The little scorpion

On my way back from the guitar shop yesterday, I found a scorpion. Having brought it home and Googled it, I think it was a male Euscorpius flavicaudis – apparently there are only three species that I’m likely to find here, and this one best fitted that description. Rather disappointingly, Euscorpius flavicaudis isn’t at all harmful, but he did look ever so mean with tail up and pincers spread wide.

I have to come clean and admit that when I caught him, he was rolling around in a plastic cup, sealed in with clingfilm and aluminium foil. Presumably somebody had trapped him in order to chuck him out, and he’d blown away in the wind. This morning we took him for a drive (during which he was named ‘Francis’ by the kids) and released him on a sunny rock. He seemed happy.

Then we went for a walk – a wonderful walk along a ridge, through dappled woodland with insects making the most of the sun. The walk took a couple of hours – 4½km being the furthest that C and T have ever done in one stretch. They should sleep well tonight.