Gloves and corpions (to buy, inspection, living)

[Melanie53]

We live in the house I grew up in near Christown, and I have never seen a scorpion in or around this place..... not while I was growing up and not during the past seven years that I've lived back in here.

We came close to buying a new home in an outlying area a while back, and we decided, for various reasons, not to go through with it. I was actually relieved when we made the decision not to buy the house because there was a live scorpion in one of the models. I'm such a chicken when it comes to scorpions.

[cap1717]

Originally Posted by twiggy

Thats strange because my neighbor said she was bitten by a brown recluse and had to go to the hospital because her foot was turning black. I didn't know they were not here.
It was on her porch I think.
I see wolf spiders, they look like them to the untrained eye, I thought she might have just got a black widow bite.

There is a specie called the AZ Brown Spider, related to the brown recluse. Although they do exist here, they are neither common nor abundant.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I always have a little chuckle when people say they don't have scorpions. Not seeing them is precious little reassurance. They see you.

Absolutely. Not trying to scare anyone, but those that say "dont worry, Ive been here and not seen a single one", I have to laugh at them. Scorpions are everywhere in AZ, you wont be immune to having them around, no matter if you live in downtown PHX or out in Cave Creek... theyre there, deal with it.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

The desert version is here, of course, but from what I can determine, bites are far and few between. People probably refer to the desert one as a brown recluse even though it technically is only a relative of that terrible beast

Youre correct, the desert version (Loxosceles deserta) is in AZ, as well as other parts of the southwest. It is a direct relative of the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) and theyre almost identical. In any case, dont take either of them lightly. If youre allergic to their cytotoxic venom, you could develop nasty lesions. Any suspected bite should be treated at the hospital, just to be safe.

[lildevil01]

I moved here from North Carolina I had a woman I worked with got bit by a brown recluse she went to a doctor and they used charcoal to help draw out the poison it looked kinda nasty. I have lived here for almost 3 yrs never seen a Scorpion but like others have said they are everywhere. My sis lives in Gilbert and told me about the black light in the back yard you can seem them.

[markas214]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Yep, female bark scorpion (Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus). Take it outside far away from your yard.

I'd step on it. I'd imagine they crush easy. No?

[Jewelsf]

Can anyone tell me if they move fast or are they slow? I may have one in my house/bedroom and I would like to know what I'm dealing with. Help!

[Jewelsf]

One more question. Can you mistake a baby lizard with a tan, striped scorpion? It was a little dark in that area and my carpet is the same color. I had assumed scorpions didn't move very fast. Oh please help me soon! Talk about freaking out, I'm scared to death of spiders and most critters. Lizards are fine!

[azkylady2]

Originally Posted by Jewelsf

One more question. Can you mistake a baby lizard with a tan, striped scorpion? It was a little dark in that area and my carpet is the same color. I had assumed scorpions didn't move very fast. Oh please help me soon! Talk about freaking out, I'm scared to death of spiders and most critters. Lizards are fine!

I had a tiny lizard run down the hall once, of course I saw the tail and thought it was a scopion. If its really fast, its probably a tiny lizard.

[Jewelsf]

I sure hope so! I have a family of lizards that live on and by my front door (outside) but they are all one solid color, even the little ones. This "thing" had very obvious stripes, it was tan with black stripes. It did run fairly fast, that's why I assumed it was a lizard in the beginning but after a better look, the stripes made me wonder?!