Amazon - Tail-less Whip Scorpion

crotermund · Post by **crotermund** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 8:49 pm

Marco of Rome posted a similar creature on March 5th which can be found here:

http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... t=scorpion

I encountered this creature on a jungle night hike one night so lighting and capturing him was a bit awkward to accomplish. I did manage to get my guide to hold him for pictures despite a little reluctance. The creature was scary looking and cool

and unlike anything I had encountered before. I believe he is of the order Amblypygida. They don't sting or bite despite their appearance.

Marco's pic shows the size of these things really well. I'm sure it was about a foot across because of his super long front legs, but I got all focused on his mouth and the giant, spiny pincers / claws. Anyway, here are a few pics.

On the tree...

On my guide's arm...

Hand held...

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:12 pm

I don`t think I would want to see one of these in my tent. I guess when they capture prey, they don`t want to let it get away with those spines on the legs

Excellent photos Craig. On the show "Fear Factor" they had to eat some of these critters

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 2:20 am

Excellent photos Craig - of a very interesting and highly photogenic creature too. Strangely, the thorax and abdomen in pic1 look a bit like cardboard-cutouts - very 2-dimensional. I don't know if this impression is down to my monitor or is actually what the animal looked like from above.

Bruce

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:06 am

The creature does looks sort of flat in that first image but I am really taken by the details shown of this thing in all of the images. No, I would not necessarily want to find one of these in my tent, as Doug mentioned or anywhere on my person I think, because the first thing to come to my mind would be, "spider...a really big one

!" However, after the realization of what it actually is settles in, I would be a bit more curious than shocked. Quite a creepy creature but some outstanding images of it Craig.

MarcoD · Post by **MarcoD** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 4:01 am

Very nice shots!

Really wonderful and brave!
When I found it I was in the Hacienda Chicen near Chichenitza (Mexico) exactly in the middle of the jungle like you. My photo was taken about at 11:00 pm so we can guess that amblyfigi are nocturnal animals like scorpions!
According to evolution theories they have lost their poison tail also maintaining the scorpion's look like tactics against the predators.