like a bee sting or like a wasp sting.
But for a few others, it's going to be a lot more severe.
Oh my goodness.
So that's about, you know, the description with that, because if you've never noticed,
they always say the same thing everywhere.
Yeah.
Stung by something or bitten by something and then animated always say it's like a bee
or a wasp.
Always the same comparison that they use.
And I wonder if it's just because like being wasps things are just so much more common
than anything else.
And that's just something that everybody can relate to.
I don't know why that is.
That's interesting.
It's done by a wasp.
Let's be honest.
If it's done by a wasp, you go out and then you brush it off.
It's gone.
It's not, it's not, it's not a big deal at all.
Just some by a wasp.
It's no big deal.
I, when we first moved in this house, I removed a wasp nest from outside and my head got stung
about 50 times.
Oh, and it came out because I didn't know the wasp nest was there and fell down and whatnot.
And I've got about 50 times and all it did is make me scratch my head for about five minutes
and then it was done, you know.
With like tarantulas and scorpions and centipedes.
There'd be no point warning anybody about sure.
Yeah.
The distinction is that these actually do cause or can cause excruciating pain.
Oh.
Whereas wasps, these hurt a little bit more than wasps, I would say.
I've been stung by both and I'd say bees hurt a little bit more.
I agree.
Actually, I do, and I do think that scorpions probably do hurt more mainly because they
have a neurotoxin in their, in their venom.
So most scorpions have neurotoxins, which will attack the nerves of muscles and the nervous
central nervous system and stuff.
So, so that's going to create a little more pain than like a bee sting, which is usually
localized at like the sting center, if you will.
I got cheesecake back in Cheese Cokes Proper Enclosure, thankfully.
Nice and gently, you know, but they are really wicked fast.
Just so wicked, wicked fast.
You can start with the bag.
Yeah, like probably about as fast as my post-lithera, you know, Metallica tarantulas.
They're very fast.
I'm excited to stay under the camera rather than in front of it.
Sorry about that.
Yeah, right.
No, you're fine.
That is okay.
All right.
I'm trying to keep it where the camera is, but I'm trying not to stress at the same time.
I don't want to keep poking over the brush.
Right.
And that's why I put cheesecake away because I don't want to stress cheesecake out as too
much more than I needed to.
But yeah, scorpions are really fascinating creatures.
The largest family of scorpions are like consists of over 800 species.
And I believe it's the hot and, no, not the hot and tauta, but let me see.
Oh, Buthidae.
So the Buthidae genus and family is the largest family.
All right, so I was going to get into like a few scorpions that you will probably see
in the hobby as pets.
Like these are kind of considered beginner pets or beginner species of scorpions.
Like, you know, if you're getting into the hobby of keeping scorpions, you're probably
going to want a scorpion that isn't super hot.
But it's one that, you know, if you do get stung, it's not going to be as much of an issue
as others.
But it's also, you know, you're looking for a scorpion that is going to be kind of docile
and just easy, easily handleable.
They tolerate a lot of, you know, husbandry mistakes, stuff like that.
So the first scorpion that I have on this list would be the Emperor Scorpion, which is
similar to the one you have there.
But the Pandanus Imperator.
So the Emperor Scorpion is probably the scorpion that everyone thinks about when they think
about scorpions.
Like if you think of a pet scorpion, you are going to be thinking about that big black
scorpion that is just bulky and incredibly intimidating, right?
But the funny thing about it is that they are actually really docile and their venom
is pretty mild.
So there will be like localized pain and reaction.
But these guys get relatively big.
They get about six to eight inches length.
And like I said, they're, they have a large body that's shiny and black and they're, they're
kind of thick.
And they're like dark and broody looking.
What, what can you tell us about the Asian forest scorpion there?
I probably don't know more about the Emperor Scorpion because that's one I had those for
a few years.
I mean, I tell you what the Emperor Scorpion does to manual.
It reminds me of a lobster that's been sprayed black.
That's basically what it looks like to me.
That's, that's always what I see when I see the, the thing.
They're just stung up on and they, they don't really hurt.
So I can honestly say that they don't really hurt.
They don't, they don't have any extra adverse effects.
Like there's no, you know, you're not bleeding from your eyes or vomiting or running to the
toilet.
There's nothing like that.
And with them, but these guys, these guys are slightly different.
If these, again, you'll, if you read up on them, they'll tell you a bee sting, but it's
more than a bee sting.
And they can also, it's excruciating pain that's localized.
They can't be swapping.
And also this little guy can make you vomit.
