If you like camping and want to enjoy your time out in the outdoors then you will need to have the proper items of camping equipment.

The camping lantern is an essential among other things which must be taken along on a camping trip as it can make your time a little brighter and more comfortable as well as enjoyable. It is necessary that you settle your campsite with great attention to ensure that nothing goes wrong and for this it is necessary that the campsite be well illuminated.

Without adequate light at night how can you make sure you avoid scorpions and scorpion bites, for example? They like to hide in shoes sometimes so it would be handy to be able to check your shoes with a camping lantern if you need to get up in the night to go to answer ‘nature’s call’ to avoid any nasty surprises

Safe Camping With Camping Lantern

Having adequate lighting at night is essential to safe camping and this is when it is necessary to have a good camping lantern on hand. You need to understand the positives to using a camping lantern because only then will you ensure that you do not forget to take along this excellent item of camping equipment.

A camping lantern will of course shed its light on your campsite and in addition it provides every camper with an added sense of security. Obviously, when you are able to see your way around in the dark you will feel more confident and less insecure. In addition, the light from the camping lantern can help create the proper atmosphere around a campsite and can allow every camper to see the others and so builds a bit more sense of bonhomie.

Without a camping lantern it would indeed make the task of enjoying safe camping that much harder and inconvenient as well. It is therefore necessary that not only do you ensure taking along a camping lantern but that you also take along the right type. For example, a hiker will need to take along a lighter such lantern while a person traveling in an RV would obviously need a different kind of lantern altogether.

A person might want to gift to someone they know that loves the outdoors then the camping lantern can be an excellent item for them. It is an item that every avid camper would gladly accept as it makes camping a lot more fun, secure and enjoyable. Portable camping lanterns are a great option when it comes to gifting a camper with something that will be useful to them and which will also be much appreciated by them as well.

The LED camping lantern is an excellent option as it shines a brighter light and is also water resistant and best of all; it is very easy to use. Most people consider this kind of camping lantern to be a wonderful alternative and prefer it to using white gas which is considered a more inconvenient option.

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A black widow spider can be recognized by a distinctive red hourglass on its stomach. Only the female spider bites, not the male and it has a toxic venom. In the beginning pain is not so severe, but as with the scorpion sting severe local pain can begin to develop quite rapidly.

The pain will eventually spread over the whole body, but mainly in the abdomen and legs. Abdominal cramps and increasingly nausea, vomiting, and a rash may occur.  Weakness, tremors, sweating, and salivation may also occur. Anaphylactic reactions can cause complications.

Symptoms begin to ease after a few hours and usually disappear completely within a couple of days. Shock is possible so be prepared in case you need to apply CPR. Clean the bite area well to help reduce the risk of contracting an infection.

The funnel web spider is a large brown or grey spider mostly found in Australia. The symptoms and treatment for this spider bite are the same as for the black widow spider.

The brown recluse spider is a small, light brown spider which can be identified by a mark on its back like a dark brown violin. There is not usually any pain from its bite, or so little that usually a victim does not notice he or she has been bitten. However within a short while a painful red area with a mottled  center appears. the process of necrosis does not occur in all bites, but often in a few days, a star-shaped, firm area of deep purple discoloration begins to appear at the site of the bite.

The area has a tendency to turn dark and mummified within a week or two. When the scab falls off an open ulcer is revealed. there is a high risk of secondary infection and  swollen lymph glands usually become visible at this stage. This is an ulcer that does not heal but persists for weeks or months and in addition to that, there is often a systemic reaction that is serious and can lead to death. Reactions such as fevers, chills, joint pain, vomiting, and rashes are experienced mainly by children or the old or infirm.

Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders found mainly in the tropics. Most of them do not use venom in their bite, but some South American species do and their fangs are quite large. If bitten, pain and bleeding ocur, and infection is very likely. Treat a tarantula bite like any other  open wound, and try to prevent infection. If symptoms of poisoning appear, treat as for the black widow spider bite.

Scorpions are all poisonous to a greater or lesser extent.

