View allAll Photos Tagged fattail
As the weather warms, more turtles come out. And mating season is about to kick into high gear.
Texas Cooter (Pseudemys texana)
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
There are 3 different species of cooters in Texas and usually you know which you are looking at by your location. Unless you are in DFW. The range map of 2 of them overlap here. Which makes it very challenging for me. I often run my shots by Texas turtle experts to be sure. In this shot you have two River cooters, one on the far left and one on the far right. The middle two are Texas cooters. And there is also the possibility that some interbreeding is going on which results in really strange looking cooters that are probably intergrades with DNA from both species. My turtle expert friends are planning on getting dna samples to find out just what is up with these strange individuals. I'm finally starting to get better at identifying. I suspected the middle two were texana based on the details of the yellow head & neck markings, the shape of the heads and the way the eyes looked.
Male Texas Cooters (Pseudemys texana)
Male River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
These two turtles were climbing up a big bramble patch that hung over the water at the bottom of the lower spillway. Both males and both river cooters but very different looking eyes. I did verify the id with turtle experts.
Male River Cooters (Pseudemys concinna)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
This one had thinner markings on it. And they had an orange tint. All the others were just yellow lines.
Male Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
I wonder what happened to the shell of the turtle on the left? Turtles are tough survivors.
Male River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
The guys don't seem to want the female to follow them.
Male River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
Melanistic Male Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
Female Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fattail_scorpion
Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus Androctonus, which is one of the most dangerous groups of scorpions species in the world.[1] They are found throughout the semi-arid and arid regions of the Middle-East and Africa.[1] They are a moderate sized scorpion, attaining lengths of 10 cm (just under 4 in).[2] Their name is derived from their distinctly fat metasoma, or tail.[2] Their venom contains powerful neurotoxins and is especially potent.[1] Stings from Androctonus species are known to cause several human deaths each year.[1] Several pharmaceutical companies manufacture an antivenom for treatment of Androctonus envenomations.[3]
Geographic range
Androctonus is widespread in the Middle East and North Africa. Countries where Androctonus species live include: Turkey, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Libya, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, South Eastern Africa.
Etymology
A rough English translation of the name Androctonus is "man-killer", from the Greek andras (άνδρας), meaning "man" and kteinein (κτείνειν), meaning "to kill". Crassicauda means fat-tailed, from the Latin crassus meaning "thick" or "fat" and cauda, meaning "tail". Androctonus crassicauda is wide-spread throughout the Middle East and its name means "fat-tailed man-killer". Similarly, the Latin word for South is australis, from which Androctonus australis, "southern man-killer", derives.
Taxonomy
Androctonus bicolor: note the very slim pedipalps compared to Androctonus crassicaudaTaxonomic reclassification is ongoing, sources tend to disagree on the number of species.
Androctonus amoreuxi (Audouin, 1826)
Androctonus australis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Androctonus baluchicus (Pocock, 1900)
Androctonus bicolor (Ehrenberg, 1828)
Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807)
Androctonus dekeyseri (Lourenço, 2005)
Androctonus finitimus (Pocock, 1897)
Androctonus gonneti (Vachon, 1948)
Androctonus hoggarensis (Pallary, 1929)
Androctonus liouvillei (Pallary, 1924)
Androctonus maelfaiti (Lourenço, 2005)
Androctonus mauritanicus (Pocock, 1902)
Androctonus sergenti (Vachon, 1948)
In captivity
Androctonus australis in a terrarium with real Saharan sandDespite the inherent risks with keeping such a dangerously venomous species in captivity, Androctonus scorpions are frequently found in the exotic animal trade - A. amoreuxi and A. australis being the most commonly available. As with any dangerous scorpion, a potential Androctonus-keeper should think very carefully before acquiring one because a sting may have serious consequences which extend beyond the immediate risks of injury or death. For example, there can be an expensive bill for emergency medical care that the owner's health insurance may not entirely cover. There is also potential legal liability if someone other than the owner is stung. Depending on the jurisdiction in which the keeper lives, some form of licence or insurance policy may be required in order to possess a dangerous scorpion. In some jurisdictions, possession of a dangerous scorpion is illegal. Extra precautions must be taken to ensure that the scorpion cannot escape. Clearly, Androctonus scorpions should never be handled under any circumstances. Its main diet in captivity consists of cockroaches, grasshoppers, or crickets. Scorpions will generally try to kill and eat anything which moves and is smaller than themselves. In order to simulate the desert environment, the enclosure used to keep the scorpion in must be kept at a temperature of between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius.
