Vinegarroons
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Arachnida
Order:	Thelyphonida O. P-Cambridge, 1872
Families
Geralinuridae Thelyphonidae
Diversity
c. 15 genera, > 100 species

Thelyphonida is an arachnid order comprising invertebrates commonly known as vinegaroons (or vinegarroons). They are often called uropygids in the scientific community after the former order Uropygi (which originally also included the order Schizomida). They are also known as whip scorpions because of their resemblance to true scorpions and because of their whiplike tails.

Physical description[link]

Thelyphonus doriae hosei

The name "uropygid" means "tail rump", from Greek οὐροπύγιον (ouropugion),^[1] from οὐρά (oura) "tail" and πυγή (puge) "rump" referring to the whip-like flagellum on the end of the pygidium, a small plate made up of the last three segments of the abdominal exoskeleton.

Vinegarroons range from 25 to 85 mm (0.98 to 3.3 in) in length, with most species not longer than 30 mm (1.2 in); the largest species, of the genus Mastigoproctus, reaching 85 mm (3.3 in).^[2]

Like the related orders Schizomida, Amblypygi, and Solifugae, the vinegarroons use only six legs for walking, having modified their first two legs to serve as antennae-like sensory organs. Many species also have very large scorpion-like pedipalps (pincers). They have one pair of eyes at the front of the cephalothorax and three on each side of the head, a pattern also found in scorpions.^[2] Vinegarroons have no venom glands, but they have glands near the rear of their abdomen that can spray a combination of acetic acid and octanoic acid when they are bothered.^[2] The acetic acid gives this spray a vinegar-like smell, giving rise to the common name vinegarroon.

Vinegarroons are carnivorous, nocturnal hunters feeding mostly on insects and millipedes,^[2] but sometimes on worms and slugs. Mastigoproctus sometimes preys on small vertebrates.^[2] The prey is crushed between special teeth on the inside of the trochanters (the second segment of the "legs") of the front appendages. They are valuable in controlling the population of roaches and crickets.

Males secrete a sperm sac, which is transferred to the female. Up to 35 eggs are laid in a burrow, within a mucous membrane that preserves moisture. Mothers stay with the eggs and do not eat. The white young that hatch from the eggs climb onto their mother's back and attach themselves there with special suckers. After the first molt, they look like miniature vinegarroons, and leave the burrow; the mother dies soon after. The young grow slowly, going through three molts in about three years before reaching adulthood. They live for up to another four years.^[2]

Habitat[link]

Vinegarroons are found in tropical and subtropical areas excluding Europe, Australia, and, except for an introduced species, Africa.^[2] They usually dig underground burrows with their pedipalps, to which they transport their prey.^[2] They may also burrow under logs, rotting wood, rocks, and other natural debris. They prefer humid, dark places and avoid light. They also live in the Southern and Southwestern United States.

Subtaxa[link]

As of 2006, over 100 species of vinegarroons have been described worldwide. Subtaxa of vinegarroons currently include only one extant family and a doubtful extinct family:

Mastigoproctus giganteus female with eggs

• Hypoctoninae Pocock, 1899

• Etienneus Heurtault, 1984
• Hypoctonus Thorell, 1888
• Labochirus Pocock, 1894
• Thelyphonellus Pocock, 1894

• Mastigoproctinae Speijer, 1933

• Mastigoproctus Pocock, 1894
• Mimoscorpius Pocock, 1894
• Uroproctus Pocock, 1894

• Thelyphoninae Lucas, 1835

• Abaliella Strand, 1928
• Chajnus Speijer, 1936
• Ginosigma Speijer, 1936
• Glyptogluteus Rowland, 1973
• Minbosius Speijer, 1933
• Tetrabalius Thorell, 1888
• Thelyphonus Latreille, 1802

• Typopeltinae Rowland & Cooke, 1973

• Typopeltis Pocock, 1894

• incertae sedis

• † Geralinura Scudder, 1884
• † Mesoproctus Dunlop, 1998
• † Proschizomus Dunlop & Horrocks, 1996

Rowland & Cooke (1973)^[3] provided a useful synopsis of the order, including a key to genera and a checklist of species. They also presented a novel classification that included the division of the group into two families, Thelyphonidae and Hypoctonidae. Weygoldt (1979)^[4] suggested the existence of two families was not supported by the available data, and Haupt & Song (1996)^[5] formally reduced the Hypoctonidae to a subfamily as there was little support for a monophyletic Hypoctonidae. Dunlop & Horrocks (1996)^[6] suggested that the hypoctonids may be the sister-group to the Schizomida and Proschizomus Dunlop & Horrocks 1996, but the character polarities they utilized were regarded as uncertain and many features of Proschizomus were not observable in the fossilized material.^[7]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Thelyphonida

Arthropods portal

• Pictures of a Mexican Uropygid sp. and its habitat
• Photos of Taiwanese Uropygid - Typopeltis crucifer
• Video of a vinegarroon
• Video of vinegaroon mating behavior

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (July 2011)

Steve Backshall
Born	Stephen James Backshall (1973-04-21) 21 April 1973 (age 39) Surrey, UK
Nationality	British
Occupation	Naturalist, Writer, Presenter
Known for	BBC Deadly 60 Program

