Scorpion Trip
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Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Sun Oct 06, 2013 5:50 pm
I had the chance to help South Africa's top scorpion researcher(Ian Engelbrecht) in the field with collecting samples for studies and for photos as well of course 
The photos are also contributed to the ScorpionMap project which helps with identifying the distribution range of species in South Africa.
It was a six day trip through parts of the Klein Karoo area in the Western Cape in South Africa. We saw many species throughout the trip and I will divide the posts into each day I was out there so that I don't overload the topic at the start.
Hope you guys like it
The first three species were collected before I joined up with the researcher.
First up is a scorpion I regularly see.
Opisthacanthus capensis:
Second was Uroplectes lineatus:
Then lastly a very scarce species, a first for me.
Male Opistophthalmus chaperi:
Female O.chaperi:
The first day we only started late so we were only looking for one species, Opistophthalmus karooensis.
Male O.karooensis:
Chela of O.karooensis male:
Female O.karooensis:
Chela of O.karooensis female:
O.karooensis habitat:
I will add the rest of the photos in the next few days.
The photos are also contributed to the ScorpionMap project which helps with identifying the distribution range of species in South Africa.It was a six day trip through parts of the Klein Karoo area in the Western Cape in South Africa. We saw many species throughout the trip and I will divide the posts into each day I was out there so that I don't overload the topic at the start.
Hope you guys like it
The first three species were collected before I joined up with the researcher.
First up is a scorpion I regularly see.
Opisthacanthus capensis:
Second was Uroplectes lineatus:
Then lastly a very scarce species, a first for me.
Male Opistophthalmus chaperi:
Female O.chaperi:
The first day we only started late so we were only looking for one species, Opistophthalmus karooensis.
Male O.karooensis:
Chela of O.karooensis male:
Female O.karooensis:
Chela of O.karooensis female:
O.karooensis habitat:
I will add the rest of the photos in the next few days.
Last edited by Shadowfoot on Sun Oct 06, 2013 8:52 pm; edited 1 time in total
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by yames Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:05 pm
I'm very exited to see more of this trip and what you found.
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:17 pm
Some very special scorpions to come James. Hopefully I won't disappoint 
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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ShredderEmp- 3. Instar
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by yames Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:41 am
Don't worry shreddy you don't disappoint me either.
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Mon Oct 07, 2013 8:46 am
Lol. It's really heating up here now that Summer is arriving and some days the temps got perfect for scorpions, usually about 32-35 degrees Celsius(89-95F) but nighttime drops were still big, ranging from 7-16 Celsius(44-60F) so they weren't as active at night as we hoped except the Uroplectes, which were everywhere.
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by ShredderEmp Mon Oct 07, 2013 12:04 pm
Thanks Yames!
So where are pictures, huh? Where are they?
So where are pictures, huh? Where are they?
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Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Mon Oct 07, 2013 1:24 pm
Day 2&3
These two days we were in the Oudtshoorn area, our main focus being Opistophthalmus pictus.
Day 2 we didn't have any luck but we found a few other things that were quite interesting.
Opisthacanthus diremptus:
Here you can see how flat they are because of the places where they decide to hide:
This is the kind of place where they hide, very much similar to Hadogenes habitat.
Typical Male Uroplectes carinatus:
Then we also found the pale form of U.carinatus as well:
Parabuthus planicauda:
Some habitat shots of where you find U.carinatus, P.planicauda and O.karooensis as well:
On day 3 we finally managed to find some Opistophthalmus pictus after bad luck on day 2.
Female O.pictus:
Male and female O.pictus next to each other.Female top and male bottom:
Ventral shot:
O.pictus burrow:
And their habitat:
These two days we were in the Oudtshoorn area, our main focus being Opistophthalmus pictus.
Day 2 we didn't have any luck but we found a few other things that were quite interesting.
Opisthacanthus diremptus:
Here you can see how flat they are because of the places where they decide to hide:
This is the kind of place where they hide, very much similar to Hadogenes habitat.
Typical Male Uroplectes carinatus:
Then we also found the pale form of U.carinatus as well:
Parabuthus planicauda:
Some habitat shots of where you find U.carinatus, P.planicauda and O.karooensis as well:
On day 3 we finally managed to find some Opistophthalmus pictus after bad luck on day 2.
Female O.pictus:
Male and female O.pictus next to each other.Female top and male bottom:
Ventral shot:
O.pictus burrow:
And their habitat:
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by yames Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:13 pm
From the underside it looks like O.pictus can be sexed by the shape of the genital opening much like an emp at early instars provided the right camera?
And if that's your hand Paul we finally have a picture of your to put up in the members faces forum! errr sorta.
And if that's your hand Paul we finally have a picture of your to put up in the members faces forum! errr sorta.
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Mon Oct 07, 2013 5:23 pm
With these you can yes, I don't know about earlier instars because I have never checked.
I'm on facebook, just look for Paul Bester.
I'm on facebook, just look for Paul Bester.
