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Creepy crawlies

Printed From: Reptiles and Amphibians of the UK
Category: General
Forum Name: Associated Fauna and Flora
Forum Description: A forum for plants, invertebrates and other animals associated with herpetofauna
URL: http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=212
Printed Date: 28 Mar 2024 at 9:37pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.06 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Creepy crawlies
Posted By: Matt Wilson
Subject: Creepy crawlies
Date Posted: 01 Jun 2003 at 11:09pm
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.

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Matthew Wilson




Replies:
Posted By: -LAF
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2003 at 1:59pm

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.



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Lee Fairclough


Posted By: Matt Wilson
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2003 at 3:36pm

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.



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Matthew Wilson



Posted By: Wolfgang Wuster
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2003 at 3:39pm
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


Posted By: administrator
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2003 at 7:40pm

Davids Picture

 

There is one more, but can't open the file at the moment

 



Posted By: Woody
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2003 at 4:17am

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?



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Woody-Chester!


Posted By: administrator
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2003 at 9:42am
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.


Posted By: -LAF
Date Posted: 05 Jun 2003 at 4:42pm

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.



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Lee Fairclough


Posted By: adam
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2003 at 11:08am
Originally posted by -LAF -LAF wrote:

Thats about it, nothing dangerous but a couple of minor unpleasantries. I wouldn't lose any sleep!

Minor unplesantries ? have you been bitten by a Steatoda grossa and thrown an alergic reaction ? because trust me you will loose some sleep !



Posted By: administrator
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2003 at 5:30pm
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.


Posted By: -LAF
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2003 at 12:22pm
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.   

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Lee Fairclough



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