Sunday, July 5, 2009

Water Scorpions! (Nathanael Gass)



Thought you had to go to Africa or some other exotic locations to see amazing creatures? Wrong. You can find some really bizzare and awesome animals in your own backyard.

This is one of the weirdest animals I have ever seen. It is an aquatic insect called a water scorpion. They resemble a praying mantis, but they live in the water. The long tube that comes out of their back it a snorkle that allows them to breathe underwater, and their long "arms" allow them to grasp fish and other prey items. They are pretty rare, and hard to spot. They rarely come out on land, so when I found this one out of water, I rushed to get my camera.

These guys can deliver a very painful bite, so I had to be careful. They aren't aggressive, but like any animal, if they are picked up they will bite.