“The sting of the Arizona Bark Scorpion (if left untreated) can be fatal to...the elderly and the immunocompromised...”
Chalk it up to COVID.
a general rule is- the smaller the claws, (or thinner the claws) the more deadly they are- larger scorpions use their claws to hold prey- but the smaller clawed ones can’t really- they don’t have the strength to apparently so they need stronger venom to subdue their prey quickly- - that is the thought anyways-
Another general rule- snakes with cat’s eyes (Slits instead of Round pupils) are venomous- there are a few exceptions though- so be careful- but if you come across a snake with round pupils, it likely will be non poisonous, with only a very few exceptions- Boomslang I think is one exception- poisonous and round pupils
That picture is grotesque.
the bark scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda) is the only scorpion species with venom strong enough to cause severe symptoms in the entire United States,
I dislike scorpion stings. Just saying.
I was stung by one of these in my home. Not a pleasant experience.
Scorpions are a reality in Arizona, just like Black Widow Spiders. I used to get them in my apartment in Tempe, but never in Phoenix, though they are reported in the North Mountain area. I have never seen a rattlesnake in my neighborhood either, but they are out there, there is no doubt. But of all the things to worry about in Arizona, the heat itself is the deadliest. Life is tough.
My best friend’s parents bought a retirement home in Arizona a few decades ago. Before they’d fully moved in, we’d go visit every once in a while and hit the casinos in Laughlin, NV. Since the house wasn’t regularly lived in, the bark scorpions would usually take up residence. As soon as we arrived, we’d do “scorpion duty”. I’d grab the kitchen tongs and we’d both go room to room looking everywhere for these little suckers. If we found one, I’d grab it with the kitchen tongs, my friend would open the front door, and I’d fling it out as far as I could. Never realized they were the most venomous scorpions in North America.
Got hit by a bark scorpion.
Smacked it with a shoe. Encased it in plastic resin. It’s a paperweight now.
Little bastard.
Did some scrap removal back home in Louisiana about 8 years ago, never seen any scorpions until then. I put my hand under a short chunk of I-beam half embedded in the ground, next thing I knew, felt like a red hot nail got drove into the tip of my middle finger of my left hand. I yanked my hand outta there and the I beam rolled over and exposed a pinkish-orange scorpion with a brown back, called a striped bark scorpion. It was like someone roasted my finger with a zippo continuously for about 15 seconds and the pain stayed that way for about 20 minutes. Bad aches shot up my arm and stayed that way for the rest of the day. Also put a taste of metal in my mouth for a few hours. Not much fun
Why?
Lived in Kingman when I was a kid in 66. Rattlesnakes,BIG scorpions,centipedes,Gila monsters,tarantulas,huge tarantula hawks,vinagaroons. You name it. The scorpions were everywhere. Now I live in my native state California. I don’t know what’s worse. The bugs and snakes or the commies. I’m not afraid of anything. But a scorpion gives me the hee bee geebies.
The herd in the pic? Little squirt of Tempo and they are all gone.
“...venom strong enough to cause severe symptoms in the entire United States...”
That’s some fierce venom.
Awww.... Mom and her grubs. A family picture.
How appropriate for a Mother’s Day post.
Grasshopper mice prey on scorpions - as one nature show put it, they are the size of a cupcake but have the disposition of a psychopath. Showed one mouse getting stung repeatedly in the face by a scorpion but the mouse didn’t care - it went after the scorpion like a deranged serial killer, got it too. They might make good anti-scorpion pets for your home, except they howl at night.
Scorplings another term for antifa!