Giant desert hairy scorpion
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| Giant desert hairy scorpion | ||||||||||||||||
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| Hadrurus arizonensis (Ewing, 1928) |
The giant desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) is the largest scorpion inhabiting the South-West of North America and one of the 8–9 species of Hadrurus in the US, attaining a length of 14–15 cm (5.6–6 inches). Its large size allows it to feed readily on other scorpions and a variety of other prey, including lizards and snakes. This species is usually yellow with a dark top and lobster-like pincers. It gets its common name from the brown hairs that cover its body, these hairs help it to detect vibration in the soil. A similar species is Hadrurus spadix.
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[edit] Habitat
The Arizona Desert Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis), one of the largest species in North America, is distributed throughout the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. In Mexico, the species' range flanks the Sea of Cortez in Sonora and Baja California Norte. In the United States, it is found in the western two thirds of Arizona, the Colorado and Mojave desert regions of southern California, southern Nevada, and extreme southwestern Utah. Arizona Desert Hairy Scorpions are a warm-desert species, specially adapted to hot and dry conditions. They are usually found in and around washes or low-elevation valleys where they dig elaborate burrows (up to 2.5 m deep) and emerge at night to forage for prey and mates. Other species commonly encountered living sympatrically with this species are: Smeringurus mesaensis, Vaejovis confusus, and Vaejovis spinigerus.
Desert Hairy Scorpions are not especially venomous, but another Sonoran Desert species, the Arizona Bark Scorpion (Centruroides sculpteratus) can be dangerous to young, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Arizona Bark Scorpions are commonly encountered in rocky habitats but sometimes stray to sandy soils and are found alongside the Desert Hairy Scorpions.
[edit] Toxicity
Although this scorpion is big, its venom is not very potent, and its sting is commonly perceived to be about as painful as a honeybee's sting, this scorpion has an LD50 value of 168 mg/kg. However, an allergic reaction to its venom can be fatal; symptoms can include: difficulty breathing, excessive swelling, and prolonged pain.
[edit] Diet & Behavior
It is a burrowing scorpion, but is commonly found under rocks containing moisture. Its diet consists of large insects, spiders and small vertebrates. This is an aggressive and active scorpion, which, as with all scorpions, is nocturnal. Like all scorpions, the giant desert hairy scorpion gives birth to live young, which remain on the mothers back for a week or more before leaving.
