While in Arizona I had to find some scorpions—they are bizarre arthropods that I don’t find near my home; my favorite band is also called the Scorpions!

On my first day I uncovered rocks to find a scorpion. Under the third rock was a pale scorpion probably just over an inch long. As it was after sunset, I did not have much light for a good shot. (I usually hate using a camera’s built-in flash).

The next day Rich uncovered one under the third rock he turned over. As such, we concluded that they are pretty common.

Whenever I get back out to Arizona, I hope to see several species, including the infamous bark scorpion. After reading about scorpions, though, I was surprised to find that the stigma associated with scorpions as lethal is misleading. According to the sites I read, death from scorpion envenomation in Arizona is unheard of. According to the Museum of Cape Town, only 800 people are killed by scorpions a year in the world. Considreing how common scorpions are in some regions, the fatality rate seems relatively low.

More Resources on Scorpions

• http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_scorpions_new.html
• http://www.arizona-leisure.com/the-desert-wild-stinging.html