So, oh, I believe it.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
You know, it's a whole lot more than a bear was for that whole lot more.
But generally, quite docile, as you see.
Yeah, they're not, you know, they're not out to sting you.
It takes a lot of energy for them to even create that venom.
So they don't want to waste it on something that they're not going to eat.
Yeah, it's the same with tarantulas.
Like they, it takes a lot of energy for them to create their venom as well.
So they're going to be slow to bite just because they don't want to waste their venom on, you
know, something they are not going to munch down on, if you will.
It's not something you should pick up.
I mean, advise anybody who's doing it.
It's not somebody, it's not an animal that you should be handling.
But for numerous reasons, not only because of what they can do to you, it's because you can address them out.
They're a very nervous animal, like to lie, they're not eternal.
Any animals like spiders.
So you shouldn't really be be handling them anyway.
So if you want a pet, you can handle, don't get a scorpion.
Or yeah, no doubt.
Scorpions are, they're, they're very quick and they're also really tricky.
So if you happen to like lose control of that scorpion say, and it gets away from you, you might not
ever find it again, because they can, they can, they're flat.
So they can slip under, you know, under door frames, under rocks, under anything in your house or whatever, pretty
easy without you even realizing it.
So yeah, like, I agree with you.
I don't think that scorpions are as great of a handleable pet.
But I also don't think that people who are interested in scorpions are interested in handling them.
At least I would hope not.
But I mean, I have seen like videos, lots and lots of videos of people handling emperor scorpions.
And I have met emperor scorpion, like ambassadors.
So, you know, animal ambassadors.
So these are animals that like Rosie here and at the butterfly pavilion.
She's a Gramastola Rosea that is well adapted to the handling because it's just kind of an exercise for them.
And they are there to help teach people about arachnids.
And so I've seen emperor scorpions in that same role for people that are, you know, interested in learning about scorpions.
So the next, like, good pet scorpion that I have on my list is the Tanzanian red claw, also known as well scientifically known as the
Pandignus, Cavamanus.
These guys are a little more aggressive than the emperor scorpions and they will stand their ground and be a little more willing to sting.
They get about four to five inches.
They also are black, but they typically have those rusty red claws.
So those two front pinchers are going to be a red color.
Do you have any experience with those guys?
I do not.
I mean, I don't have much experience with scorpions full stop.
I mean, we had the like, said the emperor scorpions years ago.
And I mean, I just realized now it's nearly 35 years ago.
Oh, wow.
It makes you appreciate how old you really are.
And yeah, so there was a long time ago and it's when it's the only scorpion you could you could get really here.
I mean, you don't remember where on an island where we don't have any scorpions.
Sure.
Yeah.
And inverts weren't really a big pet thing.
It was just like the the the the rosy tarantula.
And yeah, and pretty much the emperor scorpion and stick.
That was that was fairly much what was only available back in in the 80s when people started noticing them.
So no, I don't have I know what they are.
I know which one you're talking about, but I've no other experience of it.
Sure.
Yeah, yeah.
That's okay.
I've got someone who will be here spending New Year with us from Norway who absolutely loves scorpions.
It's called Trond. He's also a YouTuber.
So cool.
Okay.
Yeah.
Give me full scorpion rundown to give you more information that I could ever find on Google.
Oh, so so I'm looking forward to having a scorpion lessons.
Yeah.
On New Year's Eve.
So I mean, and I get it.
I get the whole Google search thing because I'm really picky about my research.
So when I research, you know, for likes, work, beans and stuff, I'm looking for scientific based articles.
So like, let's see a lot of this that I got.
I got from the San Diego zoo.org.
And then I also got a couple of, you know, couple other articles from from mostly like educational.
What's the word I'm working for?
Institutions. Yeah, that's the word.
Okay.
So, okay.
So that's what you have to do.
You have to figure out where the information is coming from and it's not right.
Or that's the person's experience with the one scarring they've had.
Yeah, that's not going to be, you know, you know, as reliable.
But I have a full full information on it and from a reputable place.
I find that if you're going to look for deep information on something, Google scholar is isn't that bad because it actually directs you to papers and studies.
Oh, see, and I didn't even know that existed.
So I need to get into that.
I'm over here doing the old fashioned way looking for the net and dot orgs.
And actually typing Google scholar.
Okay, you know, an entirely different Google, which is just studies and scientific papers.
There is no Wikipedia.
There's no.
There's no general people if you like everybody on there's got a doctor before the name or a PhD after it.
Okay, see, that's that's the information is is is where, yeah, like some of the best information.
I found some of the worst.
