Not only does Arizona have the privilege of hosting the most venomous scorpion in the United States, but it also has the largest. But while those are two of the scorpions that you can find in this Western state, they aren’t the only ones! What are the four different scorpions that you can find in Arizona, and how can you keep them away from your home or yard? We break it all down for you here.
4 Scorpions Found in Arizona
- Arizona Bark Scorpion
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Species: Centruroides sculpturatus
Longevity: 5 to 7 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.5 inches
Diet: Beetles, spiders, crickets, cockroaches, other insects, and scorpions
While the Arizona bark scorpion isn’t the most venomous scorpion in the world, it is the most venomous scorpion found in Arizona and the United States. The venom causes severe pain, numbness, tingling, and vomiting in adults. These symptoms usually subside after 24 to 72 hours, but it’s best to seek out medical attention as soon as possible because the stings can sometimes be fatal. The Arizona bark scorpion is a smaller light brown scorpion that lives in the Sonoran Desert and feeds on smaller insects and other scorpions. They are extremely aggressive and territorial, which makes them extremely challenging to own as a pet.
- Arizona Striped-Tail Scorpion
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Species: Vaejovis coahuilae
Longevity: 3 to 8 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.25 inches
Diet: Crickets, roaches, mealworms, and termites
One scorpion that you need to keep an eye out for in the desert is the Arizona striped-tail scorpion. They are extremely fast and aggressive, which can lead to painful stings. They are venomous, but the venom doesn’t usually affect humans. They are nocturnal hunters that like to burrow during the day, so you need to check shoes and sleeping bags to ensure that they didn’t make it their home for the day. You can identify a striped-tail scorpion by the signature stripes along their tail. They typically eat smaller insects like crickets, roaches, and termites. They rarely work their way into homes, but you need to keep an eye for them if you’re camping.
See Also: 3 Scorpions Found in Utah
- Yellow Ground Scorpion
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Species: Vaejovis confusus
Longevity: 5 to 7 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.5 inches
Diet: Beetles, spiders, crickets, cockroaches, other insects, and scorpions
The yellow ground scorpion is another scorpion that you can find in southeastern Arizona. They’re extremely similar to the Arizona bark scorpion, but there are distinct differences. For starters, they’re not nearly as venomous. While they still carry venom that can kill smaller prey, it’s not particularly harmful to humans. They also have a slightly yellower color, so you can tell the two species apart if you know what to look for. Another difference is at their tail. The yellow ground scorpion’s first two metasomal segments at the tail are as wide as they are long, while the Arizona bark-tailed scorpion’s segments are skinnier. They are nocturnal hunters that you can find out in the desert, but they will occasionally wander into backyards or homes looking for food.
See also: 6 Scorpions Found in Texas
- Arizona Giant Hairy Scorpion
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Species: Hadrurus arizonensis
Longevity: 10 to 20 years
Good to own as a pet?: Yes
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 7 inches
Diet: Lizards, small mammals, other scorpions, and insects
The largest scorpion in the United States is the Arizona giant hairy scorpion. While other scorpions in Arizona are about 2.5 inches in length, the giant hairy scorpion dwarfs them at 7 inches long. This scorpion is so massive, they feed on lizards, small mammals, and smaller scorpions in addition to their diet of insects. The giant hairy scorpion is extremely aggressive, but while their sting is painful, it is relatively harmless to humans. You might have localized swelling, but that should be the extent of it. Due to their larger size and the relative harmlessness of their sting, if you want a pet scorpion, the giant hairy scorpion isn’t a bad choice.
See also: 10 Spiders Found in Arizona
Tips for Keeping Scorpions Out of Your Home and Yard The best way to keep a scorpion infestation from getting out of hand is to prevent one to begin with. You should remove all the conditions that a scorpion likes to make their home out of. Here, we highlighted a few tips that you should follow to make your home and yard less hospitable for scorpions.
Remove excess brush and debris. Scorpions need places to hide throughout the day, and extra brush and debris make excellent spaces for them to cool off and avoid the heat.
Keep firewood at least 30 feet from your home. We all like a warm fire at night, but all that firewood makes an excellent place for a scorpion to hang out. Keeping your firewood at least 30 feet from your home won’t keep scorpions away from the wood, but it will keep them away from your home.
Keep your grass cut. If predators like bats and owls can see scorpions, they’re more likely to eat them. High grass makes this a tougher challenge for the predators and tells the scorpion that it’s a safe place to hang out. Not only does high grass attract scorpions, but it also makes them more challenging for you to spot.
Keep standing water out of your yard. A scorpion can survive for months without food, but they need water. So, if a scorpion finds a water source, they’ll want to stay close. Removing any standing water is a great way to keep these creatures away.
Keep rocks out of your yard. While decorative rocks might look appealing to you, they look like great places to hide under for a scorpion. Keep both small and large rocks out of your yard if you want to keep scorpions away.
