[skenasis]

As always, Zoo is correct.

[Zoo]

As always, Zoo is correct.

It'd be nice if that were true .

Oddly enough, this picture still makes me feel ill, even though we have a few at the zoo, and I regularly pick one up:

[skenasis]

The claws make me think it's some kind of scorpion, the rest of it makes me think it's not. Confruzzled.

[Zoo]

As it is to most people I talk to about it (usually have to explain twice what it actually is). May or may not help, but the long appendages between the pedipalps and the first pair of walking legs are actually modified legs.

[Aaron]

It looks like a mutant ant lion.

[skenasis]

Okay, so it has eight legs. In that case, I'm gonna think it's a funky scorpion of some kind that I've either not heard of or can't remember. Beyond that, not a clue.

[Zoo]

"This is a whipscorpion. It's not a true scorpion, you can see it doesn't have a sitnger..." *points at tail*
*person's friend/relative walks up* "What's that!?!"
(person) "It's a scorpion"
(me) "It's a whipscorpion, it is related but..." *points out the lack of stinger again* *explains defense/offense* *explains modified legs*

And you can bet after that they still think it's just a funky scorpion >_<.

[Aaron]

Methinks it's a chubby chinchilla.

[Zoo]

A chinchilla it is. Chubby is up for debate, I can't tell by looking, considering ours at the zoo are almost literally about half fur >_<.

[Rylkan]

I don't know why, as I can look at most critters and not bat an eyelash, but that whipscorpian creeps me out.

And chinchilla's are nice things. I was working as a animal handler one summer, and I took care of one. The most timid creature in existence though, I swear. (Slight Exaggeration ) o.o

[Zoo]

I don't know why, as I can look at most critters and not bat an eyelash, but that whipscorpian creeps me out.

Heheh, I was just telling someone Sunday, -while- I was -holding- one, about that picture making me feel ill. I'm guessing the picture being double life size on my monitor doesn't help.

And chinchilla's are nice things. I was working as a animal handler one summer, and I took care of one. The most timid creature in existence though, I swear. (Slight Exaggeration ) o.o

Depends on the individual . We have a pair of females that start biting after being held for a few minutes, but they're not shy. My vote for most timid is our African hedgehog (unless you put him in a sand-lined bin, then he's the most active and least timid I've ever seen a hedgehog O_o), our last female was the same way, except she wouldn't open up at all.

[Aaron]

There is one of these about 4 feet from me .

[Zoo]

Hmm.... zebra finch?

[Aaron]

You got it! I refer to Adam as my little "chee-chee" because of his call .

[Zoo]

Had my hands on some of these, working in Dr. Stout's "lab". Cute little things, and if you accidentally step in their hole, you're not apt to break something like you might with the gopher tortoises that are also found where they live.