#centruoides

[snototter]

A striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) in Dolan Falls Preserve, Texas, USA

by Alan Cressler

[syngoniums]

Found this striped bark scorpion (Centruoides vittatus) in the bathroom sink this morning. It's not uncommon for them to come indoors seeking dry shelter after heavy rains. I can confirm their sting hurts like hell, but this species poses no threat to human life, or cats, or dogs; I've seen both stung, and while they weren't happy about it, it caused no lasting damage. (One of my childhood cats learned to hunt them, and you'd just find tails lying around...)

Scorpions prey on insects and other arachnids. Females will carry babies on their back, like a wolf spider. They cannot climb up smooth surfaces, and you have to be within range of their tails to get stung, so it's quite easy to capture them. This one was scooped into a jar and released outdoors, which is where they prefer to be.