There are two different reactions, depending on the species:

The first is ,limited to a severe local reaction only, with pain and swelling around the area of the sting. Prickly sensations around the mouth and a thick-feeling tongue may result.

The second kind of response is what is known as a severe systemic reaction, with little or no visible local reaction. Local pain may be present but not always felt. A systemic reaction includes respiratory difficulties, thick-feeling tongue, body spasms, drooling or dribbling, gastric distention and bloating, double vision, blindness, involuntary rapid movement of the eyeballs, incontinence, and heart failure. However death is rare, occurring mainly in children and adults with high blood pressure or an impaired immune system.

Author: Mac Ward  check out my site and my other article on Bankruptcy Law.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mac_Ward

Rose-haired Tarantula

I have several species of tarantula. I have had my chilean for two years, and he is the only one that has never bitten me. He is a sweetheart. If your child want’s a spider, this is the one for you. 

Tarantula may freak out even the manliest of men

Are you scared of spiders? You think you are not? Check out the RC Tarantula and you may change your mind. But the good part…the spider is completely in. 

How Many People Are Scared Of Spiders

My Mom was afraid of snakes untill she actually held one now she wants to have one as a pet… As for spiders Im not sure what it is about them but they are just icky I suggest you go to a pet store and hold a tarantula it might help 

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So many people are afraid of the ‘dreaded’ black widow spider and its venom

Black widow spiders strike fear in the hearts of many people around the world

Many people are fearful of all spiders because they don’t know how to identify one species of spider from another.

By educating yourself on how to identify a black widow spider you can avoid coming into contact with one. But you don’t have to be overly terrified of these or any other species of spider. They are an important part of controlling the populations of other insects and arachnids (did you know that a scorpion is an arachnid?) that are much more bothersome to humans.

The venom possessed by the black widow spider is more potent than several species of venomous snake. However, it is rare for an otherwise healthy human to die from a black widow spider bite.

People can develop a serious and even deadly allergic reaction to the venom injected from a bite, but this doesn’t happen very often. The venom when injected into a human causes pain and severe swelling near the bite site and surrounding tissues. In severe cases, nerves are damaged by the venom and the proper flow of blood to a finger or toe can be restricted causing a loss of feeling or ability to move the affected appendage. Sometimes this allows for gangrene to set in, and the affected finger or toe is amputated to prevent the rest of the body from becoming toxic.

Birds and other small predators can eat black widow spiders without being killed or paralyzed by the toxicity of the venom. But many of them decide this is one meal that is best passed up because ingesting these spiders, often causes them much stomach distress. Black widow spiders wear a warning label that many would be predators have learned to identify and use to avoid these spiders. The same warning label can be used by humans to identify black widow spiders and thus avoid them whenever possible.

Heed the Warning Label

Female black widow spiders are bigger than their male counterparts. The female has a glossy black coloring on her body except on her belly she has an hourglass shape that is an orange to red coloring. Typically, they also have a red or another brightly colored dot located near the spinnerets. This is her warning label to predators and humans that she carries powerful venom.

A female black widow spider can grow to a size as big as 1 inches.

Male black widow spiders are not as big as the females. They have longer legs but usually have half the body size in comparison to female black widow spiders. Males are a dark brown and do not have an hourglass shape on their bellies. But they do have a an orange to reddish colored stripe on the belly and a similarly colored dot near the spinnerets

Teenage female black widow spiders have brightly colored marking on their backs that will be exchanged for a glossy black bodysuit once adulthood is reached. The purpose of this coloring on the back is to alert predators that she is a venomous spider while she is walking on the ground in search of the location where she will establish her web network. Male spiders can also display such coloring on their backs, but they do so to signal to females that they are interested in mating.

Did you know?

Some people assume that spiders only live one season and then die off and another generation of spiders takes their place. A female black widow spider can live as long as five years, while a male spider typically has a lifespan of about two and a half years. Female black widow spiders lay their eggs during summer, depositing them into silk sacs. They can produce enough eggs for 5 to 9 egg sacs per summer with 100-500 eggs in each sac. Only about a third of these infant spiders survive to adulthood due to predators and environmental conditions such as a lack of food and habitat.