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Tue Oct 08, 2013 2:06 pm
Day 4
We mostly spent day 4 making our way to the top of the Swartberg mountain range. We found the usual suspects on our way to the top, O.karooensis, U.carinatus and Opisthacanthus diremptus.
We also found a few of these special guys all along the way.
Uroplectes marlothi:
Habitat shots of the top of the mountain range.
We mostly spent day 4 making our way to the top of the Swartberg mountain range. We found the usual suspects on our way to the top, O.karooensis, U.carinatus and Opisthacanthus diremptus.
We also found a few of these special guys all along the way.
Uroplectes marlothi:
Habitat shots of the top of the mountain range.
Last edited by Shadowfoot on Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by yames Tue Oct 08, 2013 6:52 pm
Very fascinating. I don't suppose you can keep any and breed them in your care? I'm so jealous/excited that you get a chance to be on these trips with real scientists.
Keep up the terrific picture posts!
Keep up the terrific picture posts!
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Tue Oct 08, 2013 7:17 pm
Unfortunately not 
I would love to try and breed some of the species we found on the trip but not the more rare ones like the Opistophthalmus I just posted because there is so little data regarding how abundant they are.
I would love to try and breed some of the species we found on the trip but not the more rare ones like the Opistophthalmus I just posted because there is so little data regarding how abundant they are.
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:52 pm
Day 5&6
Probably the best part of the trip. We were a town called Prince Albert on this day and you could definitely call it scorpion heaven. We were also joined by 4 Nature Conservation students that came to help out in the field, it made looking for scorpions a lot easier
First up was a undescribed Opistophthalmus species, either O.crassimanus or part of the O.pictus group.
This was was the only male we found and looks like he came back from a war, missing aculeus, tarsus and a piece of his claw.
Female:
Burrow:
Habitat:
Then came the UV lighting and we hit the jackpot
A weird little Uroplectes sp we believe to be U.schlechteri:
Female U.schlechteri:
Male U.schlechteri, notice the elongated metasomal segments, a characteristic of U.schlechteri:
Then my first Hadogenes, uknown species, probably H.trachyurus.
I will end of with two awesome species.
Female Parabuthus capensis:
Female Parabuthus schlechteri:
Hope you guys liked the photos
Probably the best part of the trip. We were a town called Prince Albert on this day and you could definitely call it scorpion heaven. We were also joined by 4 Nature Conservation students that came to help out in the field, it made looking for scorpions a lot easier
First up was a undescribed Opistophthalmus species, either O.crassimanus or part of the O.pictus group.
This was was the only male we found and looks like he came back from a war, missing aculeus, tarsus and a piece of his claw.
Female:
Burrow:
Habitat:
Then came the UV lighting and we hit the jackpot
A weird little Uroplectes sp we believe to be U.schlechteri:
Female U.schlechteri:
Male U.schlechteri, notice the elongated metasomal segments, a characteristic of U.schlechteri:
Then my first Hadogenes, uknown species, probably H.trachyurus.
I will end of with two awesome species.
Female Parabuthus capensis:
Female Parabuthus schlechteri:
Hope you guys liked the photos
Last edited by Shadowfoot on Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:19 pm; edited 1 time in total
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by ShredderEmp Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:58 pm
That Parabuthus capensis looks exactly like my P. liosoma. Are they closely related?
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Thu Oct 10, 2013 1:24 pm
Mmm, I think DNA sequencing will have to be done to know for sure but I don't think they are. Species that look the same aren't always closely related.
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by ShredderEmp Fri Oct 11, 2013 12:04 am
Uh. Oh well. Both are nice species. How did you know it was Parabuthus capensis?
Edit: Know that I look at it, Nefertiti has none of the fading color on the tail, and the tergites are darker without that yellowing too. At least that is what she looked like under the light I had.
Edit: Know that I look at it, Nefertiti has none of the fading color on the tail, and the tergites are darker without that yellowing too. At least that is what she looked like under the light I had.
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by voldemort Fri Oct 11, 2013 3:51 am
I envy your self control:evil:Shadowfoot wrote:Unfortunately not :(I would love to try and breed some of the species we found on the trip but not the more rare ones like the Opistophthalmus I just posted because there is so little data regarding how abundant they are.
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by Shadowfoot Fri Oct 11, 2013 8:16 am
Going by distribution, size, granulation of the tail and so forth but from first glance it doesn't look like the normal P.capensis because their 2 last caudal segments and telson aren't that dark but that's just polymorphism taking place.ShredderEmp wrote:Uh. Oh well. Both are nice species. How did you know it was Parabuthus capensis?
Lol. You don't even know ;Pvoldemort wrote:I envy your self control:evil:Shadowfoot wrote:Unfortunately not :(I would love to try and breed some of the species we found on the trip but not the more rare ones like the Opistophthalmus I just posted because there is so little data regarding how abundant they are.
Shadowfoot- Scorpion breeder
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Re: Scorpion Trip
by yames Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:08 pm
I had something typed out and then deleted it all and felt proud that I'm growing up.
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