Fun Striped Bark Scorpion Facts For Kids

Are you ready to know more about this fascinating animal? The scorpion Centruroides vittatus is one of the most common scorpions found in the USA, especially in Missouri, Texas, Arizona, and California.

They can also be found in some parts of New Mexico like Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California. These scorpions can be easily identified by the signature dark stripes on their body, and a long thin tail.

Their sting has very little toxins but produces redness, swelling, itching, and pain. However, the sting can cause an anaphylactic shock in humans with severe allergy problems.

They have an extremely unique mating process which even involves a small dance between the male and the female. The baby scorpions molt about 7-21 days after their birth, before which they stay on their mother's back.

The striped scorpion's habitat consists of woods and rocks, and they prey on small insects like worms, spiders, and others. Their predators are animals like large animals like lizards, tarantulas, centipedes, birds like owls, mice, shrews, and bats.

Continue reading about the striped bark scorpion below. If you enjoyed reading this article you will also enjoy our articles on emperor scorpion and scorpion facts.

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Striped Bark Scorpion Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a striped bark scorpion?

Striped bark scorpions are a species of bark scorpions.

What class of animal does a striped bark scorpion belong to?

The striped bark scorpion belongs to the class of Arachnida.

How many striped bark scorpions are there in the world?

There is no specific estimate for these scorpions. However, we can assume that they are abundant in number due to their large number of babies every year.

Where does a striped bark scorpion live?

A striped bark scorpion can be most commonly found under rocks and in the woods. They are found mostly in the state of Texas thus earning the name of Texas striped bark scorpion. Other than that they are found primarily in Southern Arizona, California, Western Mexico, and areas like Sonora, Baja California, Chihuahua.

What is a Striped Bark Scorpion's habitat?

The striped bark scorpion can be found under rocks, in the wood, on rock walls, and in trees. They can also be found in houses like inside a closet or in the bathroom.

Who do striped bark scorpions live with?

These scorpions prefer to live alone in their shelter and can be seen with their opposite pair only during mating season. If a cluster of scorpions is found together, it is due to space crunch.

How long does a striped bark scorpion live?

The striped bark scorpion has an average lifespan of four years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of this species of scorpions can happen in a wide range of seasons, especially when the temperature is relatively cooler like in early summer, fall, or spring. Their mating process is rather striking.

They perform a little dance by grabbing each other's pincers and if that ends well, the mating will take place. The gestation period is around eight months. The female scorpion does not lay eggs, it gives birth to its young, almost 30 babies at a time.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Centruroides vittatus is Not Listed on the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Striped Bark Scorpion Fun Facts

What do striped bark scorpions look like?

The striped scorpion has a fairly small body with a maximum length of about 3 in (7.62 cm). The young scorpions are lighter in color while the adults are darker.

The adult scorpion's exoskeleton is made up of a substance known as chitin which is as hard as a shrimp shell. Its color lies between tan to yellowish. They have thin pedipalps and tails, and the male's tail is longer than the female's.

One of their most striking features is the two dark wide stripes on their upper abdomen. They also have a triangular mark on their head. The young scorpions have dark black or dark brown pedipalps.

These scorpions use their sharp pincers for the mating ritual dance as well as to catch their prey. They have two eyes on the top and another 2-5 pairs along the sides of their head.

How cute are they?

Striped bark scorpions may be considered fascinating to collectors but they strike fear in the hearts of humans. With a long curved tail and dark body, they tend to look scary.

How do they communicate?

These scorpions mainly communicate with the help of pheromones during mating season. They rely heavily on their sense of smell and touch during hunting. Despite having many pairs of eyes, they are unable to see properly, relying on vibrations on the ground to understand if anything is coming near.

How big is a striped bark scorpion?

These bark scorpions are rather small in size with a  length of about 2.5-3 in (6.35-7.62 cm).

How fast can striped bark scorpions move?

Although their exact speed is unknown, this scorpion is quite fast and agile on its eight legs.

How much does a striped bark scorpion weigh?

Although the exact weight of a striped bark scorpion is not known, it is similar to that of the bark scorpion which weighs around 2 oz (56.69 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no scientific names for the male and female striped bark scorpion.

What would you call a baby striped bark scorpion?

A baby scorpion is known as a scorpling which is also applicable for a striped back scorpion.

What do they eat?

The striped scorpion usually eats any insect which is small enough for it to catch and eat. Its diet mainly includes centipedes, flies, crickets, spiders, beetles, and worms.

It is heavily dependent on its sense of smell and touch while hunting which it does at night. It catches and crushes its prey with its pincers, stings them which leads to their death.

Are they harmful?

Striped bark scorpion venom is not always fatal but is harmful. Their venom can cause swelling, itching, pain, and in some cases, extreme allergic reactions if the person is hypersensitive. It is slightly aggressive and stings when provoked, frightened, or taken by surprise.

Would they make a good pet?

While the sting of the bark scorpions is not lethal, it is not advisable to keep them as pets. It is crucial to take proper care of them, while also handling them with extra caution. Thus, only experienced collectors should keep them as pets.

Did you know...

The striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) can glow under ultraviolet light exactly like other scorpions. This is due to a nitrogenous substance present in its cuticles which makes them light up under ultraviolet lights.

The striped bark scorpion's sting

The striped bark scorpion sting is painful but not always lethal. If one of them stings you, the area will become itchy and swollen.

This might remain for many days and the need to visit a hospital depends on the intensity of the sting. This differs based on the allergic sensitivity of humans.

An anaphylactic shock leading to death can occur if the person is severely allergic to the venom and immediate medical care is not given. The main symptoms of their sting are numbness, discoloration, swelling, itching, and pain.

How to raise a striped bark scorpion

Although it is not advisable to keep a striped scorpion as a pet, you can keep them if only you handle them with extreme caution and care. A striped scorpion might easily escape its place, so special care must be taken to keep the lid of its cage closed shut, and locked if there are children around.

They will eat any insect which is small enough for them to catch. Their preferred meal includes spiders, fruit flies, wax worms, and crickets.

One important point that should be kept in mind is that the young need more feeding than the adult.

They should be ideally fed at night time in line with their actual hunting time and habit. Sufficient water should also be provided in a small bowl.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including giant centipede, or vinegaroon.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one of our striped bark scorpion coloring pages.

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