[edit] In popular culture
The vicious mutated scorpions infesting the fictional English towns of Long Point and Port Pendall in Michael R. Linaker's horror novels Scorpion and Scorpion: Second Generation are said to belong to the A. Australis species. (^Published by New English Library, ISBN 0-450-05363-6)
The band Acrassicauda takes its name from the scorpion.
This is one of the biggest male Mississippi map turtles I've seen. It was longer and had a fatter tail. I assume it is older than the others I've seen. Good to know there is a nice population at White Rock lake.
Male Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Who knew River Cooters had such beautiful markings on the bottom of their feet. Not to mention the feisty attitude.
Male River Cooter (Pseudemys concinna)
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Including shopping carts. Stuff like this ends up in the bay every time there is a flooding rainstorm. Not the background I wanted.
Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
White Rock Lake, Dallas
My photos can also be found at kapturedbykala.com
Fun fact about scorpions, they light up under UV light. So if you bring a blacklight to the desert, this is what you see.
The fluorescence is a result of the hyaline layer of the scorpion’s outermost layer of exoskeleton (the cuticle) absorbing UVA and emitting a greenish light..
Matthew 4:3-4 (NLT)
During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
DRAWING NOTES:
TIME OF DAY:
I have set this scene during the day, perhaps mid morning.
LIGHTING NOTES:
Sunlight illuminates this scene, coming from the right.
CHARACTERS PRESENT:
Jesus (seated) & Satan (or the Devil, standing to the left)
RESEARCH/ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This is the first cartoon illustration in which I have drawn a personified Satan character. In the past I have drawn sketches in which Satan is a dark, cloud-like figure, vaguely human in appearance. I had thought to keep Satan depicted in that way, since he doesn’t usually tempt humanity by appearing in a physical body at all. I wasn’t even certain that it would be right to draw him with a physical body. But in the end I thought it would make the picture more interesting & dynamic if we could clearly see him.
I have spent quite a few hours designing the Devil’s head & features. Again, I was torn between making him look like a villain: menacing, dark & mysterious, or depicting him like an angel: light, heavenly & attractive. The former would make it easier to “spot the villain” but the latter gives more scope to explain Satan’s deceptive ability: if we viewed him as an angel of light, then we would be more inclined to believe him, which is what he wants! The name Lucifer apparently refers to Satan, & is translated “star of the morning”, “bright star”, “day-star”, etc (see Isaiah 14:12-14). It would be equally possible to depict Satan as a bright, heavenly angelic being, given these names.
Notice that I have given Satan snake-like pupils (the dark part of his eyes), which are long & thin. I wanted him to look arrogant, angry & deceptive in this particular scene. His hair & particularly his beard is very reminiscent of an actor called Roger Delgardo, who played “the Master” in Dr. Who from 1971-1973!
Notice also that the Devil is standing on the edge of the cliff, & also in mid-air! He is referred to as the “Prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2 (New King James Version)) so I thought it appropriate to show him standing on thin air! Jesus is looking away & holding up his hand, clearly rejecting Satan’s temptation.
The natural snakes are Palestine Vipers or Palestinian Vipers (Vipera palaestinae) a dangerous, venomous snake found today in northern & central Israel. The 2 dark purple ones coming from Satan’s robes are manifestations of his evil & not real snakes at all.
The lizard near Jesus is a Lichtenstein's Short-fingered Gecko (Stenodactylus sthenodactylus.)
The scorpion is one of the fattail or fat-tailed varieties (Androctonus crassicauda) which is apparently one of the most dangerous groups of scorpions species in the world.
Why not visit my website & see all the cartoons there? www.biblecartoons.co.uk
My pair of fat tail geckos. The biggest one is Charlie, the male. Angel is the female, and she has her head on top of Charlie.
On the left is a Loaded Fattail with 150mm Paris Trucks and 71mm 78A clear green Bennett alligator wheels.
On the right is a BC Eel with custom graphic (inspired by the artwork of "Never Mind the Bollocks...Here's the Sex Pistols" album art). Trucks are Holey 176 mm. Wheels are 75mm 78A Pink ABEC Big Zigs.
Chris riding my LowRider Fattail bike. Its not fast, It will NOT climb hills but boy is it comfortable
Chris riding my LowRider Fattail bike. Its not fast, It will NOT climb hills but boy is it comfortable