Jumbo sized scorpions on Sanibel Island

Last year (2015) while Connie and I were riding our bikes on Sanibel Island, FL near Blind Pass, we saw a freshly killed scorpion on the sandy road we were on and commented on just how HUGE that thing was. I figured maybe it was just some sort of escape "pet" from someone who lived there, and didn't think much of it. Certainly no where near the size of the small scorpions we see around our place in north Florida every now and again. So I figured it was just a fluke and didn't think about it again.

But this year (this past May, 2016) we were staying in a rental home in the Bowman Beach Heron's Landing area and one night when I went downstairs from the top floor I noticed something black right under the lip of the top step. Well heck, another one of those jumbo sized scorpions! And this time sharing the house with us. The doorway to the right in the video leads into the bedroom area, and anyone (meaning Connie or I) coming down the step would have the back of their leg pretty darn close to that thing when they put their foot on the step. It was not visible from the top coming down the steps because of that overhang at the top.



Well, had to show that thing the hard side of one of my shoes (certainly did not want that thing to wind up climbing into bed with us one night). Then snapped a few photos of it on a spatula from the kitchen to give some perspective of size. If it had been sitting on my hand, it would have taken up quite a bit of the area of my hand. I'm guessing it was an easy 4 inches long. I don't know that this scorpion could deliver any serious sting, but I do not doubt that neither Connie nor I wanted to get stung by it, regardless. Just based on it's size, I would guess it could deliver a pretty healthy sting just from the venom content it could deliver.

Now an interesting thing is that I tried to research the scorpions found on Sanibel Island and could not find anything referencing the large sized scorpions we have seen there. Just found that kind of curious, since if we found two in just the two times we have been to Sanibel, then certainly there must be a LOT more of these things found there. Just saying....

I'm no expert on scorpions; but that looks like a Florida bark scorpion. (I had a few, years ago - ended up with a bunch of babies, which inadvertently ended up as spider food)

Yeah I agree almost 99% sure it's a Florida bark scorpion (Centruroides gracilis). Not really anymore dangerous than getting stung by a wasp.

Well heck, I've been coming down to Florida all my life, and been living in north Florida for about 25 years now with frequent trips to south Florida and have NEVER seen any scorpions elsewhere that were anywhere near that size. And back in my younger days, I did a LOT of snake hunting, poking under stuff and looking places where scorpions would be found. I have found some good sized whip scorpions, but none as large as the two I am referring to on Sanibel Island.

We have small ones that we find in the buildings and even our home sometimes, and quite seriously, if these large style versions were showing up in our home, I think Connie would be making serious plans to move elsewhere.

Not doubting the identification, just real surprised I haven't stumbled upon something like this before.

Maybe they grow them big on the island.
I looked them up for confirmation - females up to 10cm, males can exceed 15cm

Connie has just confirmed that if she finds scorpions the size of the ones we saw on Sanibel Island showing up anywhere on our property, she is OUT of here.

She doesn't mind the rattlesnakes, coral snakes, giant wolf spiders, black widows, bears, and fire ants. But those large scorpions? Nope, it will be time to move.