Descriptive
Information
- Field
marks: The HentzŐs Striped
Scorpion observed was mostly pale sandy brown in color except for
on itsŐ abdomen. On the dorsal side, it was pale black and segmented
and on the ventral side it was a lighter white color. The Hentz
Striped Scorpion also has a multitude of orange-brown spots on its
backside and six segmented walking legs. The scorpion overall was
small yet carried a look that is quite intimidating.
- Size:
Measurements were taken on the size of the HentzŐs Striped Scorpion
and the results are the following:
- Body Length- 1.8 inches
- Width from pincer to pincer- 1 inch
- Tail Length (5 segments)- 0.8 inches
- Front Pincer Length- 0.5 inches
- General
habitat: The HentzŐs Striped
Scorpion can generally be found in fields and woodland edges.
- Range:
The Florida range for the Hentz Striped Scorpion is statewide
and they can be seen year-round.
- Field
Observations : While packing
up for a day of research in the great Florida Everglades, the Hentz
Striped Scorpion was found in the front pouch of my backpack. At
first it was thought that it came from Lulu Key the day before but
with the confirmation of a second sighting, it was obvious that
these creatures are Pineland dwellers. When taken out to observe,
it seemed very lethargic. It just sat
on the picnic table and allowed us to take pictures of it. When
agitated with a stick, the scorpion slowly made its way to the underside
of the table and out into the pineland. Four hours later, a Hentz
Striped Scorpion was seen at the same picnic table. This one
was a little bigger in size and more aggressive in nature. It was
placed in a bowl with sand so that it could stay comfortable and
so that we could make safe observations. The first thing that we
noticed was that the scorpion would extend its tail to aid in its
climbing tactics. It is amazing that the curved poison filled tail
that the Hentz Striped Scorpion uses not only to kill its prey,
but also uses to escape from danger. The study that we ran on the
scorpion included placing it at the base of a tree and observing
its behavior. When doing this, the scorpion immediately began climbing
the tree and searching for shelter that was provided by the loose
bark. As it turns out, this particular species feeds on small insects
and termites. Crawling under the tree bark may be the Hentz Striped
ScorpionŐs way of finding food and therefore, its ecological nitch.
This is an amazing product of creation and well worth the respect
of all that cross its path.
- References:
National Audubon Society Field Guide To Florida (pg 216)
and FloridaŐs Fabulous Spiders (pg 61)
- Video
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