Turn off lights at night. Scorpions aren’t attracted to your light at night, but plenty of insects are. Where the food goes, the scorpion will follow. Keep the insects away from your yard at night by keeping all the exterior lights off.
Seal all cracks and crevices into your home. This won’t keep the scorpions out of your yard, but it will keep them out of your home. While having scorpions outside your house might be bad, having them inside is even worse.
See Also: 4 Scorpions Found in Las Vegas (With Pictures)
Removing Scorpion Infestations If you already have a scorpion infestation in your yard or home, it’s best to get professionals involved. Scorpions are incredibly aggressive, which means you’re inviting problems even as you try to remove them. Scorpions are no joke, so if you have them hanging around, you need to do whatever you can to get rid of them as soon as possible! Doing the tips to keep scorpions away is a great start, but you’ll also need to take care of the scorpions already living there!
Related read: Scorpion Species Found in Georgia (With Pictures)
Conclusion While a few people are scorpion enthusiasts trying to track them down in the wild, if you live in Arizona, it’s only a matter of time until you spot a few. The best thing that you can do is recognize what kind of scorpion is around and know how to prevent attracting them in the first place. But keep in mind that these are extremely aggressive creatures, so if you spend too much time near them, trying to figure out what they are, you might get stung! You might also want to know:
Are There Scorpions in Illinois? 8 Popular Scorpion Species Suitable as Pets
Featured Image Credit by Sari ONeal, Shutterstock
Not only does Arizona have the privilege of hosting the most venomous scorpion in the United States, but it also has the largest. But while those are two of the scorpions that you can find in this Western state, they aren’t the only ones!
What are the four different scorpions that you can find in Arizona, and how can you keep them away from your home or yard? We break it all down for you here.
4 Scorpions Found in Arizona
1. Arizona Bark Scorpion
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by iNaturalist (@inaturalistorg)
Species: Centruroides sculpturatus
Longevity: 5 to 7 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.5 inches
Diet: Beetles, spiders, crickets, cockroaches, other insects, and scorpions
While the Arizona bark scorpion isn’t the most venomous scorpion in the world, it is the most venomous scorpion found in Arizona and the United States. The venom causes severe pain, numbness, tingling, and vomiting in adults. These symptoms usually subside after 24 to 72 hours, but it’s best to seek out medical attention as soon as possible because the stings can sometimes be fatal.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by iNaturalist (@inaturalistorg)
A post shared by iNaturalist (@inaturalistorg)
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
The Arizona bark scorpion is a smaller light brown scorpion that lives in the Sonoran Desert and feeds on smaller insects and other scorpions. They are extremely aggressive and territorial, which makes them extremely challenging to own as a pet.
2. Arizona Striped-Tail Scorpion
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Richard (@the_tarantula_collective)
Species: Vaejovis coahuilae
Longevity: 3 to 8 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.25 inches
Diet: Crickets, roaches, mealworms, and termites
One scorpion that you need to keep an eye out for in the desert is the Arizona striped-tail scorpion. They are extremely fast and aggressive, which can lead to painful stings. They are venomous, but the venom doesn’t usually affect humans.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Richard (@the_tarantula_collective)
A post shared by Richard (@the_tarantula_collective)
They are nocturnal hunters that like to burrow during the day, so you need to check shoes and sleeping bags to ensure that they didn’t make it their home for the day. You can identify a striped-tail scorpion by the signature stripes along their tail.
They typically eat smaller insects like crickets, roaches, and termites. They rarely work their way into homes, but you need to keep an eye for them if you’re camping.
- See Also: 3 Scorpions Found in Utah
3. Yellow Ground Scorpion
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BrutalExoticsTV (@brutalexoticstv)
Species: Vaejovis confusus
Longevity: 5 to 7 years
Good to own as a pet?: No
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 2.5 inches
Diet: Beetles, spiders, crickets, cockroaches, other insects, and scorpions
The yellow ground scorpion is another scorpion that you can find in southeastern Arizona. They’re extremely similar to the Arizona bark scorpion, but there are distinct differences.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BrutalExoticsTV (@brutalexoticstv)
A post shared by BrutalExoticsTV (@brutalexoticstv)
For starters, they’re not nearly as venomous. While they still carry venom that can kill smaller prey, it’s not particularly harmful to humans. They also have a slightly yellower color, so you can tell the two species apart if you know what to look for.
Another difference is at their tail. The yellow ground scorpion’s first two metasomal segments at the tail are as wide as they are long, while the Arizona bark-tailed scorpion’s segments are skinnier.
They are nocturnal hunters that you can find out in the desert, but they will occasionally wander into backyards or homes looking for food.
