#whip scorpion

[platycryptus]

Very cool find from last spring- a Florida vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus floridanus) that was hiding inside a rotting log.

despite her impressive size, this rarely encountered Florida endemic is actually the smallest of the 3 vinegaroons in the US, and some of the Mastigoproctus species from Mexico and southwards get even larger.

and yes they’re called vinegaroons (among other fun names) because they squirt concentrated vinegar from their butt as a chemical defense

(Florida, 4/17/23)

#arachnids #uropygi #vinegaroon #grampus #thelyphonida #mastigoproctus #whip scorpion #bugs #bugblr #entomology #biology

[possumnest]

invertebrate april comms! gigiantops destructor and paraphrynus carolynae - these both were a lot of fun, i love drawing BUGS!

#my art #commissions #animal illustration #whip scorpion #ant art #bug art #entomology #invertebrates #arthropod #arachnids

[bowelfly]

thinking about alfonso and beeftongue

#whip scorpion #amblypigid #leatherleaf slug #cowboy #yeehaw

[pencilbrony]

Docile

#not pony #concept #fantasy #design #amblypygid #whip scorpion #tailless whip scorpion

[thestrangeforest]

There is no escape

#artists on tumblr #artwork #drawing #illustration #pen and ink #ink drawing #linework #dark art #oddities #bug art #arachnid #whip scorpion

[aquaspiderart]

a few playful arachnids

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#illustration #digital art #animals #bugs #arachnid #spider #whip scorpion #camel spider #jumping spider #deer tick #tarantula #gooty sapphire tarantula #magnolia jumping spider #clip studio paint #character art #nature

[crevicedwelling]

opinions on vinegaroons?

excellent creatures! I kept some of the American desert species and they were beautiful animals but I believe I fed them too much and they perished. apparently they’re only supposed to eat for a couple months per year!

I might try keeping those again if I’m in a situation where I can keep a room very warm, but I’d much rather keep some of the tropical species that like high humidity and eat year-round

rest in peace o gluttonous beast

#thelyphonida #vinegaroon #whip scorpion #arachnids #bugs

[typhlonectes]

Vinegaroon aka Whip Scorpion

Meet the vinegaroon. What’s a vinegaroon, you ask? Well, it’s not a macaroon with shredded coconut and hint of vinegar (Yeah, you’re not this week’s star baker). It has nothing to do with singing songs about misty highlands and the mysterious Brigadoon. Give up? It’s an arachnid. Also known as a “whip scorpion” because of its whip-like tail. Unlike scorpions, the vinegaroon doesn’t sting; it just shoots acid at you that smells like vinegar, hence the name vinegaroon. Makes sense. Vinegaroons are no threat to humans. Yeah, there’s the acid thing (think eye irritant) but they are not venomous. Like most things, they are relatively benign unless you annoy them. They can also pinch with their heavy mouthparts (pedipalps) to protect themselves. Vinegaroons are nocturnal and can't see very well. Wow, that was blunt. They hunt millipedes, scorpions, crickets, cockroaches, and other invertebrates by sensing vibrations with their long, thin front legs. Most commonly seen in the desert, this vinegaroon was taking a stroll around the Chisos Basin campground at Big Bend National Park, TX. Image: NPS/CA Hoyt

via: National Park Service

#vinegaroon #arachnid #whip scorpion #animals #nature #texas #public lands #north america #deserts

[krillbot]

Imagine you are a scorpionesqe creature. You have developed an acidic attack to ward off predators. You are an efficient hunter and stalk the damp, wet places.

You are accosted by a human and spray them with your signature attack

"oh you smell like vinegar:) I love using vinegar to make food. You are like a goon who is made of ingredients:)"

How insulting. You are the vinegaroon

#thinking about these creatures again #vinegaroon #creatures #whip scorpion #just krilling

[pile-of-bugs]

Today's bug: Tailless whip scorpion!

Sorry I haven't been active for so long.. anyways I got a new pet today - this female tailless whip scorpion (likely Phrynus whitei), so I'll tell you about them!

