scorpion

[lauceriani]

hi i have an scorpion at home that jump into my suitcase before i left italy, what i should do?? any good ideas?

[mockney piers]

Rudolph Schenker or Karl-Heinz Follmer? The winds of change must have been tough on them if they're resorting to being stowaways?

I suggest a nice cup of tea then politely usher them out the door suggesting they might need a bad city night out or a holiday.

[annaj]

Taaake me to a vision of tomorrow on a glooory night...

Mockney piers, that's going to keep me smiling all morning. Thank you!

Out of interest, do you just know the names of the members of Scorpion or did you have to google it?

Lauceriani, you could try ringing London Zoo, they could tell you if it's likely to do any harm to just release it.

[mockney piers]

I couldn't resist anna but I did cheat a bit...

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3ifuxqr5ldke

Lauceriani, if you're serious then I'm impressed you came to the forum for help, I wouldn't even be in the house right now, I tend to flee if so much as a wasp enters the room. London zoo isn't a bad call, barring that a policeman? or a very strong tumbler and some cardboard, then shove it in the bath until suchtime as help arrives.

[Brendan]

For gods? sake don?t let it out! What if the thing is pregnant? There are scorpion populations in England that survive in the cracks and crevasses of buildings. [according to my google research] So ED with its wealth of Victorian brickwork may be just the place for them.

The species found in England is Euscorpius flavicaudis which is also found in Italy. So it may be one of these.

Ok the likelihood of it being able to survive, be pregnant, reproduce and form a colony is slim but you never know. Even if it isn?t pregnant some scorpions are known to reproduce asexually.

The last thing I want is to have to go back to checking my boots for creepy crawlies before I put them on in the morning.

*Gets hysterical ? Runs to the hills.*

*Gets even more hysterical at the sight of Dawson Heights architecture and runs back down*

Or you can do what we used to do when we were kids and put it in a hole in the ground with a mantis and watch the ensuing fight. The mantis usually wins. Although you would have to find a mantis first of which I do not think there are any in Britain. Although check your toiletry bag.

On a practical not though. Put it in a jar and call the zoo or just kill it.

[Bleep]

Flatten it with a brick, scan it and post it on here.

[Nero]

Don't kill it, please. Why not ring the Wildlife centre in SE15? Think it is London Wildlife Trust or something. Google it. Brendad, is the UK scorpion population native or has it been brought in in the past? Nero

[Brendan]

According to what I've read they have come in on ships form other parts of europe and populations have been recorded in various coastal cities in the UK since the 19th centuary.

[Keef]

Whistle to it, they like that.

[jim_the_chin]

charge the swine his share of the air fare and see him on his way. mooching arthropods get my goat they do.

[Annasfield]

Please don't let it outside - scary things...

[spadetownboy]

i,ll tell you all a wee story,when i was a staff nurse in kings a and e, we had a woman who came in one day similar situation,back from holidays unpacked case,ouch, looked down and bloody great big scorpion sitting in said same case. she actually had the piece of mind to catch the scorpion in an empty jar she had lying about and then presented herself and the boyo at kings. naturally not being very au fait with scorpions we thought she was going to drop dead at our feet so it was straight to resus with them both and she was promptly wired up to every machine,monitor and anything else we had at our disposal. meanwhile the london tropical medicine hospital was contacted and after numerous calls and faxes describing said same beast it was declared to be harmless, nevertheless she was admitted for 24 hrs observation just in case. meanwhile the poor old scorpion had expired due to lack of o2 in his jamjar, so being the caring souls we were it was left in a prominent position in resus(still in the jar) and was a great conversation piece for years to come.

[Brendan]

Growing up in Africa I got stung twice by the horrible things. doesn's kill you, just stings like hellfire. Worse than a wasp.

The worst thing is their creepy crawlyness. all those little segments freak me out!

[Michael Palaeologus]

Deep frying or poaching perhaps? You could use lobster recipes as a starting point.

[Annasfield]

I remember watching a film as a kid, when someone gets a scorpion put down their back. Have had nightmares about it ever since. Scary, scary things.

(I'm now sitting here with my feet on the couch ::o (just in case))

[lauceriani]

i just put the scorpion inside a jar and i feed him with an small insect i found in the garden. i think i m gonna keep him as a pet. I m not goona kill him because is a really handsome italian specimen.

[spadetownboy]

be careful when you pet it. any names yet by the way.

[Brendan]

Will have to be something ending in 'io

[missmargarita]

yes actually the new name is giorgio.

[cfulton]

This is verrry topical: about 2 weeks ago my boyfriend's brother found a scorpion, about 1.5 - 2" long, amongst some bananas and gave it to my boyfriend, I'm not sure to do what with. Being an animal-lover I said I'd try and find it a home: it had been on a boat from Latin America for two weeks, then sat in a small plastic box for another week so hadn't had food or water for 3 weeks. I was thrilled when the local wildlife park agreed to take it in - they were actually rather excited as they didn't have any scorpions. This one was a bark scorpion. They rang me yesterday to say it had settled in well and after giving it some food and warmth, it had begun to run around and be more active. We called the scorpion Chris, after the keeper.

Then today, one of the keepers rang me very excitedly and said that 'Chris' had given birth to 31 babies!!! And they were all sitting on her back, as they should, and she was very happy! I was amazed - apparently scopions are pregant for several months, so she obviously timed her birth well! I am so pleased it was a happy ending! My boyfriend was very pleased he hadn't killed it as he had initially thought best as we didn't know what to do with our new Latin American friend.

Anyhow - good luck!

[Ted Max]

It seems you and your scorpion are now famous. There was a NIB about you and your pet scorpion in today's Metro. How did they pick up on it? I am thinking perhaps you have been in the SLP already and they lifted it from there...

[lauceriani]

i did not know. Really???i m gonna check. i m sure is because the SLP... well i had the 10 secons of fame.

[cfulton]

Hi there Ted

I live in rural Kent and wondered if I might be cheeky and ask if could give me the gist of the article? 'Christine', as she is now called, is doing well apparently ..

Thanks,

Carol

[mockney piers]

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=60147&in_page_id=2

Aren't the SLP owned by associated newspapers who own the standard ....and.....the metro!!?

[redrouge]

and now the Sunday People http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=laura-bags-a-killer-pet&method=full&objectid=19572857&siteid=93463-name_page.html !!