Giant Vinegaroons

(Mastigoproctus giganteus)

Feast your eyes on one of the coolest, yet unusual looking of the arachnids in the world, the Giant Vinegaroon (Mastigoproctus giganteus). All three of them are adults. Despite their scorpion-like appearance, vinegaroons aren’t actually scorpions at all! Instead, they are a type of arachnid that are referred to as Uropygids. Uropygids, or more commonly called, vinegaroons, lack the stinger that scorpions have. Vinegaroons also don’t posses any venom. Instead, vinegaroons are able to spray acetic acid out of a gland that’s located at the bottom of their flagellum, which is the tail-like appendage on the rear of their abdomens. Acetic acid is the main component in vinegar, which is where the vinegaroon gets its name from. This form of chemical defense is meant to deter predators from eating them, since an animal isn’t going to want to eat something that smells as strong as vinegar! Notice the two long antennae-like appendages that are located at the front of their body. Although they look like antennas, they’re actually modified front legs called antenniform that act as sensory appendages. Vinegaroons are practically blind, so they rely on their modified legs to navigate and detect their prey. Once they’ve picked up the vibrations of prey, they quickly grab their prey using their large claw-like appendages called pedipalps and begin to eat them alive! Despite their intimidating appearance, these creatures are completely harmless and are incredibly docile, especially while holding them!