Tailless whip scorpions are arachnids in the Order Amblypygi (am-BLIP-idge-eye) and they're quite ancient! They even look a bit prehistoric, I think. There's about 150 species of tailless whip scorpion.

Adapted for crawling around dark forests and cave walls, these arthropods are nearly blind - their simple eyes giving them only vague information, like the level of surrounding light. That's where their loooong 2nd pair of legs come in!

(image source: Wikimedia)

See those long "whips" from which they get their name? Those are for feeling their surroundings. When active, they'll be constantly moving around them around to sense their environment. The whips are very fragile and can break easily, but can be regrown every molt!

(image source: Frank Deschandol on iNaturalist)

Tailless whip scorpions are NOT scorpions, nor are they spiders. And those terrifying front claws aren't legs either - they're heavily modified mouthparts, pedipalps to be precise. Speaking of scorpions, their grabby claws are also their pedipalps! In spiders, these are those cute little appendages right next to the chelicerae (the things that have the fangs).

Unlike both scorpions and spiders, however, a tailless whip scorpion cannot bite or sting. They're almost totally harmless! Practically the posterchild for "don't judge a book by its cover," these are some of the friendliest arachnids in the world. You have to seriously to make one angry (which is basically abuse, so don't do that), and even then they'll only try smacking you with their thorny pedipalps, never biting with their fangs.

About the only truly scary part of handling them (once you get past their appearance) is their speed. These things normally move very slowly (on account of the "blind and has to touch everything" thing), but if startled, they'll bolt in the opposite direction with incredible speed! They really, really would rather not confront you at all. I cannot emphasize enough how completely NOT dangerous these arachnids are, despite their look!

(image source: Jonathan's Jungle Roadshow)

Btw, did you know the mommas make great parents? Like many other large arachnids, the mothers will take their young with them until they're large enough to hunt on their own. They hatch from an egg pouch carried on the underside of the abdomen, which looks absolutely alien - in the source for the above image, you can find pictures of the whole process.

You may have seen this meme ^ Their pedipalps, usually folded up, can also unfold to catch prey or defend themselves (in the original video for this pic, the owner is provoking this reaction - something I don't condone, even if it showcases their grab ability very well). Tailless whip scorpions are carnivores, and the prey they catch are usually small insects like crickets or flies.

Tailless whip scorpions are found in almost every warm, tropical part of the world - Central/South America, Africa, Asia, and even some islands like the Phillipines!

Here's my t.w.s.' habitat. They're very easy pets to take care of! Just make sure you have a habitat that favors verticality - they need to be able to climb to feel at home! Cork board is best, either just on the back, or 2-3 sides of the enclosure. Humidity is a must, so have the base be filled with cocofiber, then add water and perhaps a heating pad set on low to maintain moisture. Moss helps too! All that's left is to feed them - just once or twice a month is enough.

The light on my display is too hot, and heats up the plastic really quickly, so I only use it briefly to find and observe her. They don't actually need light since they're used to being in the dark!

I hope you liked these facts on tailless whip scorpions. If you know more facts, lmk or just add it to the post! I'm still learning things myself - like for example, you can tell males/females apart by the size of their pedipalps (the males have reaaaally long pedipalps, like the one in that meme, the females have much shorter ones).

#bugs #bug #nature #insect #insects #entymology #forest #zoology #arachnid #arachnids #spiders #spider #whip scorpion #tailless whip scorpion #creepy

[dangertylenol]

all like 4 of my loyal followers I need to you know that I'm getting a tail mess whipnscorpupn I'm going crazy I might even get 2 ogmynod I'm going.to rip something apart with my fangs

Look atbthem dear god.im so excited I judt.need to set up a tank

#entomology #arachnids #bugs #insects #exotic pets #screamjng #scorpion #whip scorpion

[pleistocene-pride]

