Tuesday 28 June 2016

Langkawi's Arachnid: Giant Forest Scorpion

While walking on this path in the rainforest of Langkawi, I heard a soft voice from below. "Hey you nitwit human! Look where you are stepping on!" I looked down on the ground. It continued babbling and I heard it saying, "...get off my path... this is our forest.. nitwit humans destroying our home ... get off!"

I looked at it and spoke to it softly, "Sorry pal for our existence and our crimes towards your forest. But yea, you are right about humans being nitwits. By the way, you are very beautiful looking creature. Please pose awhile for my camera."
Heterometrus spinifer

Heterometrus spinifer

Heterometrus spinifer

Heterometrus spinifer

It started to be impatient and it lifted up its telson.
Heterometrus spinifer


After a few minutes of capturing this scorpion with my camera, it finally gave up, scuttled away from the main path and disappeared into the leaf litter. It was still babbling away... "Thank you for posing", I said.

While back at home, I search through a few websites and images for the identification of this species of scorpion. I finally found one site that gives me the comparison via images.I am quite sure that this species is the Heterometrus spinifer or common name can be Giant Forest Scorpion or Giant Blue Scorpion. 

User lxdng79 did an impressive writeup to differentiate the H.spinifer and H.longimanus and posted on this website linkWith this website, the granulation of the carapace seems to look alike.

Heterometrus spinifer


H.spinifer can be mistaken as the H.longimanus or commonly known as Asian Forest Scorpion. I welcome feedback or correction needed for the identification of this scorpion as H.spinifer. Please email me if anyone is able to conclude this species is a different one.

This scorpion predates on insects, small lizards and spiders too. Whenever you are walking in the forest, keep your head down for arachnids and keep your head up for birds. You will never know what you may encounter.

References:
http://venomlist.com/forums/index.php?/topic/28908-heterometrus-longimanus-herbst-1800/

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