So, the cherry pick that as well because some of it some of it can be a bit.
So, unless you know that the doctor or whoever the professors is wrote the paper before there's a good chance that it's it's possibly just students.
Right, you've got to be careful with that as well.
So yeah, but Google scholar than just Google.
I will I'm definitely going to need to check that out for sure because I you know I'm a very scientific minded kind of person as it is.
And I, you know, when it comes to like doing any kind of research, I'm looking for the best knowledge I could possibly find.
And I think I found some really good stuff so.
Yeah, so common, you know common scorpion pets.
So common scorpion pets are going to be, you know, like I said, the emperor.
And then the next one on my list is the heteromatous matrix spinnaker, also known as the Malaysian black scorpion.
This is a tropical species.
And that's actually sorry.
That's actually, that's actually the Asian forest scorpion is like this big common name.
So it's like this one which is the etymetres.
Longy manus and then you've got some others as well.
I'm not very good with the Latin names of scorpions.
But that's okay.
The all come under the heading of Asian forest scorpion.
Okay. Yeah, well that makes sense.
It was kind of like kind of like the African giant snails right the land snails.
Yeah, I'm like Asian mantis and you know spiders as well.
But it's just a typical common name for that anything in that region that's a little black scorpion that lives in the forest really.
Yeah, no makes total sense.
Yeah, okay, so cool. So the Malaysian black scorpion is essentially like the scorpion that you have there on the screen, kind of different different species.
But I think the only difference or, you know, more or less the only difference is is the region where they call Friday I was like Malaysia.
I think it's from Vietnam.
Well, that's a very it's a large area.
Cambodia and that's got a different name.
But it's pretty much the same scorpion and when you when you buy an Asian forest scorpion, you need to know the scientific name to make sure you get the right one.
So if you feel like if you've got one at home, you think I want to breathe those I'm getting a little one.
Don't buy it from Asian forest scorpion.
You need to buy scientific name only.
Absolutely.
Same across both of everything.
There's an invert.
Oh, I agree.
There's lots of them that do look very, very similar to each other.
And some of them that you only know by dissecting and seeing the genitals that they're only difference.
So yeah, and that's not something you're going to do if you want to breathe them.
Yeah, no, of course, right.
You're getting the right the right one, the right scorpion from the right area and etc.
Otherwise, just going to fight really.
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean, dude, for real, I mean, you got to be careful with what you're buying.
Even in tarantulas in the tarantula world, like there's, you know, so many different kind of Mexican red knees or fire legs or red knee or, you know, or fire knee, you know, all these things, but it's easy to get those species mixed up.
So it's much better if you just go with the scientific name always.
Okay, so my next topic of discussion is spicy scorpions.
So these are going to be the scorpions that if you do get stung by them, you are probably going to need to go to the doctor because it's, it can be a big deal.
And I think this is kind of what everybody's really afraid of when it comes down to being fearful of a scorpion. I think that this is what it is.
They, you know, they're fearful of the sting and the effects of it because it's kind of that unknown realm.
So let's talk about the spicy guys.
And all this information on the super spicy scorpions I got from herpetoculturenetwork.com.
So the first one on this list is the hot and tada, hot and tada, which is the African bark scorpion.
They range like anywhere, pretty much in North Africa and East India, and even in Nepal.
And they are the most toxic of this general species or genus is the hot and tada tamuus.
And they are responsible for the most most deaths from scorpion stings in the whole world year every year.
But it's still relatively rare for people to be stung by these by like a hot and tada and stuff because they are really shy and reclusive.
So again, like it's probably accidental. Maybe the scorpion was in a shoe, you know, and somebody put their shoe on or they just didn't see it, something like that.
So usually it's just that accidental stinging, if you will.
But the hot and tada, hot and tada is also called a yellow bark scorpion, striped bark scorpion and African bark.
They stay small, so they're relatively about two inches.
And they can reproduce parthenogenically, which means they don't need a female can can basically have babies without the male's help.
So let's talk about their venom.
So it is very potent, but it's not quite life threatening.
But it will cause agonizingly painful sting, hot searing pain like a stove burn.
It's very fast acting and it will cause swelling and it can last anywhere from six to 10 hours.
So the hot and tada is definitely not a scorpion that you want to take a sting from.
But as I said, they are really super shy and reclusive.
So the chances of that actually happening are really slim.
So yeah, the next spicy scorpion I've got is the Centroides Sculptoratus, also known as the Arizona, Arizona bark scorpion.
I'm so pleased that you I've got all the scientific names there in front of you and I don't have to read them because I would murder these.