Steve with hippo in South Africa

Stephen James Backshall (born April 21, 1973) is a British naturalist, writer and television presenter, best known for BBC TV's "Deadly 60'. This series sees Backshall travelling the world in search of predators that are, "Not just deadly to me, but deadly in their own world". He has dived with Great White, bull, Great Hammerhead and tiger sharks, caught king cobras, black mambas and lanceheads, had a redback spider on his hand and was bitten on screen by a crocodile.^[1] They are currently filming the third season of the series, which is transmitted on Nat Geo Wild, Animal Planet and BBC worldwide. He has also presented The Really Wild Show, Lost Land of the Volcano, Lost Land of the Tiger,^[2] Lost Land of the Jaguar, Expedition Alaska, Wilderness St Kilda and Expedition Borneo, and National Geographic Channel's EarthPulse series. In 2010 and 2011 Backshall went on the road with the "Live n Deadly' tour, traveling to 20 destinations around the UK, with the aim of inspiring kids to get into adventure sports and wildlife. As many as 35,000 people applied for tickets to each day to see Backshall answer questions on wildlife, and the biggest crowd was 14,000 people. ^[3]

Career[link]

Television[link]

"Lost Land of the Tiger" for BBC One saw the expedition team travel to Bhutan, and discover a new population of Bengal tiger, living high up in the Himalayas. ^[4] In "Lost Land of the Volcano", Backshall led the first expedition ever to enter extinct Mount Bosavi in Papua New Guinea, where they discovered new species of cuscus, frogs and giant rat.^[5] In 2007, the BBC expedition team headed to Guyana for "Lost Land of the Jaguar", during which Backshall took part in the first expedition ever to successfully climb Mount Upuigma,.^[6] On the summit they discovered an endemic species of frog and mouse, and also footprints of an unidentified mammal. He also filmed Extreme Caving for BBC One with Kate Humble and Secret Wilderness Japan for BBC Two. During this time he also presented Nature Reports for the BBC's The One Show.^[7] On-air adventures in 2006 included Sky One’s Inside the King Cobra and the BBC's Expedition Borneo (in search of new species).

For National Geographic International, Backshall presented the expedition series Game For It and the environmental series EarthPulse. For Bootcamp, he completed the Israeli special forces selection course, running 60 miles overnight to gain their red beret. UK television viewers saw him travelling up Australia’s east coast from Tasmania to Cape Tribulation for his first series of The Really Wild Show. In the next series he then went on to travel around Central America, the Galapagos, and then Southern Africa for the last ever series in 2006. He competed with fellow naturalist Nick Baker in a series of wildlife challenges, with long-standing host Michaela Strachan.

Between 28 May and 15 June 2007, Backshall co-presented Springwatch Trackers alongside Kirsten O'Brien. Transmitted live on BBC Two from the Springwatch farm in Devon and repeated later in the day on the CBBC Channel, teams of boys and girls were set a series of Tracker challenges.

Writing[link]

Backshall began working as a writer for the Rough Guides, and is an author on their Indonesia guide.^[8] He continues to contribute to British newspapers. His book Venom: Poisonous Creatures in the Natural World was published in 2007, and is a scientific analysis of venoms and poisons, with an in-depth look at animals that use natural toxins.^[9] Deadly 60 that followed series one, and is a diary style breakdown of each animal and how they were found and filmed. ^[10] Wildlife Adventurer's Guide was published in 2009. It is aimed at young naturalists, and provides a guide to having adventures in the UK. ^[11] In 2011 he released "Looking for Adventure", which was the story of his many expeditions in New Guinea, including much about his childhood and how he got into television. "Predators", also in Orion Publishing breaks down predatory animals into their main features, and is highly illustrated. ^[12] In May 2012 the first of a series of fiction novels entitled "The Falcon Chronicles" will be published. The first novel is called "Tiger Wars". It is about the adventures of a young boy and girl on the run, against the background of the war on tiger poaching; 'in the spirit of Willard Price for today's youngsters' ^[13] . He is also an author with the Rough Guides.

Rock climbing and other sports[link]

Backshall on the first ascent of Upuigma

Backshall is a rock climber and mountaineer, does adventure races, fell runs and endurance sports. He has climbed such peaks as Cho Oyu 8201m, Cholatse and is an advanced Himalayan Expedition leader. He ran the Marathon des Sables 243 km across the Sahara desert^[14] in 2005 to raise money for the Wolftrust^[15] Backshall has a black belt in judo, attained after a year living in Japan studying the martial art.^[16] kayaked the Devizes to Westminster canoe race which involves kayaking 125 miles down the river Thames in 24 hours,^[17] and has competed in the Tough Guy race over ten times with a best finish of ninth. ^[18]

In July 2008, Backshall fell 10m onto rocks at the Wye Valley in the Forest of Dean after attempting to climb a steep cliff face which was wet from an earlier rainfall. The impact sent his heel bone through the bottom of his foot, dislocated his ankle and fractured two vertebrae in his back.^[19]

Awards[link]

In 2011, Backshall won two BAFTAs; best Children's Television Presenter, and Best Factual series. ^[20] In 2009, Backshall was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Children's Television Presenter, and his series Deadly 60 was nominated for Best Children's series. Additionally he was nominated for Best Factual series for Lost Land of the Jaguar,^[21] as well as being nominated for an Emmy in the US for Expedition Borneo.

With boa constrictor

References[link]

External links[link]

• Biography
• The Really Wild Show
• Steve Backshall on IMDb
• Steve's wildlife stories on location with the BBC
• Steve Backshall on BBC's Live'n'Deadly show