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Creepy crawlies: |
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Matt Wilson Member Joined: 25 May 2003 No. of posts: 38  View other posts by Matt Wilson |
Posted: 01 Jun 2003 When i go to countries such as Spain and Greece looking for reptiles and amphibians i commonly encounter very large yellow centipedes as well as small black scorpions on Greek islands. I know that the more venomous scorpions are those with small claws, which these ones do have. Does anyone know what species they are? A yellow centipede also ran over my foot when i was wearing sandels in Iberian peninsula and i got no bite, i didn't move so it probably thought that it was a rock. I was trying to sneak upon a Spanish Psammodromus lizard at the time. Just curious for the next time one decides to run over my foot. Matthew Wilson |
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-LAF Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 317 View other posts by -LAF |
Posted: 03 Jun 2003 The centipedes are almost certainly members of the Scolopendrid family. While bites are not life threatening they are truly, horrificly, painful. Avoid being bitten at all costs. As for the scorpions, I'm not sure but I would presume that they would be of the Euscorpious genus (E. carpathicas occurs on the mainland) and probably* not dangerous. *Don't take my word for it, check!!! Cheers, Lee. Lee Fairclough |
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Matt Wilson Member Joined: 25 May 2003 No. of posts: 38 View other posts by Matt Wilson |
Posted: 03 Jun 2003 Thanks Lee, Although i believe that the small black scorpions from south Med are dangerous, i just don't know what species they are. Have only seen one or two of these, but the centipedes i see more than most animals. Matthew Wilson |
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Wolfgang Wuster Senior Member Joined: 23 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 326 View other posts by Wolfgang Wuster |
Posted: 03 Jun 2003 The small black scorpions found in Europe are all Euscorpius, and are harmless. There are yellow species (Buthus occitanus, Mesobuthus) that are more unpleasant. The large yellow scolopenders are like Lee said - you won't die, but you won't be thinking about much else for a while. Cheers, Wolfgang Wolfgang Wüster School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor http://sbsweb.bangor.ac.uk/~bss166/ |
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David Bird Forum Specialist Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 515 View other posts by David Bird |
Posted: 03 Jun 2003 In Greece and the former Yugoslavia Euscorpius italicus, E.carpathicus,E.germanus are the species that have been recorded there are several subspecies to most species and some are recognised as species by some authorities. They do have quite large pincers when looked at closely but as they are usually only about 1 inch long they do look small but they are hevily built unlike those of the more dangerous Buthids. Usually found under rocks when searching for invertebrates and fossorial reptiles. I did find a black scorpion about 2" long in 1971 at Vonitsa on the west coast of Greece that was climbing up a wall by the sea and I have never been able to identify. The centipedes are common around the mediterranean and usually Scolopendra cingulata although some I brought back from the Croatian coast in the 1980's were identified as Scolopendra dalmatina by Dr.J.Lewis but I can find no record of that name on the Web. At this time of the year the females are often gravid and lay eggs which they curl around and protect until hatching. I do have some pics of this but am unable to post at the moment. British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker. |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 03 Jun 2003 Davids Picture
There is one more, but can't open the file at the moment
Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 04 Jun 2003 I filmed this centipede behaviour for the beeb once, I did not realise that all the eggs are actually loose and not adhered together; mother was continually moving adjust her legs and body in an attempt to keep the eggs together - like juggling ball bearings. This was an Asiatic species as I recall kept at the Poole Aquarium. These centipedes can grab thgeir prey quicj as a rattler strike, if not quicker. When we filmed this for 'Supersense' we filmed at 2000frames per sec (normal 24 fps). I was with someone who got a nip from a large one and he was in agony.
