All Hail Emperor Scorpions

     Emperor scorpions are very gentile creatures.  These all black, shiny arthropods can reach lengths up to 8 inches (20 centimeters).  Their average lifespan is about 8 years on average. Although the seem intimidating due to their massive size, they are mostly harmless.  A sting from an Emperor scorpion only burns for a few minutes and then fades away.  If an Emperor scorpion were to pinch you with its large claws, it would be very painful.  The only reason it would pinch you would be because it was handled the wrong way.  The correct way to handle an Emperor scorpion is to cup it in you hand.

     Emperor scorpions have become increasingly popular over the years.  They are common pets because they are the most easily handled scorpions in captivity.  Another reason they are mainstream pets is because of their glow in black light.  This isn't recommended because it will stress out the scorpion and eventually cause death.  Emperor scorpions are threatened because to many of them are being put into captivity.  I think that it is inhumane to threaten the well being of a specie just because they are good pets.  What do you think?

http://animal-world.com/index.html
http://www.wikipedia.org/

A Hundred Legs You Don't Want Crawling Around

Centipede

Centipede bite in early stage

     Centipedes are low-profile bugs.  They usually remain hidden in leaf litter or other subterranean areas.  Did you know that there are over 8000 species of centipede?  They are scattered all over the world except in extremely cold conditions.  Centipedes are usually shades of reddish brown.  Centipedes can be from a few millimeters to 30 centimeters.  They can sometimes be translucent in color due to being in the dark for extended periods of time.  Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment.  All centipedes must have an odd number of pairs of legs.  Ironically, it is impossible for a centipede to have 100 legs because it would need an even set of pairs to have 100 legs. 

     Centipedes have a very painful bite.  Although centipede bites are meant to paralyze their prey, if a human gets bitten, it can be tragic.  The victim will get paresthesia, the itching sensation around the bite.  They may also experience edema, when a serum secretes from the bite.  Necrosis may also occur.  Necrosis is when the cells around the bite die off.  If left untreated, it can result in death.  Luckily, there is anti-venom that will prevent further damage.  Unfortunately, it cannot reverse previous damage.  I would not be able to make it if a centipede bit me.  I would panic.  What would you do if a centipede bit you?

Video courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/
Medical information courtesy of http://www.pubmed.gov/

This Bug Is No Lady

     Despite popular belief, lady bugs are not only ladies.  In fact, there are male lady bugs.  Ladybugs also can be called ladybird beetles.  The reason they are called ladybugs (or ladybird beetles- whichever one you prefer,) are because Mary (Our Lady) in the Catholic religion, was often painted wearing a red cloak.  The seven black spots on the ladybug are said to represent Mary's Seven Sorrows and her Seven Joys.  It is a myth that the amount of spots on a ladybug gives away its age.  In reality, most ladybugs have seven, distinct spots. 

     Ladybugs are like any other insect.  They have three body parts and six legs.  Lady bugs are usually a bright red used to ward away predators that try to harm them.  If a predator attacks them they spray out a venomous toxin and secrete a chemical that prevents it from being eaten.
     Ladybugs live for between 1 to 2 years.  They begin as eggs.  After 3 to 4 days, the eggs hatch into larvae.   After two weeks, the larvae start to pupate.  After a few days the become adults. 
     Ladybugs eat aphids and other small bugs.  In fact, farmers introduce ladybugs to crops infested with pests.  It is a safer alternative to pesticides ,but can wipe out native species of bugs.  This has happened in many places.  Do you think that farmers should use foreign ladybugs to control pests?

Special Post #3

     I had fun this week off of school.  I did a lot of fun things like going out to lunch, hanging out with friends, and lounging around the house.  During the course of the week I also did homework.  I had things such as assignments, projects, and papers.  Frankly, I think that I had too much homework.  Luckily, that didn't ruin my week.
     On Wednesday,  I went out to lunch with a couple of friends to this restaurant called Gabrielle's.  The food was okay but the part I liked best was that it had a bunch off different games, such as pool and fuseball. I had a lot of fun that day.
     Today, I went to a Boy Scout meeting at a friends house to clean the dishes from a previous campout.  The cleaning part was boring but what we did afterwards was ten times better.  In his basement he had these really cool things such as a piano that played by itself and a fake slot machine.  The other boys and I had a blast.
     I had a fun weekend and I hope your weekend was just as good. 



The piano was similar to this.  Video courtesy of http://www.youtube.com/

Special Post #2

     This Halloween had to be one of the best one I've had so far.  This year I went trick-or-treating as a hobo.  It was the easiest costume to put together last-minute.  I scavenged the neighborhood door to door in search for the most delicious thing in  the world- candy.  As I was roaming around the neighborhood, with a couple of friends, I noticed that I wasn't the only one to dress up as a hobo.  I think that had a toll on my candy intake because every time I went to a house.  I think I got less candy than the other kids I went with.
     I was mostly happy with my half-pillowcase of candy except for the fact that most of my candy had nuts in them.  Most people like candy with nuts, such as Reese's and Butterfinger, but I don't.  The reason is because I am allergic to nuts.  Luckily, the people I was trick-or-treating were nice enough to trade with me for candies I can eat, such as Whoppers and Kit-Kats.  Now, I am probably going to have a "sugar rush" lasting until the end of the month.  I hope next year I get more candy than I got this year.

  

I hope your Halloween was better than Charlie Brown's !

Video courtesy of www.youtube.com

Special Post #1

     In class, we have been using multiple "tech" tools to help make it easier to work on the computer.  My personal favorite "tech" tool is Google Docs.  I like Google Docs for a variety of reasons.  One reason is that it is much easier to send as an attachment to an E-mail than it is to do with a Microsoft Word document.  Another reason I like Google Docs is because its free.  Otherwise, you would have to pay hundreds of dollars for Microsoft Word.  A really great asset to Google Docs is that it automaticcly saves your work as you type.  What fascinates me is that not only can you type "word" documents, you can also do presentations similar to Microsoft PowerPoint.
       V.S.
Google Docs is powered by http://www.google.com/