Was born and raised there, and remember being told about these small scorpions being there. I understand they came to UK onboard trading ships years ago.
While digging in the garden in Luton about 50 years ago, I dug one up. It was underground, and I think I remember that it was quite cold (though not frozen). The scorpion was instantly recognisable by its shape (I grew up in S. Africa), but this one was white and soft-looking, like a grub. Maybe it was hibernating (if they do that), and it looked to me as if it had shed its exoskeleton (if they do that), and its new skin had not hardened yet. I didn't measure it, but from memory, it would have been a bit more than an inch in length, including the tail.
Cool! Invertebrates do tend to go white when shedding, then shelter or burrow somewhere safe whilst theyre vulnerable, until their exoskeletons harden again.
My boy says go after a great white shark next. But he also thinks we should get a pet king cobra, so he's not the person I'd necessarily take advice from
I wouldn’t say a bee is ‘completely harmless’! For most people without an allergy it won’t be fatal but I’d still say a bee sting qualifies as ‘harm’, and multiple stings by an angry swarm will give you a very bad day 😬
This colony is close to where the old London docks were, and is thought to have arrived and settled there over 200 years ago. But scorpions are not native to the UK. I saw my first one in Egypt ;)
My Father worked on the Docks in London in the 60s, and said the Spiders and other Critters that came out of the Banana Boats etc were unreal......and that there were Scorpions living in the walls around the Docks.
for anyone wondering scorpion’s are some of the best inverts to keep, no species is great at climbing, if they do eacape a cheap black light torch from ebay makes it easy to find them. most species can make do at room temp, they don’t eat much but when they do it’s great to watch.
Yes! Scorpions do hibernate during the winter seasons and the areas they've been found in are like a metropolitan city for bugs so they've plenty of places to just kinda tuck themselves in for winter and not risk being found by predators.
The most northerly population of Paruroctonus boreus (the northern scorpion) that I can find a reference to is at Medicine Hat, AB, Canada, which is at a latitude of 50.041668° N, although most sources say they can be found to 51° N. The Isle of Sheppey is actually a little further north than that at 51.3965° N.
I'd love the chance to hold one, knowing that they aren't going to kill or seriously hurt you, unless you're allergic i suppose. Like large spiders and some snakes, I'm scared but strangely fascinated by them.
You don't really want to take a sting from a yellow tail scorpion, it IS a little bit more than your average bee sting, I collect tarantula and I know about scorpion 🦂 don't go playing/handling them even if you know what your doing, 😊
Was born and raised there, and remember being told about these small scorpions being there. I understand they came to UK onboard trading ships years ago.
While digging in the garden in Luton about 50 years ago, I dug one up. It was underground, and I think I remember that it was quite cold (though not frozen). The scorpion was instantly recognisable by its shape (I grew up in S. Africa), but this one was white and soft-looking, like a grub. Maybe it was hibernating (if they do that), and it looked to me as if it had shed its exoskeleton (if they do that), and its new skin had not hardened yet. I didn't measure it, but from memory, it would have been a bit more than an inch in length, including the tail.
Cool! Invertebrates do tend to go white when shedding, then shelter or burrow somewhere safe whilst theyre vulnerable, until their exoskeletons harden again.
Hi Im from luton, what was it like 50 years ago?
shouldn't be hard to find... only around two inches long...
i have that problem every morning i wake up
Saw one on the cliff tops of Bournemouth beach in the late 90s but no one believes me 🙄
That’s LS D for y’a 🤣
@@ColonelRoge yeah fair point 😂
My boy says go after a great white shark next. But he also thinks we should get a pet king cobra, so he's not the person I'd necessarily take advice from
We are going to look for these on Saturday though. Great video. Thanks very much!
Interesting movie.
Wish you a great week.
Best regards, Knut.
Very informative, gorgeous all the information I needed. No messing
There's also scorpions living at rosyth dockyard in Scotland
I wouldn’t say a bee is ‘completely harmless’! For most people without an allergy it won’t be fatal but I’d still say a bee sting qualifies as ‘harm’, and multiple stings by an angry swarm will give you a very bad day 😬
I live in Sheerness and we’ve known about the scorpions for years. Never seen one though.
What prison is that?
Awesome!
I had no idea you got scorpions native to the UK
This colony is close to where the old London docks were, and is thought to have arrived and settled there over 200 years ago. But scorpions are not native to the UK. I saw my first one in Egypt ;)
So glad we now have scorpions in the uk I love them so much I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else but stay in the uk were I was born!
My Father worked on the Docks in London in the 60s, and said the Spiders and other Critters that came out of the Banana Boats etc were unreal......and that there were Scorpions living in the walls around the Docks.
One of my brothers worked at Sheppy Docks and often came across Scorpions there. And geckos although they probably didn't survive long.
Thin tail big claws= the scorpion is harmless. But thick tail, small claws well u better watch out.
myth :P
I'm pretty sure that's a myth lol
The smaller the scorpion the mor venomous, but it depends where they come from
unbelievable
How can they survive our winters though?
I believe they also exist in the walls of Devonport Dockyard.
for anyone wondering scorpion’s are some of the best inverts to keep, no species is great at climbing, if they do eacape a cheap black light torch from ebay makes it easy to
find them. most species can make do at room temp, they don’t eat much but when they do it’s great to watch.
Fascinating. We are only just seeing how frequent bioluminescence actually is.
Have you thought about doing a video on wasp spiders ?
What happens to them in winter? Are they able to continue or do they begin a hibernation state?
Yes! Scorpions do hibernate during the winter seasons and the areas they've been found in are like a metropolitan city for bugs so they've plenty of places to just kinda tuck themselves in for winter and not risk being found by predators.
Most Northerly scorpion population is *northern scorpion* which lives as north as red deer, alberta, canada...
The most northerly population of Paruroctonus boreus (the northern scorpion) that I can find a reference to is at Medicine Hat, AB, Canada, which is at a latitude of 50.041668° N, although most sources say they can be found to 51° N.
The Isle of Sheppey is actually a little further north than that at 51.3965° N.
I think you will actually find the that the U.K. is as far north as Canada
I think you’re overestimating how far north Canada is. London is at 51 degrees North.
Interesting
There is a long established colony at Ongar in Essex.
Are they still there though? I heard the area has been cleared and they haven't been seen for over 20 years.
@@IanPhillipsWildlife More than likely unfortunately, I might have to go there myself(with a torch) and check.
No, it was a hoax. One of the workers at the tube station bought some in a pet shop, released them, and called in the press.
Wouldn't like the job of renovating that wall
How come they've not spread beyond Sheerness in the last 200 years?
Poor public transport
Yeah, bit hard to mind the gap as a scorpion. @@mattwroe4776
I'd love the chance to hold one, knowing that they aren't going to kill or seriously hurt you, unless you're allergic i suppose.
Like large spiders and some snakes, I'm scared but strangely fascinated by them.
You don't really want to take a sting from a yellow tail scorpion, it IS a little bit more than your average bee sting, I collect tarantula and I know about scorpion 🦂 don't go playing/handling them even if you know what your doing, 😊
Definitely didn’t place that there