We have many varieties of scorpions in the Phoenix area. One of them is especially venomous, but most Phoenix residents tend to think of them as all the same since they can’t tell them apart! Some people see scorpions at their homes all the time and have been stung by scorpions multiple times. Some people never see a scorpion unless they are at the zoo.
Phoenix Has Scorpions
You might not want to hear it, but we have scorpions here in the Greater Phoenix area. Do we let it ruin our lives? Nope! Just like people who live where there are wasps, jellyfish, sharks, snakes, spiders, bears or other critters. Let’s keep it unemotional for a minute. Here is some general information about scorpions. This page will help you to identify the scorpion that you are looking at.
Photos of Arizona Scorpions, Click Here
What Do Scorpions Eat in the Wild?
Scorpions are a nocturnal animal, they feed and hunt at night. During the daytime hours however, they are confined to their burrows, under cracks, rocks and think brush. These carnivorous arthropods eat only live prey. Based on the scorpions habitat and their living conditions, they will mostly feed on and in no particular order:
- Insects like beetles, crickets, flies and wasps
- Insect eggs
- Termites
- Centipedes
- Spiders
- Snails
- Tadpoles
- Other Scorpions
- Lizards
- Young snakes
- Rodents
Unlike popular notion, scorpions do drink water. In the wild, scorpions can drink from water sources like small pools or puddles. They also get water from the live prey they consume. The baby scorpions are fed by the mother who carries them on the back.
One last interesting fact of the scorpion. Like certain spiders and mantises, they tend to eat up their mates after the mating is over. Once the scorpions have mated, the male scorpion shuffles away quickly, to prevent becoming the female’s dinner!
What To Do If a Scorpion Stings
Scorpions don’t bite, but scorpions sometimes sting. Unfortunately, we have many types of scorpions in Arizona. If you remain calm, it is not difficult to treat a scorpion sting. Even if you are stung by the Arizona bark scorpion — the most dangerous and venomous of the Arizona scorpions — it is not likely to be fatal or even to have long-lasting effects.
Banner Poison Control Center
Find out more about what happens to the calls that are received by the 24-hour hotline at Banner Poison Control Center in Phoenix. They handle all the calls — scorpion stings, snake bites, dog bites, ingesting chemicals, wring medications — and help callers through the issues. You can also call the poison control center at 800.222.1222.