Tony Phelps
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Woody Member Joined: 05 Jun 2003 No. of posts: 5 View other posts by Woody |
Posted: 05 Jun 2003 hi sorry to interupt but i have also seen yellow centerpieds in the uk, are they as dangerous as i have kids and they are in my (slightly overgrown) garden? again sorry for foolish talk but are there any dangerous spiders etc of the UK as the only dangerous thing that springs to mind in the UK is the Adder snake? Woody-Chester! |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 05 Jun 2003 I've never considered the Adder in the least bit dangerous, if left alone Woody. There are many animals in the UK that are "dangerous" if provoked, badgers being a good example. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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-LAF Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 317 View other posts by -LAF |
Posted: 05 Jun 2003 Hi Woody, While the large brown (red) common centipede does get big enough to give a 'nip' it isn't remotely dangerous or painfull. The other centipedes you are likely to encounter are completely innocuous. The one exception is the 'house' centipede, Scutegera. These have be found in a few places in the UK, though always in buildings, and usually in warehouses where they have been inadvertantly imported to. They're not native. They can give a fairly pianful bite but are not dangerous. As for other invertibrates, there are a few colonies of a scorpion (Euscorpius flavicaudis) dotted around (a big colony of several hundred at Sherness). These are entirely harmless. Amongst the UK spiders that could give you a nip are; The woodlouse spider (Dysdera crocata) that has big fangs that are mechanically painfull but that's all, The Raft spiders (Dolomedes), one of our biggest spiders but not remotely dangerous, The house spiders (Tegenaria), again harmless enough. One infamous UK species (Tegenaria aggrestis) has caused some nasty bites in the US but this now seems to be a result of a bacteria associated with the spider only in the US, A large tube web spider (Segestria florentina) that is found in a few places down south can deliver a pianful bite that may produce mild evenvemoation symptoms. Not really dangerous though, Someáfairly close relatives of the widow spiders (a sister genus) is found in the UK, and the biggest species (Steotoda nobilis - found in some southern counties) can deliver a pianful bite that again may also produce minor symptoms of envenomation. Unlikely to cause anything other than minor effects, The rare ladybird spider (Eresus sandaliatus) is found in very small numbers at a couple of small sites. The female of which may well be our largest spider and can deliver a painful bite, but isápretty harmless. And finally, there are a few small representatives of the Sac spider group (Cheiracanthium) in the UK. None is known to bite but could, in theory, give unpleasant ulceration at the bite site. The larger sac spiders, including some european species, can deliver relatively nasty (but not life threatening) bites. Our own species are considered harmless. I'm currently trying to find a large enough one (for fangs to break skin) to test this (and be the first idiot get pretty pictures of theábite siteá Thats about it, nothing dangerous but a couple of minor unpleasantries. I wouldn't lose any sleep! Cheers, Lee. Lee Fairclough |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 05 Jun 2003 I got a nip from an Argiope last year - but come to nothing. The most dangerous thing around here is my next door neighbour so like the adders, I try not to provoke him.
Tony |
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adam Member Joined: 21 Jul 2003 No. of posts: 1 View other posts by adam |
Posted: 21 Jul 2003 [QUOTE=-LAF] Thats about it, nothing dangerous but a couple of minor unpleasantries. I wouldn't lose any sleep! [/QUOTE]Minor unplesantries ? have you been bitten by a Steatoda grossa and thrown an alergic reaction ? because trust me you will loose some sleep ! |
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David Bird Forum Specialist Joined: 17 Feb 2003 No. of posts: 515 View other posts by David Bird |
Posted: 21 Jul 2003 Interesting to hear that someone has ben bitten by a Steatoda grossa . When I sent one to the BM(NH) when I first started at Poole Aquarium 18 years ago when I found that they were everywhere and a real pest getting in our cricket breeding set ups and killing everything. Guy at the museum said best not to get bitten by them as they do kill Black Widows in U.S. but little was known about their venom potency at the time. Being an Arachnophobe by nature and they being a real nuisance we used to squash everyone we saw. We could find dozens when we cleaned out cricket containers out.They were still there when we closed down so we were unable get rid of them but luckily no one was bitten. As far as I am concerned the only good spider is one that has just filled its position in the food chain by getting eaten by a reptile or amphibian.There was a small survey done on spider bites by Duffey & Plant in 1981 with a page in New Scientist Page 419 , 14 May 1981 British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker. |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090 View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 21 Jul 2003 Glad to hear someone else who has no problem with herps has arachnophobia, I thought it was just me. I've gone off flies this week too, my forearm is just retuning to normal, though still aching, after swelling up and glowing red for 2 days after a horsefly bite, I don't usually get much of a reaction to them. Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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-LAF Senior Member Joined: 03 Apr 2003 No. of posts: 317 View other posts by -LAF |
Posted: 22 Jul 2003 Hmmm, okay so if you're one of the unlucky ones an allergic reaction to Steatoda could be a bit further up the echelons of unpleasentness than I suggested. And Steatoda bites to children in Oz have been (succesfully!) treated with Latrodectus (Widows et al) anitivenom, but I'm still not going to have nightmares over it. But then, I'm one of those weird people who LIKES SPIDERS  . Which brings me on to... the latest edition to our household... A large Argiope (wasp spider) that had made itself at home on the litterbin outside the ladies toilets of a campsite I stayed at on Monday night. Her name? Patsy 3. (Patsy 1 was a Salmon pink bird eater, Patsy 2 was a large Tegenaria gigantea). Anyway, she brightens up my desk no end it a satisfying demise to the flies that pester me relentlessly while I try and work. Speaking of which - Ouch Gemma, I've never had a reaction to horsefly bites, that sounds like it was pretty nasty. While I love herps and spiders I must say that I HATE horseflies (and Deerflies). To the point where when they land I will LET them bite as this drastically increases the chances of me splattering them before they can fly off. It probably defeats the object but I find one nip and a satisfying revenge far less stressful than having them buzzing round, folowing me while I flail my arms about like a demented windmill. Grrr! Did I mention I HATE them!?! (They do have pretty eyes though).
Cheers, Lee. Lee Fairclough |
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