November surprise

What surprised me today? It's November so it's hardly surprising that a scorpion decided to cross my path today for the first time here. One of us squealed, another put her foot down on said scorpion while the other of us wanted to take a closer look. That would be me. I picked up the squished but still wriggling critter with a dried leaf and took a look. The others were surprised at that. I put it outside while the others completed long shudders. Now if that was a spider.......

Here's some information on Cayman's scorpion populations. I'm not sure what type this one was, it was about six inches long and blackish, a bit like this one:

 

Scorpions

Since Hurricane Ivan, there have been increased sightings of scorpions on Cayman. As the hurricane and rising waters wrecked their habitiats, they have moved to new homes - often those already inhabited by humans! There are three species of scorpion found on Cayman: heteronebo caymanensis – an endemic species unique to Cayman; the most common,centruroides; and isometrus maculatus. There are no records of deaths from scorpion stings in the Cayman Islands, but scorpions should always be treated with respect, as even a non–fatal sting can be very painful. They like dark nooks and crannies - so give your shoes a shake before putting them on!