Monia - 10-4-2007 at 04:08 PM
Does anyone have a picture of a mata venado? My brother found one in the room and killed it but our Iguana ate it before he could take a picture of
it. I've never seen one. Thanks. I couldn't find a picture online either.
fdt - 10-4-2007 at 04:40 PM
Was talked about before here
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=3608#pid25509
and there is this site
http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_whipscorpions.html
Not to be confused with a niño de la tierra
fdt - 10-4-2007 at 04:45 PM
And this is the mata venado matona
Taco de Baja - 10-4-2007 at 04:52 PM
For other pictures search Google images for Wind scorpion or sun spider
BigWooo - 10-4-2007 at 05:43 PM
Interesting coincidence, I was curious about the same creature. While digging trenches for some drip lines, one of the workers came across a spider
that looked like a small Nino de la Tierra (or what we call potato bug), it had 8 legs and was less than an inch long. I thought he called a mata
veneno, but it could have been mata venado. It was similar to the photos in the links, but had a different head and looked more like a small potato
bug.
He told us they were "very dangerous" and if bitten, it was necessary to go to the hospital “muy rapido” or you could die. When digging more
trenches, I came across two others. They seem to live in tunnels in the dirt (probably only come out at night). Didn't take a picture because we
squished em.
I was curious what it was, and if they really were dangerous.
Yikes
Monia - 10-4-2007 at 08:07 PM
Thank you for the pics. Almost sorry I asked. Will definately shake my shoes out real good!
vgabndo - 10-4-2007 at 08:41 PM
Folk lore in San Nicolas' is absolutely certain that their bite is "THREE times" worse than an alacran. I'm considering making myself a legend by
freely handling them next time I'm down. They are harmless to humans. The two front "legs" aren't legs. They are actually used to grasp prey. That
little speck of white pega on the end of the apparatus is strong enough to support the whole weight of his body when stuck to the side of my tweezers.
Hook - 10-4-2007 at 11:01 PM
The pic of the potato bug looks very different from the mata de venado. I dont think they are the same.