I'm sure I'm terrified. Like I'm sure I'm just butchering them.
But the Arizona bark.
I said, that's why I'm glad you've got them and not me.
Right. I mean, hey, I took a few years of Latin in high school, so I'm working.
I'm fine. It's OK. I'm stretching those brain muscles now.
But yeah, this is a scorpion that's native to Arizona, you know, the US actually most of the the Southwest West region of the US and parts of Mexico.
But and it's also another scorpion that is really popular in the pet trade.
I see Arizona bark scorpions all the time.
So these guys are pretty awesome. They pretty much live under like fallen timber, dead cactus skeletons, and they range like from California all the way to probably parts of Colorado.
I think I've seen a few in Colorado, but like South Southwest.
These guys only get about three inches in length and they're super flat so they can again get underneath things very quickly and easily.
And their pinchers are usually long and thin and they are the most toxic scorpion native to North America.
So let's talk about their venom and its effects.
It can be painful and debilitating.
There is flaming pain, paralysis of the joints and muscles, obviously, and then an uncontrollable vomiting.
So the Arizona bark scorpion is one of those Simon that will make you vomit.
Nice.
Right.
There's a bit of short shortness of breath.
I know a bit.
Sorry.
You can keep America. I'm out of it. We were okay over a week.
I like it that way.
You stay over there.
Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. So shortness of breath is also going to be a symptom of their venom.
And so this is a scorpion sting that you are going to need some medical attention for and their venom effects can last for about 72 hours.
So that's a good three days.
Like I do not want to be stung by one of these guys for sure.
However.
That's horrible.
Three days and absolutely.
Yeah.
Misery. Just misery.
No.
Like having the flu without actually ever having the flu is what it sounds like to me.
Like super, super sore muscles, super sore joints, you know, like vomiting and stuff.
It just does.
Yeah.
Definitely.
We can buy them here.
Oh yeah.
Here we've got, we've got, we call a DWA license. I don't know if you have that in America, but it's just dangerous wild animals act.
And we have to know a license from our local council to keep anything that's particularly spicy.
Oh, okay.
People to, you know, anything that might involve medical care, really.
Okay.
You have to actually get a license to, to say I've proved that you can, you can look after it and you know what you're doing.
Like, like a 15 year old isn't going to be able to go out in the pet shop by one, you know, right.
You know what you're doing and prove that you can, you can look after these things before you can get a license and it costs you money.
So people, people don't want to pay.
So, you know, I like to, I like to hang in there. Sorry.
Delay delay.
No, no, no, that was me. I, I swallowed my coffee wrong.
Oh my goodness.
It went down the wrong tube.
Okay, so.
Yeah, that's interesting. We do not have that.
We don't have that, at least not in Colorado. There might be other states that do require for you to have like that kind of license.
But as far as I know, it's not, not a thing here where I live.
So I'm kind of lucky for that.
Okay, so the.
Yeah. Okay. So the, the next spicy scorpion on my list.
Is the androctonus bicolor, which is known as the black thick tail scorpion.
These guys, again, are another one that I see a lot at like the reptile stores or exotic pet stores, you know, I see these guys a lot.
And so they're really cool though.
They're native to North Africa. So another African species and the near East, the name and drachtonus actually translates to man murderer in ancient Greece.
Nice.
Yeah.
But they have a very oversized tail.
It's large and kind of fat and very distinct to this one genus.
They're about three inches in length.
And these guys can be quick to sting. So if you do mess with them, they are not afraid to sting you.
So it, in relative terms for my tarantula friends, they are going to be like the serial because genus they are, they will stand their ground.
They'll turn around. They, they're not afraid to sting you.
And that actually can be.
Sounds like an OVC.
Yeah. Actually, OVTs aren't as half as spicy as my serial because and kill a bracket species, I think OVTs are pretty awesome.
I mean, they'll threat pose for for days.
They'll threat pose for days and days and days.
But that's pretty much all they'll do.
And then they'll run away.
Whereas the serial because we'll threat pose, slap, and then eventually just they'll be like, you know what, you get it. You're getting it.
So yeah, I mean, I don't, don't ask me how I know that.
I just, I have rehoused enough of them to get kind of a feel for like their behavior and their, their body language.
And OVTs for me are really, really mild compared to the serial because and kill broccoli's that I've dealt with.
Those guys will straight up turn around and be like, really, you want some?
Okay, I'm going to give it to you.
You know, like they'll give it to you.
They will. They won't, they won't hesitate.
