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I worked for the ZOO and we also teach the children. I have studied them for 20 plus years. Some are poisonous!!! and NM also haves the bark Scorp..That is very poisonous
Only one of the 30 species of scorpions found in Arizona is regarded as life-threatening - Centruroides exilicauda, or the Bark Scorpion. It may be distinguished from other less toxic species by its more slender tail segments and pincers. Reaching only an inch and a half at maturity, it is a comparatively small scorpion. Scorpions are relatively inactive during the daylight hours.
Theyre not poisonous. The difference between poisonous and venomous is pretty big, scorpions are VENOMOUS. I would have thought someone who has "researched" them for 20 years would know better. Also, C. exilicauda is being reclassified as C. sculpturatus, the more common version. This is a xeric species inhabiting the SW deserts.
Hey, Steve-O, I just moved to NM, and thanks to a wet season, my grass is high in the yard. Any creepy-crawlies to beware of until I can find a lawnmower for under $200 or someone to tame the yard? It's a small yard, in Gallup, in a fairly commercial area.
Sooner, unless you have man-made junk in your yard, I wouldnt worry about it. Snakes and scorpions love to hide under junk, as do mice which attract snakes. Just be careful for rattlers in the yard in the high grass, thats all Id worry about. But it sounds like youre in a built-up area (I go through Gallup every year), so I wouldnt worry about it too much. However, dont become too relaxed, rattlers are all over that part of the country and there is a good chance that you might find one in your yard. Just keep your grass short and you should be ok.
Ive done this for other boards, figured Id do this for NM as well:
Latrodectus hesperus (western black widow). Only females are dangerous. These make erratic webs, they can be ID'd by their hourglass under her abdomen. Here is a Missouri specimen I brought home:
Scorpions are not monsters! In fact most are quite docile! Of the 1,300 species worldwide,only 25 are considered POTENTIALLY lethal. Please, do not try this at home, I consider myself a professional. Im just using these as an example, they can and will sting if they feel threatened. It must be remembered that theyre wild animals!
Not all desert species are tan, here is a Diplocentrus whitei from Big Bend area in Texas:
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j292/Illinoisboy/D.jpg (broken link)
Snakes:
Venomous snakes in the USA (minus coral snakes) have vertically eliptical pupils, non-venomous snakes do not. Note the difference in pupils below:
Venomous:
Non-venomous:
I hope this works: click on the picture to see the video. This is one of my Chinese scorpions, showing just how fast they can sting (and with multiple strikes):
As a general rule of thumb in the world, scorpions with wide metasomas (tails) and slender chelae (claws) are more dangerous. Its easy to see why: those with slender/weak claws rely on venom to subdue their prey. Here is an example: my Moroccan fattail (Androctonus mauritanicus). Note the slender claws and overly exaggerated and powerful tail:
Here is a complete harmless scorpion (Pandinus imperator). Note the overly developed claws, which they use to crush their prey, rather than use their weak venom:
TARANTULAS:
Harmless. They can bite hard, but noone has ever died from a tarantula bite, their venom is considered too weak to kill an adult. Expect some localized pain and some swelling for a short time. Tarantulas are amazing crittes, with a undeserved bad reputation. Most are as gentle as a puppy dog, but its their size that creeps people out. If you see one, dont be quick to kill it. Females live as long as 30 years!!!! Remember, youre in THEIR territory and therye NOT out to get you, regardless of what Hollywood makes you believe. Here is a juvenile Aphonopelma hentzi from Missouri on my hand. It sat there, content as could be, didnt move a muscle. In fact, I brought this one home (his name is Gobert) and he watches tv with me for hours sometimes, not moving at all. Hes a sweetie. See? Theyre not bad after all, are they?
In fact, youd all be amazed at some of the beauty of these tarantulas, theyre downright astounding looking! Here is a South American tarantula (Avicularia versicolor).
Another beauty I bought, this one is from Chile (Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens):
Here is a Arizona desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) glowing under blacklight, which makes them easy to spot in the desert at night, unlike rattlesnakes. LOL
A baby tarantula on my hand (Grammostola aureostriata):
This is what tarantulas in NM look like. Theyre all from the Aphonopelma genus, which have black velvety legs, a gold/tan carapace (head) and rust/red colored abdominal setae (hairs). This is a mature male we found in Missouri outside of Branson:
What!?!?!? Tell people to teach the "facts", then give this? ALLLLLLLL (not only some) scorpions are VENOMOUS, not poisonous. Poison is something that is secreted through pores, uncontrolled in its delivery by its host. Venom has to be injected subcutaneously and can be controlled by its host. In fact most scorpion stings and snake bites are "dry", meaning the critter chose not to deliver venom, in hopes of conserving it. The elongated tail is a metasoma, the venom storage area is known as a vesicle, the stinger itself a aculeus.
Please reread what i said.
I didn't say they were not venomous, i said that....There a 2 that are poisonous in NM
I have them too as pets, I spent 3 years in collage In Aussie.. and i know the facts.
Your statement was no scorp was poisonous.. I think i called you on that
have a great day
Please reread what i said.
I didn't say they were not venomous, i said that....There a 2 that are poisonous in NM
I have them too as pets, I spent 3 years in collage In Aussie.. and i know the facts.
Your statement was no scorp was poisonous.. I think i called you on that
have a great day
If you kept them as pets, youd know that theyre NOT poisonous. Theyre VENOMOUS. ALL OF THEM ARE VENOMOUS. And there are more than 2 species in NM. Speaking of facts, fact is its "college", not "collage".
Steve...i'm curious when different families or species of scorpions happen upon each other do they fight or avoid each other. I did see a show once on Nature (pbs) about desert creaures as it showed a tarantula vs a scorpion as it was a stalemate as the tarantula used its fron legs/arms to hold the stinger off of it. Then several desert mice/rodents immune to the scorpions sting attacked and killed the scorpion then they went after the tarantula but it spiked them with is hair on its legs and they left it alone. Cool stuff !!
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Theyre not poisonous. The difference between poisonous and venomous is pretty big, scorpions are VENOMOUS. I would have thought someone who has "researched" them for 20 years would know better. Also, C. exilicauda is being reclassified as C. sculpturatus, the more common version. This is a xeric species inhabiting the SW deserts.
