Guatemalan scorpion which halted train at Peterborough gives birth at Deeping Exotic Pet Refuge

The Guatemalan scorpion shocked passengers when it made a surprise appearance on New Year’s Day.

The creature was tempted into a food container before it was taken to The Exotic Pet Refuge in Deeping St James.

Staff at the centre said the scorpion had two or three babies overnight.

The female passenger was travelling back from a holiday in Guatemala with her son when she reached into her bag for her glasses - and discovered the surprise guest attached to the case.

It probably took refuge in the rucksack as it was “looking for somewhere dark and dry” to give birth, Darren Mansfield, from The Exotic Pet Refuge told the BBC.

“She dropped the case and the scorpion disappeared from sight.

“A passenger tried to catch it in an ice cream tub, but scorpions don’t like sticky, wet places so it wasn’t interested.

“Luckily, the woman’s son was eating a chicken dinner so she made him wolf that down and it was lured into that container.”

The black Guatemalan bark scorpion - which has a sting “equivalent to about three wasp stings” and is not lethal to humans - had “two or three babies last night”, Mr Mansfield said.

He said the scorpion and her babies would stay at the Lincolnshire rescue centre.

He added: “Now we’ve got more mouths to feed.”