So, so this is true also for the androctinous by color.
These guys are a standard ground kind of tarantula.
They are their venom is highly concentrated.
And it is a neurotoxin.
So this neurotoxin that they contain actually will attack the muscles of the respiratory system, which means that the nerves will become disabled and it can lead to paralysis.
So definitely not a fun time if you happen to get stung by a fat tail scorpion, black fat tail scorpion.
It also will cause abdominal convulsions and eventually respiratory failure.
So this is another scorpion that medical attention, if you do get stung is going to be a must.
So yeah, definitely watch it with those guys. They are probably one of the spiciest of the spicy.
And as I said, they're not afraid to sting.
And then the last one on my spicy scorpion list is the Lyrus quinquestriatus, also known as the Israeli death stalker.
And again, another scorpion that I have seen pretty often at reptile stores or expos and stuff like that.
This is not a beginner scorpion species.
Like these guys are pretty, pretty, pretty tough, dude.
Anyhow, they are a two-metre species.
When they are provoked, they can unleash a barrage of stings.
So not just one sting, a barrage like a whole bunch of them in multiple directions from a long, thin tail.
They have a unique defensive posture in which they stretch out their petty pelts and they will stand their tail straight up.
And they also are a little larger. They usually get over three inches or so in length.
So here comes all the fun stuff about their venom.
They are lethal, but for most healthy adults, you can survive a sting from this scorpion with a little help from medical attention.
So the anti-venom.
It's a neurotoxic venom. It disrupts portions, proteins in the nerve chains that turn things off, essentially.
They attack mostly the heart and lung nerve system.
So that's the, I believe the parasympathetic, no.
That's the sympathetic nerve system.
Yeah. So they also contain cardiotoxins that attack the heart and will disable the nerve pathways that control the heart.
And they also attack the lungs and cause pulmonary edema.
So this venom is pretty potent. If you happen to have any kind of heart conditions, you are definitely not somebody who wants to get a stung from these guys.
So the death stalker scorpion, I mean, that sounds pretty scary.
Like, so spicy.
I dealt into these a while back, but when I wrote the last book on hedgehogs.
Oh, yeah.
The death stalker was one of the scorpions that the desert ad job likes to eat.
Oh, really?
Yeah. So I had to, I had to delve into it a little bit on that side of it, see, you know, what the score was with it.
And it was, yeah, it was, it was lunch. I think it was on the menu.
So that's fascinating.
And they're smart enough to actually grab them by the stinger and bite the stinger off.
Wow. Before the evening. So, you know, are they, are they like immune to the venom? Are they kind of like possums in that way where, you know, possums are immune to.
They're not immune. They're just clever.
Wow.
They're just really smart. You know, clever little thing.
The quicker to retract and the scorpion is to attack.
That's cool.
So they can, you know, they can retract pull it pull a face in and they like leave the spines out.
Right.
Scorpion, scorpion never gets really a chance to sting them anyway.
They'll take the opportunity, grab all the stinger and bite the stinger off.
And then just go up and pre meal.
Nice.
That's, that's incredible.
I mean, it sounds a lot like, you know, cats with snakes.
Yeah.
Like I've seen, you've seen those videos, I'm sure of like there's a stray cat somewhere that's just, you know, come across.
A rattlesnake and for whatever reason, the cat is just outsmarting this rattlesnake like, yeah, you can't get me.
Yeah.
I mean, among the snakes, isn't it?
It's like, yeah, just smarter than inverts as simple as that.
And it's just the way, the way world is.
Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.
Okay, so the last kind of scorpion that I have to talk about are pseudoscorpions.
These guys are much like my little friend cheesecake here.
This is cheesecake is a pseudoscorpion.
I don't think we can see cheesecake.
Well, in any case, at the beginning of the stream, I had cheesecake on my hand.
So yeah, cheesecake is a talus whip scorpion. There are all kinds of pseudoscorpions, which actually include ticks, mites, and what was the last one?
Tick mites, oh, and fleas.
So these are all arachnids.
They are also considered pseudoscorpions.
A lot of these creatures are ones that people see as pests.
Obviously ticks, bites, and fleas are going to be something that you want to keep off of your furry friends like dogs and cats.
They can cause skin irritations and infections.
Actually, my youngest cat, Stevie, is allergic to flea bites.
So if he gets flea bites or for any reason, he'll be really, really itchy and scratch himself to death.
So poor kitty.
But in any case, pseudoscorpions are pretty cool.
I've got, like I said, I have cheesecake.
Cheesecake is a talus whip scorpion, which actually just pretty much describes this creature pretty well.
