CLOSED: my cat found this scorpion would like to find out what kind

aharrington9326 Taft, CA Sep 26, 2014

Just wondering what kind of scorpion this is. It found it's way into my living room tonight and my cat cornered it. I caught it in a jar and after snapping some pics released it off my property.

Post #9947811

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bluemerle North Las Vegas, NV(Zone 9a) Sep 26, 2014

How long was it? If it's only a couple inches long, it could be a
Bark Scorpion.

Best to ask Flapdoodle, he knows best!!

Diane

Post #9947818

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Sep 26, 2014

Bark scorpions have a much thinner tail than this specimen. It might be a Vaejovis sp. - see http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j1/trollquality/vaejovis01517.jpg for an example.
There are more than 50 described species of scorpions reported from California, and apparently many more that have yet to be formally described...

Post #9948022

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aharrington9326 Taft, CA Sep 27, 2014

Well it certainly looks like the one in the pic. Is it poisonous? Or just one that hurts like heck when you get stung? I have 4 kids just want to make sure that it's not overly dangerous.

Post #9948721

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Sep 27, 2014

All scorpions are venomous, but fortunately for us, the only truly dangerous species in the USA is the Arizona bark scorpion Centruroides sculpturatus, and even with that one, fatal stings are exceptionally rare. However, their sting, as well as that of several other species, can be excruciatingly painful. Many tears ago, a friend of mine from Missouri was stung by a scorpion (species not recorded), and he told me that it was absolutely the worst pain he ever had experienced...
Stings from Vaejovis species usually are no more serious than stings of ants, bees, or wasps, unless a person has an allergic reaction (and this can happen with nearly any arthropod venom). People stung by these scorpions usually report experiencing an immediate intense, localized, burning sensation but with little redness or swelling, with those symptoms usually subsiding after about 30 minutes.

Post #9948772

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Sep 28, 2014

It's a very good pic. We don't have but 2 pics in BugFiles. If you can nail down the sp. perhaps you can add yours pictures to the database. I see only one sp. is listed, Vaejovis carolinianus.

Post #9949093

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Flapdoodle Minot, ND Sep 28, 2014

It may not be possible to pin a specific i.d. on this specimen with any degree of confidence, as this usually requires examination of certain body parts under some degree of magnification, and there likely are species in this group that have yet to be formally described...

Post #9949182

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kwanjin (Zone 7a) Sep 28, 2014

Rats. It would be great for others to see these, too.

Post #9949314

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