Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion

Yesterday, I received my new 100 LED Ultra Violet flashlight in the mail, so I did some scorpion hunting in my campsite last night. Within 30 seconds of turning it on I was rewarded with a Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion (hadrurus arizonesis).  I spent the next hour finding scorpions about every 5 minutes. The desert floor surrounding my campsite was covered with hundreds of scorpions. They were all in the grass or hiding under bushes. Lots of Desert Hairy Scorpions and Stripe Tailed Scorpions. I poked the Desert Hairy Scorpion in the photo with a stick to get it in the defensive position.

Giant Desert Hairy Scorpions are native to the Sonoran and Mojave desert. They are the largest scorpions in North America, and typically live 7 to 10 years in the wild. In the winter they go dormant, living underground in their burrows. Their venom is fairly weak compared to other scorpions. They range in size from 4 to 6 inches.

The venom of North American hairy scorpions is fairly week compared to most scorpions.

The venom of North American hairy scorpions is fairly week compared to most scorpions.

Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion

My 100 LED Ultra Violet flashlight