Scorpion Id

Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Sun Dec 20, 2015 1:04 pm

Hi everyone. I have just bought a holiday home in Britannia Bay, St Helena Bay on the West Coast and found this in our house. I am very concerned as I would love to bring my dogs along for the holidays. Please help me identify it and how venemous are they. It was light brown and about 6 to 7 cm long.

Thanking you in advance
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Westley Price » Sun Dec 20, 2015 4:25 pm

Hi Jessica

You seem to have one of the Parabuthus species there and the bad news is that when it comes to venom potency here in SA, you can't get much worse.

Good thing is that scorpions are nocturnal so your dogs will likely not encounter them.

I suggest keep your garden well maintained and free of rubble or other hiding spots.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:00 pm

Thank you very much. Was really not looking forward to that answer. Strange thing is that we found it at about 930 am in the morning. What are the best scorpion repellants?
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:23 pm

Also, is the parabuthus commonly found on the west coast?
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Ceratogyrus » Mon Dec 21, 2015 1:44 pm

Yes, they are common on the coast. There are 2 common species, Parabuthus planicauda and Parabuthus capensis.
As far as not encountering scorpions, the only option is to relocate to Antartica. There are no scorpion repellents that I have ever heard of.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Mon Dec 21, 2015 3:23 pm

Haha...thank you for the info.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Tue Dec 22, 2015 8:49 am

Just for interest sake if one of these parabuthus species were to sting an adult, dog and toddler what would the effects be and what would the first plan of action be? ER?
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Bernice » Wed Dec 23, 2015 9:59 pm

Hiya!

Im no scorpion buff... but as far as I know there is no antivenom for scorpion stings in SA (someone correct me if I'm mistaken?), and the stings are treated symptomatically, preferably at a hospital... with focus on managing and supporting breathing, swallowing reflexes, and managing pain.
The larger and healthier you are, the better off you are if stung, small children and the elderly are at most risk, symptoms include immediate, severe pain. and may be accompanied by muscle cramps and spasms.
The pain is described as electric, or intensely burning. and unfortunately it can last for hours, and sometimes a few days... the pain usually fades into constant pins and needles and hyper-sensitivity to touch, even just clothing rubbing the skin can hurt...

Luckily the mortality rate for scorpions in SA is very VERY low...

Im with Westley, keep a manicured garden, no rockaries, no rubble, no woodpiles... and just remember that you NEVER put your fingers where you can not see! and closed shoes are your friend :) no bare feet for the kids and no playing outside after dark!
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby reptile » Thu Dec 24, 2015 4:45 pm

And don't forget to check shoes before slipping your foot into them;-)
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Jessica » Tue Jan 12, 2016 8:59 am

Thank you very much for the replies...much appreciated. We had a chat to some of the locals in the area and they claim that 'scorpion' season is Jan and Feb. We have been there over the past weekend and haven't encountered any but we have been taking extra precautions as well.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Chopper 1 » Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:44 am

I wish we would get some replies from the scorpion experts because a lot of these posts are inaccurate. As far as i know there have never been scorpion fatalities in SA - also i myself have been stung numerous times by most families of scorpions with Parabuthus being by far the most painful. I never once needed medical attention even though i have been stung by the big black thick tailed scorpion as well as my wife who also has been stung by them. There is an incorrect picture been painted here about scorpions - they are not that bad at all and most of them sting less than a bee sting (a bee sting is very sore in my opinion). My Dad was even stung 7 times by one that was hiding in his pajama pants - it was also a thick tailed scorpion - he did not need medical attention but he had a lot of pain for days after wards - very similar to a puff adder bite of which i have also had!
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Westley Price » Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:59 am

Chopper, a quick Google search will show that there have been Parabuthus fatalities in children and older adults, but they are rare (a fatality rate of 0.3% is quoted).

People react to venom differently so although you and your relatives have had only minor effects, the venom is medially significant and should be treated with extreme caution. Your post downplays Parabuthus venom potency.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Bushviper » Tue Jan 12, 2016 10:36 am

Fatalities in scorpion stings in south Africa are pretty common especially in the Northern Cape. They are far more common in children. Antivenom for scorpion stings are more widely stocked in Northern Cape hospitals than snake antivenom. I have met numerous doctors who have lost patients from Parabuthus and especially granulatus. The Parabuthus transvalicus for example does not cause many (if any) casualties. I cannot find a death reported in a healthy individual caused by this species.
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Chopper 1 » Tue Jan 12, 2016 2:23 pm

I do not dispute the fact they could be dangerous but so are bees! Lets just put everything into perspective. Some of you are making scorpions out to be almost as bad a mamba bites - that is my point! Google how many people die from bee stings every year, that does not make us need to post that we must get to a hospital every time a bee stings :idea:
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Re: Scorpion Id

Postby Bushviper » Mon Feb 08, 2016 4:53 pm

If you die from a bee sting then you are actually dying from an allergic reaction. If you die from a Parabuthus granulatus sting you are dying as a reaction to the venom exactly the same as a Cape cobra or similar neurotoxic envenomation.

In fact more children die from scorpion stings in the Northern Cape than from Cape cobra bites and we all know how dangerous they are.

Once that is in perspective then you know what you are dealing with.
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