Arizona bark scorpion
| Arizona bark scorpion | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Scorpiones |
| Family: | Buthidae |
| Genus: | Centruroides |
| Species: | C. sculpturatus |
| Binomial name | |
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Centruroides sculpturatus (Wood, 1863) |
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The Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus, included in Centruroides exilicauda) is a small light brown scorpion common to the Sonoran Desert in southwest United States and northwestern Mexico. An adult male can reach 8 cm in length (3.14 inches), while a female is slightly smaller, with a maximum length of 7 cm (2.75 inches).
The bark scorpion is nocturnal and prefers to ambush its prey, usually feeding on crickets, roaches, beetles, and other small insects. Bark scorpions can also be cannibalistic, occasionally feeding on a fellow scorpion.
Bark scorpions are eaten by a wide variety of animals such as birds (especially owls), reptiles, and other invertebrates. Some examples include spiders, snakes, peccaries, rodents, and other scorpions. Development, pesticides and collecting scorpions for research or the pet trade also reduces the bark scorpion population.
The painful and potentially deadly venom of bark scorpions has little effect on grasshopper mice. Scientists have found the scorpion toxin acts as an analgesic rather than a pain stimulant in grasshopper mice.
Arizona bark scorpions have a gestation period of several months, are born live, and are gently guided onto their mother's back. The female usually gives birth to anywhere from 25 to 35 young. These remain with their mother until their first molt, which can be up to 3 weeks after birth. Arizona bark scorpions may live up to 6 years.
While nearly all scorpions are solitary, the Arizona bark scorpion is a rare exception: during winter, packs of 20 to 30 scorpions can congregate.
Bark scorpions, like most other scorpions, are incredibly resilient. During US nuclear testing, scorpions, along with cockroaches and lizards, were found near ground zero with no recorded adverse effects.
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Wikipedia