Facts about Whip scorpions
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The Vinegarroon, also spelled Vinegaroon, Mastigoproctus giganteus, is a
type of Whip Scorpion, an arachnid that emits a vinegar-like mist containing
mostly acetic acid. (Useful to carry with you on picnics, with the
olive oil). The Vinegarroon is not venomous and is not a true scorpion. It
is related to spiders, true scorpions, and ticks.
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Vinegarroons are carnivores that hunt at night. They use their
powerful pincers to catch prey. During the day, Vinegarroons hide under leaves
or rocks.
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The long, whip-like tail is used as a sensory organ and does not have a
stinger (unlike true scorpions, which have a stinger at the tip of the
segmented tail).
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In captivity they tend to be very aggressive to one another and it is
only possible to keep them in individual cages.
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The common Thai name for them means ‘stinking scorpion’.
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Whip Scorpions range in size from 25 to 70mm in length,
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They use their long thin front legs as feelers, in much the same way
that insects use their antennae.
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Whip Scorpions are purely nocturnal hunters feeding mostly on insects
such as cockroaches and grasshoppers, though they also eat worms and slugs. The
prey is siezed between the two pedipalps and crushed between special teeth on
the inside of the trochanters (the second segment of the leg) of the front
legs. The large American Mastigoproctus giganteus carries its prey back to its
burrow to eat and has been known to feed on small frogs and toads.
After mating, the pregnant
female digs a special burrow with a large area at the end. When the eggs hatch,
the young are white and look nothing like their mother. They attach themselves
to their mother by special suckers.
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After a while, however, they molt and look like miniature whip
scorpions. They are slow-growing and molt three times over a period of about
three years.