The webs of black widow spiders are most often located near the ground, unlike other species of spiders that prefer to build their webs up higher. Inside homes, most spiders prefer the dark dampness found in most basements. They not only build their webs on rafters but can build web networks under washer and dryers and even inside large wall cracks.

Seek Medical Treatment for a Bite

If you do receive a bite from a black widow spider, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Even if you are not sure what kind of spider has just bitten you, it is a good idea to head to your doctor or the emergency department for medical attention.

Black widow spider anti-venom has been developed to counteract the affects of the venom that has been injected into the body by a bite. Receiving this anti-venom as soon after a bite as possible can significantly decrease the severity of the reaction you can experience from a black widow spider bite.

By: CSStephanie Larkin Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about large businesses for home owners such as Orkin and Terminix

Spider Bite or Just a Scratch?

Although the brown recluse spider gets all the infamy, there at least six families of spiders native to the United States are able to do this. At least one of these spiders can be found anywhere in the US. The other is the black widow. 

Buncombe County News

There are many different species of spiders throughout the United States. Some are harmless and others are dangerous. The two kinds of spiders in Western North Carolina that you should be familiar with are the Black Widow and the Brown 

Black Widow and Brown Recluse Spider Bites

Most spiders do not have mouth parts strong enough to penetrate human skin, and the majority of spiders found in the U.S. and are actually harmless. There are two notable exceptions, the black widow spider and the brown recluse spider

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It is when one has to spend the night out in the open that one wishes for the cozy bed to sleep on. Blankets, bed sheets and pillows have been used to make it as close to a bed as possible. But not really. These efforts gradually transformed into sleeping bags. Resembling a blanket with a zipper, the sleeping bag is intended to provide insulation, warmth and comforts as a bed. Most important of all, the sleeping bag is something one can simply carry it along while traveling in a backpack. This comes in particularly useful when one is camping.

A piece of advice: if you are camping in a scorpion inhabited area, always check your sleeping bag before using it because they are known to hide in the most unexpected places and you don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night with a scorpion bite.

While sleeping outside one has to be wary of the wind and the precipitation. The sleeping bags are designed precisely to protect you from these. It covers you up cozily protecting you from the exterior. Synthetic fills are used such as PrimaLoft as the insulating materials. Another commonly used material is the down fill. Though cotton or wool too is used, these are not popular. Insulation is better in the synthetic fill bags. Water absorption is also poor and it keeps you dry in wet conditions. You can carry the synthetic bag with you just as you would a folded blanket. Heat retention is better in the down fill bag. But this is costlier than the synthetic fill bags.

Sleeping bags are available in two shapes namely the rectangular sleeping bag and the mummy shaped ones. The rectangular sleeping bags are bigger resembling a folded blanket that is zipped. It has straps or cords for securing the bag once it is folded. The mummy shaped bag has a broad and open portion at the shoulder tapering down as it comes to the leg side. It is smaller but has a better heat retention capacity. It cannot be folded but has to be rolled and stuffed into a sack for it to be carried easily. Sleeping bags are found with camping equipment dealers. A light sleeping bag that is comfortable is the marmot atom 40.

The down bags are not as good as the synthetic bags when it comes to wet conditions. The down bags are costlier but lighter. You need to know what are the conditions you will be in when you need to use a sleeping bag. Sleeping bags no doubt making your sleeping out a pleasant experience.

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Don’t let the scorpions in Arizona spoil your holiday

Lake Havasu City, Arizona is located on the beautiful Colorado River. Lake Havasu is a large reservoir behind Parker Dam on the Colorado River, on the border between California and Arizona. Lake Havasu is a fishermans paradise spanning over 19 miles.

