#grampus

(Florida, 4/17/23)

by James Maughn

Still, there's a lot of cool variation. Very old males can turn almost completely white (my illustration is quite conservative) with the underlying colouration also bleaching. Females usually have less scars but there's a broad range going from almost clean to being quite pale indeed with many rakes. Some animals develop white faces (with or without stark black markings surrounding the lips). And in some populations the animals just remain quite dark and seem to gather far less, or smaller rakes overall.

Source details and larger version.

Warning Bugs: Mastigoproctus giganteus, more commonly known as the giant whip scorpion, the giant vinegaroon, or the grampus, is a species of whip scorpion in the family Thelyphonidae. Which is endemic to Mexico and the Southern United States from as far west as the Baha peninsula to as far east as florida and from Oklahoma in the north down to central mexico. Inhabiting deserts, scrublands, dry forests, grasslands, and arid mountain ranges, they are a primarily solitary and nocturnal species which spends its days inside of burrows, hollow logs, or rock crevices and emerging at night to feed upon various insects, worms, millapeads, scorpions, slugs, and small frogs/ toads. Giant vinegaroons are themselves preyed on by large toads, raccoons, coatis, armadillos, skunks, bears, hogs and peccaries, ground birds such as roadrunners, lizards, and tarantulas. Reaching around 1.5 -2.5 inches (40- 60mm) in length not including there tail, giant vinegaroons sport eight eyes. They have six legs used for movement, two long antenniform front legs that they use to feel around and detect vibrations, and two large pedipalps modified into claws. Additionally they sport a long, thin, whip-like tail, the origin of the common name whipscorpion. From the base of this tail they can spray a substance composed of 85% acetic acid in order to defend themselves. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar, so the spray smells strongly of vinegar, leading to the common name "vinegaroon". The mating season occurs in fall, during which time females will actively seak out males. After mating, females carry the fertilized eggs internally for a few months, before laying some 30 to 40 eggs in a fluid filled sac which she then carries on her abdomen for another 2 months until hatching. The mother will then carry and protect her babies for another month until there first molt. Under ideal conditions a giant vinegaroon will reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years of age and may live upwards of 7.