Some facts about scorpions/spiders/snakes in Arizona. (home, living)

[BurtsBees]

Originally Posted by RonAZAK

I've lived in AZ for 15 of my 38 years and I've never been biten.

Snakes wont bother you unless you bother them.

[wit-nit]

Steve-o, give it a rest will ya. You trying to unnecessarily scare people.
The bark scorpion is AZ most dangerous scorpion.
The deathstalker scorpion is native to, and found only, in Saudi Arabia and the Mideast.
This scorpion subject has been beaten to death.

[DML1651]

^ I tend to agree, which is why I'm not actively adding to the thread but I'll continue to watch it for a while.

It was my hope to dispel a lot of the myths regarding same... dunno how effective I've been.

One other thing... the Poison Control Center will be happy to mail anyone a very informative brochure, with lots of pictures, regarding the biters and stingers here in AZ. Just call them at (602) 253-3334 and it will be sent to you in the next days mail, completely free of charge.

[DML1651]

I'm sorry... it seems I've not responded to a few statements by Steve-o, so now, I before I stop, I will.... (and I wish I NEVER started this thread).

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by DML1651

I'm sorry... it seems I've not responded to a few statements by Steve-o, so now, I before I stop, I will.... (and I wish I NEVER started this thread).

While I'm not.

I APPRECIATE your information a great deal.

Ken

[DML1651]

I'm sorry... it seems I've not responded to a few statements by Steve-o, so now I will... and I'm going to be blunt.

Steve-os posts will be in lower case... and I will reply in CAPS Moderator cut: personal insults- off topic
So, if you can handle the CAPS, here we go...

"A suspected bark scorpion sting should be treated with the utmost care, and a trip to the ER is most definitely in order, regardless of personal health".

WRONG. The vast, vast majority of bark scorpion stung patients do NOT NEED a trip to the Emergency Department. The largest percentage need analgesic relief, at times available only in the Emergency Department... and a minute, fraction of people REQUIRE antivenin.

"I recommend calling the AZ poison control center first and describe the symptoms of your sting".

RIGHT. Absolutely correct. This is especially required if people read the misinformation posted online regarding bark scorpion stings.

"Localized pain and redness can be expected right away, with intense burning and shooting pains."

RIGHT. IT'S A SCORPION STING... IT HURTS.

"Any pallor or uncontrolled tongue and eye movements are signs of serious envenomation and need to be promptly treated. "

LINGUAL FASCICULATION AND NYSTAGMUS IS A CONCERNING SYMPTOM. I'D SAY GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM WITH SYMPTOMS LIKE THIS.

"However, I still stand by my statement that bark scorpions are medically significant and can kill you."

A BEE CAN KILL YOU. AN ANT CAN KILL YOU. MORE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED BY ANAPHYLACTIC REACTION TO ANT BITE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED BY SCORPION STING.

"Ive seen/heard too many stories being in this hobby for so long to not believe that."

SO, DO YOU THINK I'M INTENTIONALLY PROVIDING MISINFORMATION? YOUR INTEREST IN SCORPIONS IS A HOBBY. I’VE TREATED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FOR SCORPION STING OVER 20+ YEARS. HOW MANY HAVE YOU? AND BY THE WAY, WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS?

"Its like the copperhead snake scenario... even though its the "weakest" of NA's venomous snakes, its has still killed and will kill from now until the end of time. Would you not go to the hospital from a copperhead bite just to be safe? "

YES, I WOULD, BUT YOU ARE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. PEOPLE IN THE U.S. HAVE DIED FROM A COPPERHEAD BITE IN THE LAST 40 YEAR EVEN WITH MEDICAL CARE. NO ONE, WITH MEDICAL CARE, IN THE U.S., HAS DIED FROM A BARK SCORPION IN THE LAST 40+ YEARS.

Again, please understand, the CAPS were used to differentiate my statements from Steve-os.

Call the Poison Control Center at the number I mentioned with questions... and I've said this more than once.

PM me with specific questions... and best of luck to all. I've "survived" several of these "maybe kill ya" bark scorpion stings with Ibuprofen, a topical cool pack and a glass of fine Australian merlot.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by DML1651

SO, DO YOU THINK I'M INTENTIONALLY PROVIDING MISINFORMATION? YOUR INTEREST IN SCORPIONS IS A HOBBY. I’VE TREATED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE FOR SCORPION STING OVER 20+ YEARS. HOW MANY HAVE YOU? AND BY THE WAY, WHAT ARE YOUR QUALIFICATIONS?

I do not think youre providing misinformation. I do, however, think that most of the scorpion stings youve treated were probably from Vaejovids or Diplocentrus species, which are generally less harmful than a common European bee sting. Unless each and every single patient brought in the scorpion that stung them, and the scorpion was positivley identified as a Centruroides exilicauda/sculpturatus, then Im willing to bet that most of your sting patients were not stung by a bark scorpion. Thats the point I was making.

Please, keep your knowledge on these boards. Im glad to have an experienced person on board.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by nitram

Steve-o, give it a rest will ya. You trying to unnecessarily scare people.
The bark scorpion is AZ most dangerous scorpion.
The deathstalker scorpion is native to, and found only, in Saudi Arabia and the Mideast.
This scorpion subject has been beaten to death.

You really think Im trying to scare people about the creatures I love? In fact, Im trying to EDUCATE people about them, rather than fill their heads with nonsense. If the facts about bark scorpions and their potentially lethal venom scares people, I cant help that, its a fact of life. Anti-venin has saved thousands of lives, but not the case in Mexico where AV is harder to acquire. Centruroides spp is a direct relative of the AZ bark scorpion and claims over 1,000 lives in Mexico each year. The late Gary Polis, the worlds greatest scorpiologist, has the bark scorpion rated as a "medically significant" species, due to the deaths it has caused. Anti venin is available for this species, and used in AZ many times a year. I wonder why that is.... Its not a scorpion to be taken lightly, its LD50 rate was a 1.1, which is pretty harsh, but not near the levels of most Androctonus species.

[wit-nit]

Maybe you love them, but 99.9% of the population does not and you're blowing things out of proportion with your scare tactics.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

You really think Im trying to scare people about the creatures I love? In fact, Im trying to EDUCATE people about them, rather than fill their heads with nonsense.

As far as I'm concerned, your credibility was blown when you started casually mentioning scorpions that don't even exist in the country. Moderator cut: personal - off topic