Giant Vinegaroon
Mastigoproctus giganteus
Where is it found?
Typically found in moist forests but they can also be found in more arid habitats.
Diet and foraging method
Key adaptations
Three sensory organs, the tail and front two legs, compensate for the whip scorpions poor eye sight.
Two strong chelicerae at the front are ideal for hunting prey.
Two strong chelicerae at the front are ideal for hunting prey.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary. This species lives in burrows most of the time and comes out at night to hunt.
Mating is a complex ritual which lasts up to 12 hours. The male secretes and then deposits a sperm sac into the female, she keeps this to fertilize her eggs which she then retains for a few months before they hatch.
Did you know that...?
This species of Whip Scorpion can shoot up to 85% concentrated acetic acid (vinegar) from a pore at the base of the tail. Hence the name "Vinegaroon".
Taxonomy
Sources:
"Mastigoproctus giganteus 0004 L.D." by Acrocynus - Acrocynus. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0004_L.D..jpg#/media/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0004_L.D..jpg
"Mastigoproctus giganteus 0009 L.D" by Acrocynus - Acrocynus. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0009_L.D.jpg#/media/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0009_L.D.jpg
"Mastigoproctus giganteus 0007 L.D." by Acrocynus - Acrocynus. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0007_L.D..jpg#/media/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0007_L.D..jpg
"Mastigoproctus giganteus 0009 L.D" by Acrocynus - Acrocynus. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0009_L.D.jpg#/media/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0009_L.D.jpg
"Mastigoproctus giganteus 0007 L.D." by Acrocynus - Acrocynus. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0007_L.D..jpg#/media/File:Mastigoproctus_giganteus_0007_L.D..jpg