Centruroides gracilis

[Wade]

I have been stung by this species twice. The first time I was trying to remove one from a piece of bark by grasping the scorp by the teslon with my fingers. Bad idea, esensially I envenomated myself! The pain was like having my finger slammed in a car door. I freaked a little bit, since Centruroides are a buthid, but I knew that C. gracilis wasn't known to be "medically significant". I didn't go to the doctor, but I did use ice to ease the pain. It went away after 3-4 hours.

The second time I got nailed I was moving the bark around in my colony's tank, and accidently put my hand right on one. The sting hurt, but this time I had to much to do to sit around with an ice pack, so I kept on working with my collection. The pain went away after 30-45 minutes. I wonder if the ice actually prolonged the pain?

Wade

[Marc_C]

I too was stung by C.gracilis. It happened when a friend of mine had left a critter carier open in his room and lost the little guy. After tearing the house apart and finding nothing we gave up. About one month later when I sat on the couch I got a nice surprise, right in the butt. It didn't hurt all that bad. Maybe it was because of the lack of nerves in the area. Anyway the pain went away in about an hour. And the scorpion came through the whole ordeal unharmed other than a few emotional scars.
Marcus-Sparkus

[Stormcrow]

I also have been stung by this species but only suffered intense "hot" or "burning" sensation that lasted only moments afterwards with no swelling or other systematics.

The incident occured during the removal of an adult male C.gracilis (4.5") from a pill bottle.

DC

[Ravnos]

I was recently stung by one of these as well. Lifted the cork bark and bang, she got the tip of my thumb. My thumb got hot and went numb for about 4 hours. No other effects.

Rav

[kristopher]

I stepped on one bare-footed in the yard not too long ago. Got me right in the crease where my big toe meets the foot. Hurt like hell for about a half hour. I was a little freaked since i dont know much about scorpions and the veins on the top my toe swell a bit. Swelling and pain were completely gone in 45 minutes.

[Mechanical-Mind]

The attached image was taken 3 minutes after my first, and hopefully last, scorpion envenomation. I was stung on the middle of the first segment of my middle finger. The generous lady who poked me was a mature, WC female from Florida. She reached her ultimate molt a little over 4 months ago. In spite of what you've heard about Central American C. gracilis being much more potent and those from the states being softies, let me be the first to tell you that these aren't to be disrespected, by any means. The attached image was sub-3 minutes after the fact. The entire [middle] finger resembled my thumb in about ten minutes; my left ear, right arm pit, and right hand all felt horrible at the 13-20 minute mark. I'd go into deep descriptions, but I really don't think it can be comprehended; it has to be felt first-hand since it's like nothing else. At the 40-50 minute mark, my lips, tongue, and, to a lesser degree, my throat all became numb yet tingly. After 5-5.5 hours or so of ice, cold water, and elevation, the pain subsided. The swelling was gone the next day and only a mild bruise remained, accompanied by a friendly dose of tingling that lingered around and inside my mouth. I was stung on 4/27/06.

[lilhildy]

Well yeah... had to happen sometime, i was doing some late night, half awake (thats the bad part) tank maintanence. I slightly lifted the bark in my comunal tank and use a chopstick to herd them off the underside and onto the substraight, once cleared I lifted the bark slightly and in order to manuvor it out of the tank without trashing my live plants i needed two hands so i glanced over my shoulder as i placed the chopstick on the desk. When i turned my head back (0.5 second later) and went to regrip the bark to turn and lift it out of the tank i found that one of the scorps had come back aboard the bark and was hiding under my slightly lifted finger and when i applyed slight pressure it kindly reminded me that i was on it. I found it more amusing than anything, being my first sting experience He sank his telson straight into the end of my first finger just below the nail. He definetly meant business and was not happy. Venom injection was no doubt. First was just the being stuck with a pin feeling then in about 3-5 seconds later it felt like i lowered my finger into near boiling water up to the first nuckle and was holding it there. I felt this intense burning sensation for about 2 hours then nothing at all. Have a slight mark where its telson entered my finger this morning but nothing else. Lesson learned... Not to be too worried about but wouldn't want to repeat it if i knew it was coming. The sensation it induced was quite amazing... but that is the bio degree in me doing the talking. ;)

~Josh

[Ben Wilson]

i was biten by a Centruroides gracilis Friday 11.3.06 at about 10 am. The bite was the most painful insect bite i've ever had. i was operating a bulldozer clearing land for a new school in central Florida. I screamed and momentarily lost control of the bulldozer. the pain lasted the rest of the day with the swelling slowly increasing.

jump forward in time.... it is now sunday evening 11.5.06 at about 10 pm. the pain is still there, the swelling on my knee is still increasing slowly. my knee resembles something like the state puff marshmellow man. around the bite site is numb and tingly, the actual bite area has increased in size the red burning itchy area is now the size of the bottom of a coffee cup. It feels on fire, hot to the touch, itches like %$#@ and is starting to appear greenish at the sting mark. the only relief i can find is by putting an icyhot patch on it. i need some advise. every post ive read says these bites go away in a few hours and at most a day. it has been over 60 hours now and it is still getting worse. please help. my email is wilsonbb30@yahoo.com and my IM is wilsonbb30 (with yahoo).

thanks,
Ben