There are two major attractions in Lake Havasu City: Lake Havasu, and the London Bridge. Few sights are as awe inspiring as the mysterious arid Arizona desert where it connects with the shores of Lake Havasu. Lake Havasu is popular with RV Campers and Spring Breakers. What makes a first time trip to Lake Havasu City so spectacular and just a Lake Havasu City AZ is located on the shores of both Arizona and California. The surrounding desert offers plenty of camping, rock climbing and offroading adventure possibilities.

And scorpions are hardly ever seen. They are not crawling around everywhere as some might imagine andyou can do some reearch before you travel, for example by looking up a map of scorpion sitings to see which areas are safe and which are best to avoid

Lake Havasu Jet Skiing and Boating Adventures

The Lake Havasu area is most famous as the home of the famous the London Bridge. Lake Havasu Watersports Boating, swimming, jet skiing and other water sports are popular activities on the Lake. It is a desert lake surrounded by cliff walls and offers plenty of room for boating.

One of the greatest pleasures of boating on Lake Havasu is enjoying the warm desert evenings, under a canopy of stars or bathing in the moonlight. Enjoy year round boating, fishing and water sports on the beautiful. Boating, jet skiing, and swimming can be the highlight of any vacation and Lake Havasu has more to offer than any other resort destination. Lake Havasu has more to offer than any other resort destination. With Arizona’s year-round sunshine, we have camping, fishing and boating for everyone.

Lake Havasu Campsites

Throughout the season, Lake Havasu hosts many festivals, Boating and Camping: There are 125 lakeshore campsites available along the Arizona side of Lake Havasu, from Lake Havasu City to Parker Dam. Camping is popular along the shores of Lake Havasu.

Windsor Beach is a wonderfully developed area in Lake Havasu City just north of the famed London Bridge. Windsor Beach provides one of the most popular boat launch ramps in the area with Campbell Cove RV park in Lake Havasu just around the corner on Industrial Blvd. Campbell Cove is a Wi Fi enabled Lake Havasu RV Park with a spectacular panoramic lake view.

When you are considering your next vacation destination, if you are a fan of camping, swimming, boating, fishing, golfing, hiking, sightseeing or jet skiing Lake Havasu is a desert oasis worthy of consideration.

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The scientific name of the black emperor or imperial scorpion is Pandinus imperator. Read on to know the facts about this scorpion.

Scorpions are arthropods related to the spiders and they belong to the class known as arachnid.

There are different types of scorpions (over 2000 species) and Black Emperor scorpion (Imperial scorpion) is one of them. Though the Imperial scorpion is a native of West Africa, they are also found in abundance in the rainforests around the world.

Black Emperor Scorpion Facts

Emperor scorpions are the largest scorpions on the earth. The length of an adult (fully grown) black emperor is approximately 8 inches; while a young one is around 4 inches long. A black emperor scorpion becomes a fully-grown adult at the age of four. The life span of an emperor scorpion is eight years.

An interesting fact is that a young black emperor scorpion is white in color; the color turns to black with each molting. An emperor scorpion molts at least six times, before becoming an adult.

You can visually differentiate between a female and a male emperor scorpion, by checking out the size of the ‘pectines’ (appendages on the underside of the belly with combs on them). If there are many combs and the length of the combs are long, then the scorpion is a male. A female emperor has very few combs and the combs are shorter in length.

Among all the scorpion family, the black emperor scorpions are the most docile; the sting of this arthropod is mild and the toxicity of the venom is less, hence the pain disappears after a couple of hours. This could be the reason why a black emperor scorpion is an ideal pet for scorpion lovers. It has been categorized as one of the exotic pets.

An emperor scorpion loves to habitat in areas, where the temperature is high. If you are planning to keep an emperor scorpion as a pet, keep an under-tank heater to heat the tank. An ideal temperature is 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Are you curious to know what a black emperor as well as other scorpions eat? An emperor scorpion eats almost anything from lizards to grasshoppers, mice and crickets. Sometimes, they feed on small birds and the smaller species of scorpions. If you have an emperor scorpion as pet, do not overfeed it. On an average, an adult emperor would require only a couple of crickets a day. On a very shallow bowl, keep a small amount of water because a black emperor scorpion is likely to drink water. The best time to feed an emperor scorpion is at night, as it is a nocturnal arthropod.