They don't have like a tail like a scorpion does, but they do have those two front pinchers that stem from their, their petty palp area.
But then they also have these really long, really strange and slow moving antenna like things, which are their whips.
And those are essentially, they use them as feelers to feel around their environment, feel for other inverts that they might prey on because their eyesight is really not that great.
And obviously, talus whip scorpions are not venomous, so they're not harmful to people.
I mean, they probably can pinch you, they could probably pinch your skin, but it's not going to be, you know, as devastating or painful as, say, like a scorpion sting, right?
Another species of pseudoscorpion that you will see in the invert hobby is going to be those vinaigroons.
And those guys actually got their name because they, as a defense mechanism, spray a really stinky, potent chemical, and it actually smells a lot like vinegar.
So it's actually a deterrent for bigger, larger predators.
So vinegar is, is, if you know vinegar, it's kind of a bitter, not the most fun smell in the world, but definitely one that will chase away a larger predator trying to snag a meal.
Vinaigroons also have pinchers in the front of their bodies.
I believe their pinchers are a little bit fatter, but they're not quite as long.
And they do also eat other inverts.
But yeah, and both of these, like the talus whip scorpion, are native to the States, and so are vinaigroons.
They are native here to North America.
Yeah. And Simon, you were saying that you were looking for talus whip scorpions, but you can never find them, yeah?
I can never, you know, never really find.
So I thought, I thought captive brecwons, I mean, obviously, we get wild caught ones here.
And I really agree with the wild caught thing, especially when, when people have brecwons here.
So that is the possibility. So once we start breeding them in a place, you can stop the wild caught.
Right.
So I'm really looking for somebody who does captive breed them.
I would like a few of those.
And I'm actually going to go up and breed them myself.
I mean, they're really weird, alien looking creature.
They really are, but they're just, they're so cool.
I think they're, they're fascinating.
There's also the vinaigroon, as she said, and that's another one.
I can't think of anybody in this country. I'm sure there is, but I can't think of anybody over here that's captive bred those yet.
Yeah.
Off the top of her head, I'm not saying they haven't.
I'm saying, I don't know of anybody you ask.
Every time I see them for sale, they're always wild caught and they just put it on.
Yeah.
You don't know what they've got on them. You don't need to go parasite.
You don't know, you know, you don't know if you're going to die five minutes after you've fought it.
So yeah.
Well, and especially the pseudoscorpions, they honestly, they only live for about three to five years.
Yeah.
Same with vinaigroon.
So I mean, if they, they go out and they wild catch, they catch a, a already an adult vinaigroon.
I mean, you don't know how old it is. It could die during shipping or in transit and things like that.
So it's just kind of a bummer.
I agree.
I don't fancy the idea. I mean, I would like vinaigroons. I would like.
I did.
I mean, I missed out, which, which annoys me really.
I was busy. I didn't have the room and I was, I was as drag sort this place out at the time.
And I thought, I'll put that off.
You'll have them.
And he got rid of all these.
So I was, I was out of luck there.
Been a future.
I'm hoping, excuse me, to pick up a couple and attempt to breathe them myself.
Yeah.
I think that'd be a great idea.
Yeah.
Not a lot of people here have them.
Right.
I see.
I think that's a good idea.
You see them at shows quite a bit.
Oh, I bet. Yeah.
There's always someone selling them in shows, which is, you know,
but again, you don't know where to come from.
You don't need the wild call.
Right.
It's not very long. So, you know,
you can end up getting something that's going to die in five minutes.
I don't want that.
Right. And that's, you know, that's a total drag.
I agree with you. I think I would.
I think I would.
I would really prefer captive.
Bread.
My Taylor Swift scorpion cheesecake.
Is really cool. I got it as a little youngster.
So I'm pretty sure that someone captive bred them.
Here somewhere around here.
Because again, like that, but they are a native species.
So I mean, I don't really know.
I probably should have looked, but this is,
um, I don't really know about the scorpion.
You know, what the scorpion?
I do see it as a non blepage. I,
these are the creatures that I bring out when I know I have,
like an arachnid Ragnophobe.
In my house and they don't all see spiders.
So instead I will bring out the pseudo scorpion and tell them all about
how it's pretty much blind.