- See also: 6 Scorpions Found in Texas
4. Arizona Giant Hairy Scorpion
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kevin Sean Bracey (@kbracey_critters)
Species: Hadrurus arizonensis
Longevity: 10 to 20 years
Good to own as a pet?: Yes
Legal to own?: Yes
Adult size: 7 inches
Diet: Lizards, small mammals, other scorpions, and insects
The largest scorpion in the United States is the Arizona giant hairy scorpion. While other scorpions in Arizona are about 2.5 inches in length, the giant hairy scorpion dwarfs them at 7 inches long.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Kevin Sean Bracey (@kbracey_critters)
A post shared by Kevin Sean Bracey (@kbracey_critters)
This scorpion is so massive, they feed on lizards, small mammals, and smaller scorpions in addition to their diet of insects. The giant hairy scorpion is extremely aggressive, but while their sting is painful, it is relatively harmless to humans. You might have localized swelling, but that should be the extent of it.
Due to their larger size and the relative harmlessness of their sting, if you want a pet scorpion, the giant hairy scorpion isn’t a bad choice.
- See also: 10 Spiders Found in Arizona
Tips for Keeping Scorpions Out of Your Home and Yard
The best way to keep a scorpion infestation from getting out of hand is to prevent one to begin with. You should remove all the conditions that a scorpion likes to make their home out of.
Here, we highlighted a few tips that you should follow to make your home and yard less hospitable for scorpions.
Remove excess brush and debris. Scorpions need places to hide throughout the day, and extra brush and debris make excellent spaces for them to cool off and avoid the heat.
Keep firewood at least 30 feet from your home. We all like a warm fire at night, but all that firewood makes an excellent place for a scorpion to hang out. Keeping your firewood at least 30 feet from your home won’t keep scorpions away from the wood, but it will keep them away from your home.
Keep your grass cut. If predators like bats and owls can see scorpions, they’re more likely to eat them. High grass makes this a tougher challenge for the predators and tells the scorpion that it’s a safe place to hang out. Not only does high grass attract scorpions, but it also makes them more challenging for you to spot.
Keep standing water out of your yard. A scorpion can survive for months without food, but they need water. So, if a scorpion finds a water source, they’ll want to stay close. Removing any standing water is a great way to keep these creatures away.
Keep rocks out of your yard. While decorative rocks might look appealing to you, they look like great places to hide under for a scorpion. Keep both small and large rocks out of your yard if you want to keep scorpions away.
Turn off lights at night. Scorpions aren’t attracted to your light at night, but plenty of insects are. Where the food goes, the scorpion will follow. Keep the insects away from your yard at night by keeping all the exterior lights off.
Seal all cracks and crevices into your home. This won’t keep the scorpions out of your yard, but it will keep them out of your home. While having scorpions outside your house might be bad, having them inside is even worse.
See Also: 4 Scorpions Found in Las Vegas (With Pictures)
Remove excess brush and debris. Scorpions need places to hide throughout the day, and extra brush and debris make excellent spaces for them to cool off and avoid the heat.
Keep firewood at least 30 feet from your home. We all like a warm fire at night, but all that firewood makes an excellent place for a scorpion to hang out. Keeping your firewood at least 30 feet from your home won’t keep scorpions away from the wood, but it will keep them away from your home.
Keep your grass cut. If predators like bats and owls can see scorpions, they’re more likely to eat them. High grass makes this a tougher challenge for the predators and tells the scorpion that it’s a safe place to hang out. Not only does high grass attract scorpions, but it also makes them more challenging for you to spot.
Keep standing water out of your yard. A scorpion can survive for months without food, but they need water. So, if a scorpion finds a water source, they’ll want to stay close. Removing any standing water is a great way to keep these creatures away.
Keep rocks out of your yard. While decorative rocks might look appealing to you, they look like great places to hide under for a scorpion. Keep both small and large rocks out of your yard if you want to keep scorpions away.
Turn off lights at night. Scorpions aren’t attracted to your light at night, but plenty of insects are. Where the food goes, the scorpion will follow. Keep the insects away from your yard at night by keeping all the exterior lights off.
Seal all cracks and crevices into your home. This won’t keep the scorpions out of your yard, but it will keep them out of your home. While having scorpions outside your house might be bad, having them inside is even worse.
Removing Scorpion Infestations
If you already have a scorpion infestation in your yard or home, it’s best to get professionals involved. Scorpions are incredibly aggressive, which means you’re inviting problems even as you try to remove them.
Scorpions are no joke, so if you have them hanging around, you need to do whatever you can to get rid of them as soon as possible!
Doing the tips to keep scorpions away is a great start, but you’ll also need to take care of the scorpions already living there!
- Related read: Scorpion Species Found in Georgia (With Pictures)
Conclusion
While a few people are scorpion enthusiasts trying to track them down in the wild, if you live in Arizona, it’s only a matter of time until you spot a few.
The best thing that you can do is recognize what kind of scorpion is around and know how to prevent attracting them in the first place.
But keep in mind that these are extremely aggressive creatures, so if you spend too much time near them, trying to figure out what they are, you might get stung!
You might also want to know:
- Are There Scorpions in Illinois?
- 8 Popular Scorpion Species Suitable as Pets
Featured Image Credit by Sari ONeal, Shutterstock