Do you know a female emperor scorpion would give birth to minimum 40 scorpions at a time? The gestation period of the mother is seven months. The baby scorpions stay on the back of the mother after birth and descend only to eat. The mother scorpion kills a prey and leaves it on the floor of the scorpion nest. The baby scorpions climb down from the mother’s back and feed on the dead insect.

The venom of the black emperor scorpion is not lethal. However, if you have any allergy-related health problems, it is better to be careful while handling this large scorpion.

By Maya Pillai

Emperor Scorpion, Pandinus imperator

Emperor scorpions take readily to tong feeding , and should be provided with canned grasshoppers and silkworms as a means of increasing dietary variety. We know nothing of their vitamin/mineral needs…I powder my scorpions’ food once 

Breeding Emperor Scorpions

Female emperor scorpions feed their young with finely-shredded insects – this really is something to see. By all means, try to do so by viewing yours at night with the aid of an incandescent “nocturnal” bulb. The degree of care they …  

The Scorpion as a Pet

It’s also known as the Imperial Black Emperor, or African Emperor Scorpion. Shiny black and about the size of your palm, this scorpion is quite impressive, yet one of the easiest for a beginner to take care of.

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It seems the scorpion habitat has extended to hiding in planes and men’s pants!

A Vermont man survived two bites by a scorpion that crawled up his leg after finding its way onto a United Airlines flight.

David Sullivan, a 46-year-old builder from Stowe, Vermont, had been visiting his sons in San Francisco with his wife, Helena. After they boarded the second leg of their United Airlines flight to head home, he relaxed and settled in to take a nap. Shortly before the plane landed, Sullivan awoke to a strange sensation in his leg.

“My right leg felt like it was asleep, but that was isolated to one spot,” Sullivan said. “It felt like it was being jabbed with a sharp piece of plastic or something.”

Sullivan and his wife got off the plane and went to the baggage claim area to wait for their bags, and that’s when he felt a second stab of pain in his other leg. Sullivan rolled up the cuff of his pants to see what the pain was coming from, and a scorpion fell out.

“It felt like a shock, a tingly thing,” Sullivan said. “Someone screamed, ‘It’s a scorpion!’” Another passenger hurried over and stepped on the 2″-long arachnid. Sullivan gathered up the scorpion and headed to the hospital to seek medical treatment.

Dr. Stephen Leffler, director of emergency services at the Fletcher Allen Health Care hospital in Burlington, where Sullivan sought treatment, said “we don’t see many scorpion bites in Vermont.” He said that scorpion bites are rarely fatal, unless the patient is a small baby or an older person with other medical problems. In a healthy adult, a scorpion bite can cause numbness or shooting pain extending out from the bite. It can also result in flu-like symptoms, which Sullivan had the next day. “You’re much more likely to die from an allergic reaction to a bee sting,” Leffler said.

Sullivan believes the scorpion first bit him on the back of his right leg while he was sleeping, then crawled up through his crotch and down his left leg, before biting him again on the shin as he waited for his luggage.

The Sullivans think the scorpion boarded the plane in Texas. Mrs. Sullivan, in talking to officials at the United Airlines counter in the airport, was told that the plane they had boarded in Chicago had flown there from Houston. “The airlines tell you you can’t bring water or shampoo on a plane,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “All the security we go through” apparently didn’t apply to the scorpion, she said.

United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said that airline officials are investigating the incident to see how the scorpion might have gotten on board the flight. “We’re very sorry for what happened,” she said. “Our customer safety and security is our number one priority.”

For his part, Sullivan seems unfazed by the incident. “I’ve traveled enough in tropical climates, Argentina, South Americato know about the risks from insects and animals and microorganisms. … It’s a dangerous world out there.” When a reporter asked if he had seen the recent Samuel L. Jackson movie, “Snakes on a Plane,” Sullivan said that he hasn’t. “I’m pretty selective about what I see,” Sullivan said. “Maybe I have to see it now.”

