- Striped skin scorpions and the closely related Baja California scorpion skin are also called scorpion barks.
The Arizona skin scorpion ( Centruroides sculpturatus , included in Centruroides exilicauda ) is a common brown small scorpion to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. The adult male can reach 8 cm (3.14 inches), while the female is slightly smaller, with a maximum length of 7 cm (2.75 inches).
Video Arizona bark scorpion
Predator
Skin scorpions are eaten by a variety of animals such as birds (especially owls), reptiles, and other vertebrates. Some examples include spiders, snakes, choppers, rats, and other scorpions. Development, pesticides and collecting of scorpions for research or trade of pets also reduces the population of scorpion bark.
The painful and potentially lethal poison of the skin scorpion has little effect on the mouse locust. Scientists have found scorpion toxins acting as an analgesic rather than a pain stimulant in locust mice.
Maps Arizona bark scorpion
Life cycle
The Arizona skin scorpion has a period of several months of pregnancy, live birth, and is gently guided to their mother's back. Women usually give birth anywhere from 25 to 35 young. This remains with their mother until their first moult, which can be up to 3 weeks after birth. The Arizona tree skin scorpion can live for up to 6 years.
While almost all scorpions are solitary, Arizona's scorpion skin is a rare exception: during the winter, packets of 20 to 30 scorpions can congregate.
Skin scorpions, like most other scorpions, are very tough. During US nuclear testing, scorpions, together with cockroaches and lizards, were found near the zero point with no recorded side effects.
Habitat
Skin scorpions are well adapted in the desert: the wax layers of the exoskeleton make it resistant to water loss. However, skin scorpions hide during the day, usually under rocks, piles of wood, or bark. Skin scorpions do not dig, and are commonly found in homes, requiring only 1/16 of an inch to enter.
The Arizona skin scorpion prefers riparian areas with mesquite, cottonwood, and sycamore, all of which have moisture and moisture sufficient to support insects and other prey species. The popularity of irrigated grasses, and other systems that increase environmental humidity in residential areas, has led to a large increase in the number of these animals in some areas.
Centruroides scorpions are unusual because they are the only genus in the southwest that can climb walls, trees, and other objects with a rough surface. Skin scorpions practice negative geotaxis, preferring an inverted orientation, which often results in people being stung because the scorpion is at the bottom of the object.
Venom
Scorpion skin is the most venomous scorpion in North America, and its toxins can cause severe pain (coupled with numbness, tingling, and vomiting) in adult humans, usually lasting between 24 and 72 hours. Temporary dysfunction in stung areas is common; for example the hands or the arms may be immobilized or seizure. It can also cause shortness of breath for a short time. Because of the extreme pain induced, many victims describe the sensation of electric shock after envenomation.
Deaths from scorpion envenomation in the United States are rare and confined to small animals (including small pets), young children, the elderly, and adults with impaired immune systems. Extreme reactions to toxins are indicated by numbness, foaming mouth, paralysis, and neuromotor syndromes that may be confusing with seizures and which can make breathing difficult, especially for young children. Two recorded deaths have occurred in the state of Arizona since 1968; the number of victims stung every year in Arizona is estimated to reach thousands. In Mexico, more than 100,000 people are stung every year, and during peak periods in the 1980s, scorpion barks claimed 800 lives there.
Antivenom
Antivenom is developed for this species at Arizona State University, and is produced in sufficient quantities to treat individuals in the state of Arizona. This Antivenom is not FDA approved, but use in the state of Arizona is allowed and is very successful in shortening the duration of symptoms and hospitalization. This antivenom production ceased in 2000 and this product was not available in 2004. Antivenom produced by Mexico, Anascorp [Antivenin Centruroides (scorpion) F (ab?) 2 , Laboratorios Silanes, Instituto Bioclon SA de CV], received FDA approval on 3 August 2011 and is now in use.
First aid
First aid measures can be used to help restore scorpion stings:
- Clean the site with soap and water
- Apply cold compress (cold cloth)
- Take acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) or ibuprofen for local pain and swelling
Medical emergency
Because the amount of venom injected scorpions varies, the Arizona poison control center advises immediate medical attention only in the event of extreme pain or shock involving weaker individuals.
UV Lighting
Skin scorpions, like most other scorpions, will glow when exposed to black light. This is very useful in the detection of scorpions, because the skin scorpions are active at night, and can be easily seen using this method. The UV LED flashlight allows their human operators to easily detect scorpions at a distance of about 6 feet. The newly molten scorpion will not shine under ultraviolet light for several days after molting.
Control and prevention
Skin scorpions are a flesh color tone and so small that it is difficult to detect especially in natural areas (rocky soil, some vegetation and soil textured soil). They are not known to search for people but find places to hide unless provoked or defended their children.
Pest Control
Exterminators can be brought in to help control the scorpion population. The exterminator will use pesticides inside and outside the home. Pesticides such as Cyzmic CS and SC Templates work well because they are known to penetrate the scorpion exoskeleton resulting in death. Apps and placements are the key. The second use of other pesticides is to control their food supply. If their food supply goes down, the idea is that they will move to an area with a larger supply.
Glue board
Skin scorpions can easily find cracks or loopholes to attack homes, as they can enter through thicker space than credit cards. Glue board is a good way to trap scorpions at home. The best place to stick a glue board is along the wall near the entry point to the house, like a door or a window. Scorpions are known to have poor eyesight, so they tend to walk along the wall. This method is great for homes with small children or pets, where using inner chemicals is not an option.
Sealing home foundations
In many homes in Arizona, there is a small gap where the foundations and plastering meet. This is an easy entry point for the scorpion to enter the house. A simple way to block this entry point is to use sleep to fill the gap.
Remove available shelters
The summer sun is too hot for too many scorpion barks, and they will seek refuge during the day. Public places to find scorpions during the day are piles of wood, shrubs, cracks in block fences, and under loose rocks. Keeping these places to a minimum will help make your property less scary-friendly, increasing the chances that they will look for other areas.
References
External links
- Media related to Centruroides sculpturatus on Wikimedia Commons
- More information about scorpions
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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