But yeah, that's kind of what I do as far as that goes
I bet like the jumping spider thing you bring out the jumping spider. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah
I
Pat jumping spider
Exactly like that's kind of the same idea like these guys are so weird-looking that they are
cute so
People you know people actually really enjoy it. It's kind of entertaining for them as well
So yeah, I will always have my tail is whip scorpion and
You know if you guys were following us from the very beginning you could actually see that mine is
more afraid of me than I am of of it and
You know what I mean like they're not they're not out to get you
Definitely not. I think that's something I would probably handle more
Would be a tail of the scorpion get it used to me
Yeah, definitely because that they don't concern me at all. Oh, I tell you what there was one thing
We didn't go over with the scorpions which was
a
Good way of telling which scorpions are spicy and which ones aren't
Hmm, which is generally the size of the claws
It's it's got really it usually means that they have a weaker sting. Oh
That's fascinating
So I see the bigger the claws the less the thing the same the smaller the claws
Stay away from it. It's gonna. It's gonna. I'd be you know, it's gonna. It's gonna cause some pain. Oh, that's fascinating
Okay, and now that I'm thinking about it that actually checks out
Yeah
That checks out like yeah, the Arizona bark scorpion has those real
Yeah, evolution is said by I'm gonna bite things with my with my claws so I don't need bigger claws
Yeah, the much and the other ones are like now. I like stinging people. So I just stick some small claws
To do the damage so yeah, it's cool. I see
Oh, just check out. It's like that with tarantulas to like I swear. Okay. I have a theory that
Tarantulas or spiders in general have like three superpowers. Okay, they get venom
So you can have like the super super toxic venom or very highly potent venom
urticating hairs and
speed and
So the funny thing about it is that it's a trade-off like the faster you are
You're probably not gonna have those urticating hairs like the salmopous or Minia or any old world species
They don't have urticating hairs, but they are all very fast
And then it's you know, it's a little game of threes like yeah, I don't know. It's just the theory. That's
My weird rambling. It's probably a good theory. I also think
Like the bigger the spider is
Is using the more doe silo is from what I've seen
You know, you get
they're not as
They're not as terrifying
The bigger they are the tiny ones seems to pack the light you look black windows and yet
Yeah, stuff and yeah redbacks things that you know, they're the terrified ones
They are the chair. They are scary ones. I agree. I agree. Yeah
Okay, they don't do anything really there's something something to be said about that
I think you're you're pretty pretty right on although I will say my
Brazilian giant whitening or my a canthus guria geniculata is not one that I would really consider docile
Because she is well, she's a good eight and a half or so inches and diagonal leg span, so she's big girl
and
But she's she's fast and wicked like if anything is in her in close any little thing touches a part of her enclosure
She's on it so fast
So I wouldn't call her docile, but I also wouldn't really call her like super defensive. She's not
You know what I mean? Like she doesn't kick hairs a whole lot. She rarely throws the red postures. She's just skittish
Yeah, I know I'm not as
I'm not concerned about like the seven pink
Yeah, sure. It's like the OBT the seven seven things like it's big go pee slow thing
Yeah, right
Doing anything. It's more interesting chucking air that isn't anything else. It doesn't want to bite you. Yeah essentially
It just looks like it wants to have a go at you all the time
I'm telling you they will stay
Look at my family. Yeah, you get it
I think that I know that I find really uncomfortable the OBT but I love OBT's because of that
I love their
attitudes like they they are just so
They have such a spicy attitude, but I kid you not they will stay in that threat pose for hours hours
Like there. Yeah, I mean I I have heard of people getting bit by OBT's
But I'm also thinking like once an OBT is in a threat pose
You kind of know like that is definitely your natural reaction to stay away from them
Because it is very intimidating
So
Yeah, exactly. So it's kind of surprising to me when people get
Bit by OBT's because I'm like, did you just keep provoking after the threat pose like what are you doing?
You know same in everything I mean same with scorpions as well if you keep provoking them
Like yeah, they're gonna make you squash them you put pressure on them. Yeah
They're gonna eventually defend themselves like
You know I I think I got bitten by the tiny jumping spider yesterday. I thought jumping spider
I think you were telling me I think I put my hand in so I jumped on it. I think I I
Squashed its leg a bit with my finger. Oh, no, I think that's what did no, it's fine. It's fine
Yeah, yeah, but I think it's natural reaction because it thought I was a threat is just to give me a quick knit
Well, that makes sense then rather than just jump on my hand
They thought what you're doing and he give me a quick knit and some of me off and it worked
Yeah, yeah for sure
I'm glad that the spider was okay. Oh
Oh, I'm glad you were okay, too. Yeah, it's fine. It's just a bit of shot as a arachnophobe. It's it's took
Yeah, white files get to the point where I can allow a jumping spider to touch me. I know that sounds mental
It's like oh, I didn't want to touch you in the first place, right?