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies

Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children’s Recovery

Get the facts on infectious disease types, causes, prevention, and treatment, and learn how they spread. Plus, read the latest news on emerging infectious diseases like MRSA, E. coli, flu, and hepatitis.  

Tent living – watch for scorpions, cobras and Kraits

We were informed about the poisonous spiders, scorpions, and snakes that call this country home. There are 3 types of scorpions that possess the ability to be fatal with their sting. In addition, there are cobras and Kraits.

What Do Scorpions Look Like

The zoologists believe scorpions have been on earth for more than three hundred million years. Scorpions are fascinating to some, whether in the wild, as a pet or as a tattoo. There are many types of scorpions. 

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A black widow spider can be recognized by red hourglass on its stomach. Only the female bites, and it has a neurotoxic venom.

In the beginning pain is not severe, but severe local pain rapidly develops. The pain will slowly spread over the entire body and settle in the abdomen and legs. Abdominal cramps and progressive nausea, vomiting, and a rash may occur. Also you can expect weakness, tremors, sweating, and salivation may occur. Anaphylactic reactions can arise. Symptoms begin to regress after several hours and are usually gone in a couple days. Shock is possible. Be ready to perform CPR. Clean the bite area to reduce the risk of infection.

The funnel web spider is a large brown or gray spider found in Australia. The symptoms and treatment for its bite are as for the black widow.

The brown recluse spider is a small, light brown spider identified by a dark brown violin on its back. There is no pain, or so little that usually a victim does not notice the bite. Within a few hours a painful red area with a mottled cyanotic center appears.

Necrosis does not occur in all bites, but usually in 3 to 4 days, a star-shaped, firm area of deep purple discoloration appears at the bite site. The area will turn dark and mummified in a week or two. The margins separate and the scab falls off, leaving an open ulcer.

Secondary infection and regional swollen lymph glands usually become visible at this stage. The outstanding characteristic of a brown recluse bite is an ulcer that does not heal but persists for weeks or months. In addition to the ulcer, there is often a systemic reaction that is serious and may lead to death. Reactions (fever, chills, joint pain, vomiting, and a generalized rash) occur chiefly in children or debilitated persons.

Tarantulas are large, hairy spiders found mainly in the tropics. Most do not inject venom, but some South American species do. They have large fangs. If bitten, pain and bleeding are certain, and infection is likely. Treat a tarantula bite as for any open wound, and try to prevent infection. If symptoms of poisoning appear, treat as for the bite of the black widow spider.

Scorpions are all poisonous to a greater or lesser degree. There are two different reactions, depending on the species:

Severe local reaction only, with pain and swelling around the area of the sting. It is possible prickly sensation around the mouth and a thick-feeling tongue will occur.

Severe systemic reaction, with little or no visible local reaction. Local pain may be present. Systemic reaction includes respiratory difficulties, thick-feeling tongue, body spasms, drooling, gastric distention, double vision, blindness, involuntary rapid movement of the eyeballs, involuntary urination and defecation, and heart failure. Death is rare, occurring mainly in children and adults with high blood pressure or illnesses.

Treat scorpion stings as you would a black widow bite.

Author: Mac Ward. Check out my site and my other article on Bankruptcy Law. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mac_Ward

Brown recluse bites mostly as last resort

A fiddle-back spider often will hide in unused clothing or shoes. A brown recluse is not aggressive but it will bite to protect themselves. If you stick your leg into a pair of shorts you haven’t worn for six months and manage to … 

First aid treatment for spider bites.

If you believe you have been bitten by black widow, first aid under the tutelage other spider bites and contact a doctor immediately for treatment. Brown recluse spider. This is a small brown spider. You can see that the violin spider …  

Spider Pictures  Black Widow Spider vs. Brown Recluse …

Would you know what to expect if you were bitten by a poisonous brown recluse spider? Learn more about the deadly bite of the brown recluse spider on Discovery Channel’s “I Was Bitten.” 

