Is it a scorpion?

[The Big Gill]

I've just caught what looks like a scorpion in my house. Just as I was going to bed, I noticed the cat staring up at the ceiling - I looked up at what he'd found; at first I thought it must be a moth that had flown in, but it was too big, and oddly-shaped. As I came closer, I realised it was a scorpion, or at least, something which looks like one, with two claws and a curled-over tail. I've trapped it now. The claws and tail are rather small compared to the body, which is quite fat. It's dark in colour, and measures approximately 4 cm from claw to claw, and 5 cm from tip of claw to end of tail.

[Eastender]

Yuk. What part of London do you live in.. Now I keep looking around the ceiling........

[species2656]

help!!!! i live in london!!! sounds like a scorpion to me too!!!! aaargh! where do you liv hun?

[~Wingnut~]

Wow Big Gill! Can you post a picture of it! Sounds fascinating (but then I live in Yorkshire so feel a bit safer!)
Could someone have had a pet escape do you think? Would they survive here? Hope someone can come and answer these questions!

[Cetti]

Do you live in the south-east and particularly Kent? If you do the bad news is that there are thousands of scorpions around that area, and amazingly have been for a hundred years!

There are tiny pockets around the coastal areas like Southampton where they jumped ship and took up residence, but so far they haven't reached Scotland....yet. Have a look here

[The Big Gill]

Well, after having had a closer look this morning, and a couple of websites, I'm pretty convinced it's a scorpion. Can't contact the council until Monday, so I've sent an email to the Amateur Entomologists' Society. Will post a photo on Monday. There's a greengrocer's nearby, so it's possible that's how it arrived here. Now I need to trap some food for it...

[behappy87]

Ahh I live in Kent! Scorpians?! And I thought the massive spiders in my house were bad enough...

Does anyone know if the scorpians are dangerous? (I'm hoping that the ones here just have small, not-very-venomous stings...)

Tell us what happens The Big Gill!

[Cetti]

http://www.introduced-species.co.uk/Species/sp iders/euro%20scorpion.htm

The Big Gill Above is a picture and more about the introduced species, but it doesn't sound quite like yours. See what you think.

[The Big Gill]

Got some replies from the Invertebrate Conservation Society (buglife.co.uk) and the Amateur Entomologists Society: Euscorpius Flavicaudis (European Yellow-tailed Scorpion) is the likely identification. They've advised me to release it on waste ground, as it's not particularly dangerous.
Some photos of the little critter:

http://i7.tinypic.com/24maj48.jpg

http://i8.tinypic.com/24majko.jpg

http://i7.tinypic.com/24majwl.jpg

http://i8.tinypic.com/24malbl.jpg

[Cetti]

I'm glad you have confirmation, but you can see why I was unsure about it being the European Yellow-Tail can't you? The picture I gave you looks much slimmer and paler than your much fatter and darker guest.

Please make sure it's not facing towards Dorset when you release it. Thank you ;-)