Yeah
Mom's try to get used to this and now you know
It's it was so frustrating
But yeah, yeah, I think now back on it. It's okay
This guy and I really when I look at this I want to pick him up I
It's just got one end attitudes where I just feel like I want to pick the sculpting up
He definitely does seem pretty laid back, which is really cool, but I don't know I would say no
It's just I want to and every time I look at it I open it up. He don't live in here by the way that
Simply he lives in a much nicer place than this. Oh
This was simply white sand so you could see it's temporary. Yeah, yeah, it's cool. I like it
I'm glad you set that up. I took him a little hole and give him a hide and he's gone right in it says I didn't want to
stress him out too much
These lights are not opening. So I you know, it's about time. Yeah
But yeah, I really want to I really really want to pick him up, but I
Don't know
Don't do it. Yeah
You know, it's more dangerous for him
For it than than for you because they are still invertebrates. So yeah
That exoskeleton is only so hard
It's a good point because your first reaction if you put them on your palm your hand and if he stung you the your first
Reaction is to pull your way or jump or throw your hand in the air or whatever
And of course the scorpion is gonna go flying at the same time. Yep
So yeah, you're not gonna do the scoping any any favors if it stings you
Exactly. Yeah, you're better off. I want to but I'm not going to I
I
Was an emperor scorpion I would have had it out already
Sure, because I know they're absolutely fine. They're so chill. Yeah, so docile. I love them. They're gentle giants
Mine used to sit on my desk with my computer while I was playing games. Very cool
It'll just sit
It's all
You know, I was only young
Yeah, but you know, it was it was
Not something I do now, but no, yeah back today
It it was fine, but they
Kept that love of scorpions going because our it was because it was docile
I think if I got a dangerous one where you you just had a tank and you couldn't go near it
I care for him so much, but sure when you've had a pet that's been a proper pet
And you can hold it. It's like yeah, I'm
Closer to scorpions now. Yeah, absolutely
This one was a present I
from somebody went to a show oh
Oh very very very surprised when turned up with it
How cool though, yeah, it's a really nice thought
Yeah
I
Was very chubb because I didn't have any scorpions. I wanted some bed and I have a sure and
Yeah, I turned up with this after going to the show and I was quite a really pleased about that so
I hope you get to watch this I hope Sharon gets to watch this as well because they can see that still alive
Heck yeah, that's amazing very cool
All right, well
We've gotten to the part of the podcast that is our shameless plug
So we're just about done
Simon what do you got going on this week anything new? I
Just had loads of things hatching and laying eggs and
awesome
Gaming up for Christmas time really in the show in February at Ants on a Rock show
that's what's going on and
Yeah, I've got access ghost mantis. So if anyone wants ghost mantis hit me up, you know, okay?
And that's me done I suppose
Alrighty
That's perfect. Definitely hit up the Mantis Garden
And Simon for those ghosts mantis if you're in the UK I
Let's see my shameless plug
I actually went to a reptile expo a little bit ago and I made a video about it
So I will be releasing that video tomorrow on
Torantulia
But really cool exciting news for inverte cast next week. We're gonna have a special guest
Her name is Mel and she is from fatty pancake
If you are not familiar with fatty pancake, she designs
art and
Really cool pictures of like reptiles and invertebrates and she puts them on mugs notebooks stickers
Pretty sure she's got all kinds of really cool art prints and stuff. So check her out
We're gonna be talking about that and talking to her next week
So stay tuned
otherwise
Like and subscribe to invert a cast and we appreciate you watching
And we'll see you next week. Yeah, get it shared
Heck yeah, I will I will I'll make the link a little earlier. I think that's what happened this week. So
No, I'm not bad at promoting things at all
No, I just get a bit of a poster for money. That's easier. Yeah, that's been very very slow and quiet really
We don't tell anybody about this. We don't we don't tell we're trying to keep it secret, you know
Yeah, we are keep it secret. It's just our chat. Is it just that?
It's a round for coffee
Yeah, we tell you something more about it and yeah, I hope people will help us and talk about it
And anybody who's listening to this, please tell other people that this is a thing and we do it every saturday
And every Saturday. Yeah, it will always be a different
subject. Yeah, different topics about the bugs only with the up tangent probably from me
I get there I get there. Yeah, and yeah, so it would be nice if other people could do some sharing and promoting for us
That'd be awesome. That'd be fantastic. Yeah. So thank you all for listening girl watching girl whatever you're doing
All right. See you next week. You too Simon. Thank you
You