My work with venomous animals has taken me to faraway places, interacting with people from different languages, cultures, age groups, economic and education levels. However, despite these differences, there is a common perception shared across these dividing factors. It doesn’t matter if I am sitting under a tree in the Kalahari Desert chatting to the […]
It may be logical to think that all the symptoms of a sting are a direct result of the scorpion’s venomosity, but this is not the case. A sting from a highly venomous scorpion does not always result in class 3 or 4 symptoms, and a sting from a moderately venomous scorpion does not always […]
Scorpion identification can be tricky as a result of highly technical identification keys requiring an intimate understanding of these animals. The subject of formal scorpion identification is beyond the scope of this book, however, there are practical ways to identify scorpions which are sufficient for effective first response.
In March 2021, the entire CLT team, including postgraduate students and interns, had the opportunity to spend a couple of days in the Cederberg attending an arachnid training course presented by Jonathan Leeming. A lot of fun was had by all and even the worst arachnophobes among our team left with a new appreciation for and understanding of this much maligned group of creatures!
If you have been bitten by a spider and not sure what to do? This page will give you everything you need to know about what to do next.
Thoughts on writing Scorpions of Southern Africa, lessons learned along the way, the 2019 revision and the future... The first edition of Scorpions Of Southern African was published in 2003. It was a learning experience that brought me to where I am today. My 2019 revision of Scorpions of Southern Africa is not out. In […]
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The subject of spiderbite is a rabbit warren of hoax emails, misinformation, misconceptions and ignorance. It's almost impossible to identify a lesion or wound as being caused by a spiderbite, and at the same time, it's is equally impossible to say that a spider was not involved. Common sense says that unless you watch the spider bite you, you have to raise the question of if a spider was the cause at all.
