| Take the Sting Out of Mexico |
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When you move to a different country you have to adjust to different customs and ways of life. Although I am from Scotland I spent the majority of the first 52 years of my life in Canada, particularly in Vancouver and environs. Vancouver has a pretty temperate climate. For the most part, around the house, I was a shorts and bare foot kind of guy. Growing up in Canada my mother was always admonishing us for wearing shoes in the house. It was a faux pas if you forgot to take your shoes off when visiting other homes. That has changed somewhat since moving to Mexico last fall. Elizabeth, my wife to be, was constantly reminding me I have to wear slippers or shoes around the house. Why? Little critters called scorpions. The closest I had been to a scorpion in the past was looking in the mirror...being an October baby and all...
I never really thought about scorpions in the house here and kept forgetting to wear my slippers. That changed one day when we were doing some organizing around the house. We were cleaning out a closet upstairs. Elizabeth called me in a loud, somewhat fearful, voice. She had moved an old vcr to find two black scorpions on the floor. Fortunately they were already dead. She looked at the scorpions and at me. She didn't have to say "I told you so". I took the hint. I haven't been barefoot since. Some time later we were in Cuernavaca visiting her family. We were sitting on the outside patio when she spotted something crawling on the floor. She pointed it out to me about a split second before it became a stain on the tile. It was a baby scorpion. It was a clear colour. I occurred to me it was time for a little research into these little creatures. My first thought was how dangerous are they really? My Google sources show that really accurate worldwide data doesn't exist. The highest reported mortality rate is recorded in data from Mexico, yikes, with estimates as high as 1000 deaths in one year. Ironically, the highest and lowest mortality estimates are associated with different species within the same genus of scorpion (Centruroides). There are about 1,300 species of scorpions worldwide. Scorpions vary in size from one to four inches long. These crab-like animals come in various colours, have a broad flattened body, and are complete with ten legs. The front pair of legs is modified into claw-like pincers which are used to hold their prey. Their most noticeable feature is the curled fleshy tail. It is usually held over their body. It has an enlarged upturned tip that ends in a stinger. The sting is used for defense as well as for capturing prey. Scorpion venom is a nerve poison, but the dose injected usually is not enough to kill adults. Most people who have had scorpion stings report that it is very painful, probably more so than a wasp sting. The site of the sting may be sore and swollen for some time. An antivenin is available for severe reactions to scorpion stings, so medical attention is a good idea. Another good idea is to find out in advance where the closest hospital is to you that can treat scorpion stings. If you are stung, and you don't have someone to drive you, take a taxi to the hospital.  Centruroides vittatus Mexican Scorpion How to prevent being stung by a scorpion
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| As in any other city or town in the world your personal safety is worth looking after. Mexico has its own set of rules and precautions visitors need to be aware of. CLICK HERE to read the full article. |
I found telephone calling a little confusing the first time I started calling Mexico and found that when I got here the rules were different than back home. If you are looking for information on how to communicate within and without Mexico this article is for you.
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