Warning Bugs: Mastigoproctus giganteus, more commonly known as the giant whip scorpion, the giant vinegaroon, or the grampus, is a species of whip scorpion in the family Thelyphonidae. Which is endemic to Mexico and the Southern United States from as far west as the Baha peninsula to as far east as florida and from Oklahoma in the north down to central mexico. Inhabiting deserts, scrublands, dry forests, grasslands, and arid mountain ranges, they are a primarily solitary and nocturnal species which spends its days inside of burrows, hollow logs, or rock crevices and emerging at night to feed upon various insects, worms, millapeads, scorpions, slugs, and small frogs/ toads. Giant vinegaroons are themselves preyed on by large toads, raccoons, coatis, armadillos, skunks, bears, hogs and peccaries, ground birds such as roadrunners, lizards, and tarantulas. Reaching around 1.5 -2.5 inches (40- 60mm) in length not including there tail, giant vinegaroons sport eight eyes. They have six legs used for movement, two long antenniform front legs that they use to feel around and detect vibrations, and two large pedipalps modified into claws. Additionally they sport a long, thin, whip-like tail, the origin of the common name whipscorpion. From the base of this tail they can spray a substance composed of 85% acetic acid in order to defend themselves. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar, so the spray smells strongly of vinegar, leading to the common name "vinegaroon". The mating season occurs in fall, during which time females will actively seak out males. After mating, females carry the fertilized eggs internally for a few months, before laying some 30 to 40 eggs in a fluid filled sac which she then carries on her abdomen for another 2 months until hatching. The mother will then carry and protect her babies for another month until there first molt. Under ideal conditions a giant vinegaroon will reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years of age and may live upwards of 7.

#pleistocene #pleistocene pride #pliestocene pride #pliestocene #cenozoic #vinegaroon #whip scorpion #halloween #bug #grampus #giant #giant vinegaroon #giant whip scorpion

[darksunradiance]

Vinegarroon + scorpion grass, ink on bristol paper, 2021

#bugs #insects #art #my art #ink art #traditional art #stippling #vinegarroon #whip scorpion #entomology #botanical #forget me not #i want to do more stuff with like. guilding and framing #just need to sit down and actually do it i guess

[bwabbitv3s]

I Built an Indoor Rainforest for a Zoo

For as long as I can remember, I've imagined designing beautiful naturalistic setups, for cool animals, that people may enjoy in person. I wasn't sure if or when it would happen, but it did. After months in the making and I'm so excited to finally share it with you. This is the journey of how I created a 3-in-1 tarantula exhibit for Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, Colorado. Butterfly Pavilion is the world's first AZA accredited, stand-alone, non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world. They are a leader in local and global invertebrate research, education, and conservation, with a focus on protecting these animals for the future.

#SerpaDesign #Butterfly Pavilion #tarantula #whip scorpion #Tailless whip scorpion #terrarium #Youtube

[littlelyarts]

Made myself a tile wallpaper of 2 kinds of my favorite arachnid, the Whip Scorpion!! The Tailed and Tailless variety :) Free to use if you want it!!

ID/ A drawing of a blue whip scorpion and a red tailless whip scorpion against an orange background that's littered with yellow dots and red jigsaw lines. The two bugs are drawn in a simple style and are outlined with a pale yellow. The blue whip scorpion sits in the center facing upwards while quarters of the tailless whip scorpion sit at the corners of the drawing, facing downwards. /END ID

ID/ A screenshot of a windows desktop showing the tiled wallpaper described before being properly used. The two whip scorpions are repeated across the screen in an alternating pattern, with the red jigsaw lines sitting between each whip scorpion. /END ID

i love these two buggies so much <3 i want to hold them!!!!!

#my art #tile wallpaper #bug #arachnid #arachnids #spider #(for arachnophobes) #whip scorpion #vinegaroon #bugs #entomology #arthropods #insects #(they're not insects tho) #bug art #tailless whip scorpion #wallpaper

[aegann]

mutuals do this with me

#the lizard speaks #aeg's ecology tag #bug cw #arachnid cw #spider cw #not spiders but CLOSE ENOUGH to scare people who are arachnophobic #amblypygi #arachnid #arachnida #whip scorpion