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Night Terror

Tailless whip scorpion (Paraphrynus sp.) - Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize

 

Another photo of a creepy crawly, this time a whipscorpion. Despite their fearsome appearance these creatures are harmless, and while I have been told they can pinch a bit with their front limbs I have held several and none have ever pinched me so far. These are dark loving creatures and can be found in caves, crevices, hollow logs or other secluded places during the day but when night falls they can be found in the open. However, they are still quite difficult to photograph as this species atleast was very skittish and lightning fast. A step or two in their direction would have them darting away to the far side of a tree trunk. These quick reflexes serve them well in escaping from predators and hunting down the small invertebrates they feed on.

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Uploaded on May 1, 2016
Taken on March 9, 2016