File:The Canadian field-naturalist (1930) (20493317256).jpg

Title: The Canadian field-naturalist
Identifier: canadianfieldnat1930otta (find matches)
Year: 1930 (1930s)
Authors: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Subjects:
Publisher: Ottawa, Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
February, 1930) The Canadian Fibld-Naturaust 29 secured a dozen specimens. On exhausting this hunting place we searched among the broken materials at the foot of the cliff, where we found about an equal number. They were not con- fined to these clay banks, however, for I later found one in an empty rattlesnake den on a rock slide nearly three hundred feet from the foot of a hill at Keremeos. Collecting was done by night as well as by day. From my experience at that time, confirmed by observations on captive specimens since, I be- lieve them to be more active by night than by day. Their food appears to consist of soft-bodied insects of various kinds. On one occasion when hunting them by night with the aid of a flash- light, I saw one feeding on a beetle and another on a mayfly. Remains of other insects and spiders were also found in the crevices of the clay cliff occupied by scorpions. In capturing its prey the scorpion lies motion- less in its retreat, almost wholly hidden, except for the claws and eyes and a portion of the head. Here it waits until the prey approaches near enough to be seized without much exertion. From observations on captive specimens I be- lieve that these scorpions do not pursue their prey but lie in wait for it as described above. When the prey is within easy reach the scorpion springs at it and seizes it with a pair of claws. If it fails to get a firm hold on the insect at first, another claw is brought into action, and these movements may be repeated several times. Then, with the prey firmly held, the scorpion throws its postabdomen, at the end of which the sting is situated, swiftly forward with consider- able force, striking its prey with much precision, between the head and thorax, thus poisoning it. The prey is then eaten voraciously. When the prey is not of formidable size the poisoning may be omitted. I believe the prey is never attacked in open spaces nor is the scorpion attracted by motionless objects. One specimen, captured on the 10th of July, was kept in an empty tobacco tin until October. It was fed with grasshoppers, crickets, housefiies, mayflies, beetles and spiders. Of these it seemed to prefer the houseflies, spiders and grasshoppers. About the middle of October I transferred it to larger quarters, a glass cage, 10" x l" x 10", the bottom of which was covered with four inches of sandy soil. On the surface of the soil I placed a few pieces of bark as a hiding place. A few days later I discovered the scorpion digging under the bark. This was accomplished by jerky backward movements of all the legs, except the last pair, which were used to support the body. It worked each side alternately, never
Text Appearing After Image:
Habitat of Northern Scorpion at Summerland, B.C. IPhoto by C. Feel Nelson

Note About Images