Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2009 11:15 pm Post subject: I'm not an expert, but I need some help.
I live in San Pedro, CA, and I am not an expert at scorpions, but i have been able to catch a few in my house. I was wondering if anyone could help me out by trying to identify it from the pictures. The pictures are not very good because I took them with my phone.
This is the fourth one we have caught in our house since July 09 till Nov 09. The one that is solo in the two pictures is the one we caught today and it stung my dog in the mouth. The other two in the first photo were caught much earlier.
Also my main concern is for my dog and my 3 month old kid (when he starts crawling). If they get stung, what will happen and how soon do I need to get them to a doctor? How do they get in? Through an open door or some crack somewhere...
the only species that you could possibly encounter in CA that are even remotely dangerous are not well established. there supposedly are Centruroides species to be found in parts of CA, and those are the only species that are dangerous for anything other than crickets... and the scorps in your pics are 100% NOT Centruroides
i've gotten stung by tons of scorps that look very similar to that and the only symptom is a bit of local pain. i have become sensitized to certain CA species, after dozens of stings... and now every once in a while a sting causes a tiiiiny bit of tissue death... but nothing to worry about in the least. and that is after getting stung probably a couple hundred times total... so not a big deal
someone should be along to give you a narrow range guess for what those are before too long, but it could take a couple days
There may be people who like centipedes. I have seen people handling tarantulas and scorpions, but never a centipede handler. I would regard such a person with deep suspicion...Now what sort of man or woman or monster would stroke a centipede on its underbelly "And here is my big good centipede." If such a man exists, I say kill him without more ado. He is a traitor to the human race.
cacoseraph,
Thanks so much for your quick reply. We were a little worried about our dog. But she is slightly retarded anyways. Let me know if there is anyone down in RPV or San Pedro area that would like these guys when they are alive. I'm sure we'll see a few more. The three in the picture are all dead...
As for stopping them from getting in the house, try putting weatherstripping around your doors (they could get in under the door). Check inside and under cabinets as well -- I get the pretty little house centipedes all the time, and I think they are coming in under the front edge of the bathroom cabinets where there is a gap. My kitchen cabinets have small openings inside near the top that lead behind the cabinets and, presumably, outdoors -- I get ants coming in that way all the time. If you have openings in there, caulk them or stuff paper in them to block them off.
If his baby gets stung, is there anything he should put on it guys? (All I found online was ice and over-the-counter pain meds, presumably topical and/or oral).
The most important thing to do would be to watch your baby for any possible allergic reaction such as hives (puffy red blotches on the skin, especially the face) or difficulty breathing -- any symptoms like that call for a VERY quick trip to the emergency room. Allergic reactions are rare, though. (I had to rush my son to the emergency room when he was about 8 months old for an allergic reaction to some cheese ravioli! THAT was scarey!)
If it would put your mind at ease, you could always take your baby to the emergency room anyway just to be on the safe side. If it was *my* baby, though, I would just put ice and pain medication on it (and maybe give him some tylenol) and just observe him for a few hours to make sure he was O.K. (just as I would for a bee sting).
As for your dog, she has long since had whatever reaction she was going to have to the sting last night. (The worst reaction is within the first few hours). You could consult with your vet to ask if there's anything you should do for her next time it happens (if she's stupid enough to mess with a scorpion again after this experience). ;-) Probably nothing, again, unless she has an allergic reaction (appears to have trouble breathing, etc.)
_________________ "Tarantulas are friends, not food" (but I bet they taste pretty good with butter and lemon!)
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