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The zoologists believe scorpions have been on earth for more than three hundred million years. There are many types of scorpions. Read on to find out more…

A scorpion is an ancient venomous arthropod, belonging to the class of animals known as arachnid. They are closely related to the spiders. The sting of a scorpion is sometimes fatal because certain species are dangerously poisonous. The body structure of a scorpion resembles a crayfish. A scorpion has a pair of appendages extending from the sides of the mouth and also has a diabolic tail with a pair of powerful pincers. A scorpion attacks its predators and its prey with its tail.

There are many species of scorpions; over 2000 species in all, found all over the world. Some varieties of scorpions are classified as exotic pets. Many of the species are natives of tropical and desert regions of the earth. The scorpions vary in color (there are red, yellow, green and black color scorpions) and in length. There are over thirty species of scorpions in United States alone.

Depending on the toxicity of their venom, the scorpions are classified into two types. There are a few species of scorpions whose sting is not harmful. The sting causes sharp pain followed by swelling; however, the effect of the sting is lost after a couple of hours. The toxicity of the venom of the other type of scorpions, is similar to that of the venomous snakes such as cobra and coral snakes. That is, the venom of these arthropods is neuro-toxic. The venomous species of scorpions are mostly found in many parts of Mexico.

Species of Scorpions

Here are a few species of scorpions.

Emperor Scorpion – Another name for the emperor scorpion is imperial scorpion; it is a native of Africa. This scorpion is the largest in the world and has a life span of up to eight years. The length of emperor scorpion is around 20 cms long. This scorpion is one of the popular exotic pets because of the low toxicity of its venom and also because of its lengthy life span.

Scorpio maurus – This species of scorpions gets its name from “maurus” meaning “dark”. It is also known as the Israeli gold scorpion. This species of scorpions was personally named by Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist, and he also coined the name “Scorpio” which means scorpion. Maurus is found in the African subcontinent and Asia. The length of this species is 6 to 8 cms.

Bothriuridae – There are 135 subspecies of Bothriuridae. They are the natives of Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. One of the genera of this species was recently found in the Himalayas. The scorpions of this species are unique because the sternum consists of a couple of transverse bars, they are longer and broader when compared to the scorpions of other species.

Euscorpiidea – This family of scorpions has 79 species. Scorpions of this species are mostly found in Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and in Asian countries.

The other species of scorpions include Caraboctonidae, Chactidae and so on. Whatever be the species, all scorpions eat smaller insects such as lizards, crickets, and sometimes, members of their own family.

By Maya Pillai

How To Get Rid of Scorpions

Scorpions wield a painful, potentially fatal sting. Eliminating their habitat can help you get rid of scorpions around your home. 

How to Eliminate Scorpions

There are very few things in this world that give me the willies, but I gotta tell ya, scorpions send a little shiver through my entire body. I know I’m not alone either. In fact, when I was working at the pet store we always had … 

How to Remove Scorpions

There’s something about scorpions that frightens even the bravest of men. Perhaps it’s because of their menacing appearance, so often exaggerated in cartoons and movies, even though the real ones are very small in size. 

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Insects are included in the group of arthropods. There are some species of insects that are deadliest. Here is some interesting information about top 10 deadliest insects.

Insects are among the most diverse group of animals. According to the modern insect classification, the Insecta is divided into 29 orders such as Mantodea, Siphonaptera, Blattodea, Isoptera, Odonata, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Dermaptera.

They have segmented bodies, supported by an exoskeleton, which is a hard outer covering made up of chitin. The insect’s body is composed of three segments including a head, abdomen and thorax, along with six legs. The head has a pair of compound eyes, one to three simple eyes, pair of sensory antennae and three sets of variously modified appendages, forming the mouthparts.

There are several species of insects such as fly, praying mantis, butterfly and moth, dragonfly, beetle, true bug, ant, wasp and bee.

Following is some interesting information about the top 10 deadliest insects, their weapons and how they are harmful to human beings.

