Giant desert hairy scorpion

source: Wikipedia

Desert Hairy Scorpion
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Chelicerata Class: Arachnida Order: Scorpiones Family: Caraboctonidae Genus: Hadrurus Species: H. arizonensis
Binomial name
Hadrurus arizonensis (Ewing, 1928)

The giant desert hairy scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis) is the largest scorpion inhabiting the South-West of North America and one of the 8–9 species of Hadrurus in the US, attaining a length of 14–15 cm (5.6–6 inches). Its large size allows it to feed readily on other scorpions and a variety of other prey, including lizards and snakes. This species is usually yellow with a dark top and has lobster-like pincers. It gets its common name from the brown hairs that cover its body, these hairs help it to detect vibration in the soil.

Habitat

The Arizona Desert Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis), one of the largest species in North America, is distributed throughout the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. In Mexico, the species' range flanks the Sea of Cortez in Sonora and Baja California Norte. In the United States, it is found in the western two thirds of Arizona, the Colorado and Mojave desert regions of southern California, southern Nevada, and extreme southwestern Utah. Arizona Desert Hairy Scorpions are a warm-desert species, specially adapted to hot and dry conditions. They are usually found in and around washes or low-elevation valleys where they dig elaborate burrows (up to 2.5 m deep) and emerge at night to forage for prey and mates.

Desert Hairy Scorpions are not especially venomous, but another Sonoran Desert species, the Arizona Bark Scorpion (Centruroides sculpteratus) can be dangerous to young, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. Arizona Bark Scorpions are commonly encountered in rocky habitats but sometimes stray to sandy soils and are found alongside the Desert Hairy Scorpions.

Diet and behavior

It is a burrowing scorpion, but is commonly found under rocks containing moisture. Its diet consists of large insects, spiders, and small vertebrates. This is an aggressive and active scorpion, which, as with all scorpions, is nocturnal. Like all scorpions, the giant desert hairy scorpion gives birth to live young, which remain on the mother's back for a week or more before leaving

Toxicity

Although this scorpion is big, its venom is not very potent, and its sting is commonly perceived to be about as painful as a honeybee's sting, this scorpion has an LD50 value of 168 mg/kg. However, an allergic reaction to its venom can be fatal; symptoms can include: difficulty breathing, excessive swelling, and prolonged pain.

QUICK GUIDE Care Range	Easy Deserts of southwest United States and northern Mexico.
Type	Burrowing.
Diet	Babies eat pinhead crickets, or other small insects. Adults eat crickets, and other large insects.
Full Grown Size	4 to 6 inches.
Growth	Slow speed.
Temperature	75 to 85° F.
Humidity	55 to 65%.
Temperament	Aggressive and active.
Housing	Babies can live in a clear plastic deli-container with air holes. Adults can live in a 2.5 to 5-gallon tank. Floor space is more important than height.
Substrate	3 to 4 inches of sand.
Decor	No decorations are really needed, but you can add a log, or driftwood.
Other Names	Arizona Hairy Scorpion, and Giant Desert Hairy Scorpion.