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I couldn't find the topic where I've posted the original UV pictures of scorpions under UV light, so I'll post this here.

I'm quite chuffed about the fact that one of my pictures of a scorpions in UV-light has been selected for the final stage of the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2008 competition (which is the ultimate competition for wildlife photograpers)

Fingers crossed for the final result in this competition....

Wow! That's fantastic news - well done! You must be thrilled! I'm holding thumbs for you to win!


Madach, you found the right thread - the scorpion pic here.

For those who'd like to see more amazing UV scorpions, there's another one in Madach's trip report over here as well as link to even more.

Hi Folks
it's been known for many years that scorpions flouresce under UV light (small, directable beam, low power consumption, waterproof, lion proof). Wavelengths of around 395nm are best for scorpions and it's handy to note that UV LED torches are most suitable. Although scorpions show up under UV light, elephants, barbedwire fences and warthog burrows do not. Makes looking for scorpion in big 5 reserve very interesting. Another thing you need to be aware of is that UV light at this wavelength is not good for you eyes (never look directly into the beam). We wear amber safety glasses for prolonged periods of use.

Anyone interested in joining a spider or scorpion related activity (lecture, night walk, weekend away, ID course) should check out the events section of my site. Many of these activities are hosted by wildlife organisations and reserves. Please support them.

Kind regards

Jonathan

almost stepped on this buddy in Lower Sabie Camp at night - good thing I had a torch



Have no clue about the different types of scorpions but I try to stay away from all of them anyway

This were one of our X-mas visitors one year - he looks like a mean one but he is rather harmless.

I've heard that you can judge how venomous a scorpions' sting will be b the size of their pinchers - the bigger the pincher the smaller the sting!

There is a document on my website which shows very clearly how to tell a highly venomous scorpions from a weakly venomous scorpion. In short, scorpions with thin tails and large pincers (ie Cheloctonus sp.) are less venomous than scorpions with large tails and small pincers (ie Parabuthus sp.)

This document can be found under the download area of my site or by clicking on the following link http://www.scorpions.co.za/index.php?op ... &Itemid=57

We have one of the least venomous scorpions in the world. in the Northern parts of the Kruger Park you'll find some of the largest individuals you'll ever find in South Africa. I was recently at Pumashana in Zimbabwe where we found scorpions over 22cm in length. They were so cute!

Scorpion... Your... scorpion (no pun intended) is Cheloctonus jonesii

Kind regards

Jonathan

Hi

My S.O normally go out at night hunting for scorpions in the camps at Kruger. What we have notice is that tree with a smooth barke are scorpion free. Where as trees with a rough barke normally are alive with scorpions. At Satara we found one tree with no less than 17 scorpions in it.

We were fortunate to see a small scorpion sting a brown beatle on a tree. It was with utter amasement that we watched it. First the little tail came out. It felts around on the barke and the next moment it stung the beatle and withdrew in to a hole. The little tail come out again felt around and stung the beatle again and the scorpion withdrew again. After a while the scorpion came out and pulled the beatle into his nest. I tried to take photo's but the quality was not good.

Bankies my S.O is also known as the scorpion lady amungst the camp staff. She normally gather all the children in the camps and show them the scorpion. Whilst we were in Kruger at Satara after the criket week-end, a man said to his wife " Kyk die mal vrou met haar liggie" Look at die mad women with her small light. She called him and showed him the scorpion under the UV light. He jumped back into his tent. When he came out again, he was wearing shoes with long socks. Now I wonder who is mad?

Scorpion King can you ID these scorpions for. I have looked around for books on scorpions but could not found any.

This scorpions normal colour is black. This what it looks like under a UV light.



Under a UV light.



Normal couler brown.

Interresting Pieter, hope that Bankies would be able to take me along a Scorpion Tour soon....

Hi Pieter
your scorpion is a male Parabuthus transvaalicus. He's wandering about in search of females to woo! No Book! There is a really nice book on scorpions called Scorpions of southern Africa, published by Struik and written by some dodgy geezer called Jonathan Leeming.

Kind regards
Jonathan

Hi Jonathan, an honour to meet you - after hubby was stung by a scorpion in KNP and we realized that we had every possible wild life book except a scorpion book, yours was the one we bought the NEXT day.

"In short, scorpions with thin tails and large pincers (ie Cheloctonus sp.) are less venomous than scorpions with large tails and small pincers (ie Parabuthus sp.) "


Strange thing for us was when he was stung, that we looked at this little bugger and could not decide if it had smaller pincers or a smaller tail. They were really the same. But I will never forget the look of it in my life - it was a Hottentotus triliniatus (because of the 3 lines on its back) and according to your book, about the 3rd most venemous in our country?
It was a very interesting although VERY scary and anxious experience...

I've been in the market for a decent blacklight for years, and now you say they are available in LED?? GREAT! Please let me know where you bought it?>

Hi DuneRichard,

I used to use a UV flashlight with just one UV LED. It worked great for finding scorpions but it didn't give me enough light for photography. I now use an Inova X5 UV flashlight with 5 UV LEDs to find scorpions. I bought this flashlight from a local Dutch supplier which I found through the Internet. If you Google on "flashlight UV" you'll find lots of different flashlights and suppliers.

M.

Duneread ... Jonathan Leeming who wrote the Scorpion book sells those torches from his website:

Scorpions

Awesome...

I'll probably get in trouble for this but Jonathan,

1) Witsand hasn't seen your footprints in a long time, when's your next visit?
2) If you are in the area, let me know so that I can make a payment for a decent blacklight and you can drop it off somewhere (If its no hassle, of course)

Apparentley there is an arachnologist in Bloemfontein, does anyone know how I can get in touch with him/her?

Hi

Would anyone be able to identify this scorpion? It was found in Irene Glen Residential Estate in Centurion Pretoria. Sorry its not a very good picture. Thanks Karen