• Mosquitoes:Mosquitoes are among the most deadliest insects on the earth. They can easily transfer a set of diseases by biting people. Anopheles mosquito is the deadliest mosquito, which is a carrier of the blood-borne diseases such as malaria. The female Anopheles mosquito has two pairs of cutting stylets at the end of proboscis, which can penetrate the victim’s skin. They inject their saliva, through which the malarial parasites are injected into the victim’s blood giving rise to the symptoms of malaria.
• Fleas: These small, wingless insects are the external parasites in birds and mammals. They are dark in color and laterally compressed. Their flattened body allows them to move easily through the host’s feathers or hair. They can jump vertically and feed on blood. Fleas can spread Bubonic plague from rats to humans. If you get a fleabite, you can develop a swollen pustule, causing allergic reactions.
• Bees: Normal solitary bees usually do not sting humans, as they die after this act. Killer Bees do attack with the slight provocation. Bees have deadly stingers, which are used to inject the poison into the victim. Their sting can cause swelling and pain. Several people are allergic to the beastings and can experience an anaphylactic shock leading to death.
• TseTse Fly: It is found in Africa and feeds on the blood of vertebrates. It is a carrier of deadly sleeping sickness. It is responsible for spreading the disease namely trypanosomiases in humans.
• Fire Ants: Typically living in the soil or sand, fire ants build large mounds and feed on plants and occasionally on smaller insects. Their stings typically give a sensation of burning. It swells up into a painful pustule. A few stings can be treated; but when they can be very troublesome. Their venom causes painful bumps on the victim’s skin. They can develop into white pustules, which may get infected and turn into scars. People, who are allergic to their venom, can experience anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.
• Locusts: Locusts swarm and are known to destroy everything into pieces. They belong to a sub-family of grasshoppers and virulent mostly to the plants like crops. When they invade the farmlands, they strip bare all the crops. Thus, they indirectly contribute to starvation.
• Wasps: They are social or solitary insects. Solitary wasps generally live and work with their group alone. Social wasps are found in colonies. Wasps impose damage with their stingers, known as ovipositor. They are generally present in the female insects. These insects do not sting humans, unless their territories are being threatened. Many people are allergic to wasp sting and experience shock resulting in death.
• African or Siafu Ants: When these ants face a food shortage, their entire colony marches and swipes everything off their way. They have the huge pinchers and they attack in columns, which are around 200 feet long and 12 inches wide. When they attack a particular house, they eat every moving thing inside that house, including spiders, mice, scorpions and other insects, even cats and dogs. Every year, about 25-50 people die from their stings and nearly thousands of dollars in foodstuffs get damaged.
• Giant Japanese or Asian hornet: It is a persistent hunter of larger insects including praying mantises and bees. These insects also attack the beehives and eat the honeybee larvae. Their sting can measure up to six mm in length. It injects eight types of chemicals, which can lead to pain and tissue damage. The hornet’s crushing mandibles are another deadly weapons. Venom of the giant hornet is more toxic and lethal than that of wasps or bees. The hornet’s sting contains a high concentration of the chemical namely acetylcholine that causes pain. It also consists of an enzyme, which can dissolve human tissue. You can wear protective clothes or insect repellents and keep your surroundings clean in order to avoid a direct contact with these insects.
• Hemiptera-Kissing Bugs: They are known as true bugs. They may vary from a millimeter to about 10 centimeters in size. Some of the insects of the Hemiptera group are cicadas, shield bugs, leaf hoppers and plant hoppers. They suck the blood of the animals or the liquid from the plant tissues using their sucking mouth parts such as the mandibles and maxillae. These insects can transmit the Chagas Disease. It gives rise to some serious symptoms such as malformation of the intestine and heart disease.

By Reshma Jirage

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Amazing Facts About Arthropods

There are more than 900000 known species of insects in the world.

25. The ten deadliest insects in the world are the mosquitoes, fleas, bees, tsetse flies, fire ants, locusts, wasps, Siafu (African ants), Asian hornets and

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