Arizona bark scorpion

Centruroides sculpturatus · The Arizona bark scorpion is a small light brown scorpion that lives in the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.

Arizona bark scorpion
Photo: Therringshaw, CC BY 4.0
Arizona bark scorpion
Photo: Andrew Meeds, CC BY 4.0
Arizona bark scorpion
Photo: Alan Rockefeller, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumArthropoda
ClassArachnida
OrderScorpiones
FamilyButhidae
GenusCentruroides
SpeciesCentruroides sculpturatus

Where it lives

Sonoran Desert of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico.

Fun facts

  • Baby bark scorpions are born live and gently guided onto their mother's back, where they stay until their first molt.
  • A female bark scorpion usually gives birth to 25 to 35 young at a time.
  • Grasshopper mice barely notice the scorpion's painful venom, because it acts as a painkiller in them instead of causing pain.
  • Layers of wax on the scorpion's exoskeleton help it resist water loss in the desert.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).