Fun California Common Scorpion Facts For Kids
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California common scorpions (Paruroctonus silvestrii) are scorpions that are commonly spotted in California as their name suggests, starting from Progreso, Baja California Norte, towards Lake Tahoe California, and Marin County. They are considered pests by humans and are also commonly known as Silvestri's Scorpion.
They can be seen in a wide range of habitats, including coastal dunes, desert scrubs, sandy coastlines, and forested mountains. Most scorpions can be found living in dry and warm climates with several species being seen in Arizona, California's adjacent parts, and New Mexico in North America.
They are nocturnal predators, who forage at night. They feed upon a variety of insects, centipedes, and spiders.
The venom of these arachnids is not known to be dangerous, however, it does cause a lot of pain. which might require medical treatment.
Scorpions can be easily identified due to their crab-like look, four pairs of legs, a pair of pincers, and a segmented, long tail that bear a large segment possessing a stinger.
Silvestri's scorpions have yellow to light tan colored swollen pedipalps that have brown-colored tips which are used to grab prey as their long tail inserts its stinger in it.
After their paralyzing venom is injected, the insect is eaten by them. They have yellow to pale tan-colored legs that help in holding their body near the surface as it forages.
Males possess a dark-brown abdomen which is slender, whereas the abdomen of the female is rounded.
They range between 1.9-2.9 in (4.8-7.3 cm) in length. The pincers are held outstretched when these scorpions are running with the abdomen's posterior end curving upwards.
If you enjoyed reading our California common scorpion fun facts, you must check out our tailless whip scorpion interesting facts and Death's-Head Hawkmoth surprising facts!
California Common Scorpion Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a California common scorpion?
The Paruroctonus silvestrii is a scorpion species that is endemic to the U.S.A., Mexico, and Canada. It is considered a pest by humans as it causes a painful bite.
What class of animal does a California common scorpion belong to?
It belongs to the class Arachnida and is a member of the Vaejovidaefamily and the Paruroctonus genus. Its family comprises more than 84 species that inhabit the U.S.
The Paruroctonus genus is the biggest in Northern America. Most species that belong to this genus are hard to distinguish from each other and can be differentiated only by examination under magnification.
How many California common scorpions are there in the world?
The population number of these scorpions has not been evaluated yet. However, they are considered to be widespread in the U.S.A., Mexico, and Canada.
Where does a California common scorpion live?
These scorpions are quite common as their common name suggests. They can be spotted starting from Progreso, Baja California Norte, towards Lake Tahoe California, and Marin County.
Most scorpions can be found living in dry and warm climates with several species being seen in Arizona, California's adjacent parts, and New Mexico in North America. They have been observed to sneak into a house through tree branches. They are attracted to moist and wet areas.
What is a California common scorpion's habitat?
It is the most commonly seen species of scorpions in California and is prevalent in the state's southern arid areas. It can be spotted inhabiting every kind of habitat, from desert scrubs, coastal dunes, and sandy coastlines to forested mountains.
They can be seen often across the state and nearby areas. They tend to prefer cool and moist areas like forested mountains. They typically hide beneath objects during the daytime.
Who do California common scorpions live with?
Adult scorpions are solitary and nocturnal (active during the nighttime). They typically stay in the same area.
How long does a California common scorpion live?
Scorpions are known to attain maturity quite slowly. They molt their exoskeleton from time to time as they outgrow it. They can live for 10 years or more.
How do they reproduce?
Like all scorpions, the eggs hatch inside female scorpions. The young, known as nymphs, are born alive and stay on their mother's back till they molt for the first time. The female scorpion may eat the male scorpion after mating!
What is their conservation status?
These scorpions have not been evaluated by the IUCN' Red List as yet. However, their population is assumed to be abundant and does not face any significant threats. However, they do face habitat loss.
California Common Scorpion Fun Facts
What do California common scorpions look like?
Scorpions can be easily identified due to their crab-like look, four pairs of legs, a pair of pincers, and a segmented, long tail that bears a large segment possessing a stinger.
Silvestri's scorpions have yellowish to light tan colored swollen pedipalps that have brown-colored tips which are used to grab prey as their long tail inserts its stinger in it.
After their paralyzing venom is injected, the insect is eaten by them. They have yellow to pale tan-colored legs that help in holding their body near the surface as it forages.
Males possess a dark-brown abdomen, which is slender, whereas the abdomen of females is rounded. They range between 1.9-2.9 in (4.8-7.3 cm) in length.
How cute are they?
These scorpions can be called deadly-looking instead of cute. They have a creepy appearance which is anything but cute.
How do they communicate?
They have a pair of eyes in the center of their head but still cannot see quite clearly. Thus they rely on touch. Their legs possess sensory receptors that can detect vibrations from the surface of the ground.
How big is a California common scorpion?
It ranges between 1.9-2.9 in (4.8-7.3 cm) in body length. Its length is similar to that of the striped bark scorpion!
How fast can a California common scorpion run?
The speed of these scorpions has not been evaluated yet. However, we do know that they can run quite fast, with their pincers held outstretched and the abdomen's posterior end curving upwards.
How much does a California common scorpion weigh?
The weight of these scorpions has not been evaluated yet. However, we do know that the bark scorpion, whose length is similar, weighs 2 oz (56.69 g) on average.
What are the male and female names of the species?
Females and males do not possess special names.
What would you call a baby California common scorpion ?
The babies of these scorpions can be called scorplings!
What do they eat?
These scorpions are nocturnal predators that feed at night. They consume a variety of insects, spiders, centipedes, and small invertebrates. Large scorpions have been observed feeding upon mice, snakes, and small lizards.
Their swollen pedipalps are utilized to catch prey as the tail of these scorpions plunges the stinger into them. After the venom has been injected, the insect gets eaten by them. Scorpions are consumed by tarantulas, large centepedes, birds like owls, mammals like grasshopper mice, shrews, and bats, as well as lizards.
Are they poisonous?
Stings of these scorpions are known to cause a lot of pain, however, the venom is not fatal. Medical treatment may be required if the scorpion sting victim is allergic to the venom.
The elderly and children can be affected intensely by this scorpion's sting. One mustn't go out after dark, as these creatures are nocturnal and chances of getting stung are high.
Only one species of North America is considered to be the most venomous and dangerous, the Bark Scorpion.
The venom of the bark scorpions is the most toxic. The venom of the bark scorpion can cause numbness, frothing at the mouth, intense pain and swelling at the site of the sting, problems in breathing, convulsions, and muscle twitching.
Would they make a good pet?
Scorpions are often kept as pets. However, the Paruroctonus silvestrii species is not a suitable pet. The sting of these creatures can be quite painful as well. People keep their branches trimmed so that this pest does not make its way to their house through them.
Did you know...
Scorpions glow when under black light! All scorpion species are known to fluoresce under U.V. light!
What eats scorpions in California?
The scorpions of California are eaten by tarantulas, large centipedes, birds like owls, mammals like grasshopper mice, shrews, and bats, as well as lizards.
What kind of scorpions are in California?
There are currently 54 species of scorpions that inhabit the golden state of California. Some of them are the stripe-tail scorpion, the Arizona hairy scorpion, and the bark scorpion.
The stripe-tail scorpion is a prevalent species in Southern California, Arizona, and the United States. It is venomous but isn't dangerous to humans.
The Arizona hairy scorpion is a prevalent desert species that can be spotted throughout Arizona and southern California. It can be spotted in Inyo, Los Angeles, Kern, Imperial, San Diego, and San Bernardino counties in southern California.
The Arizona hairy scorpion feeds at night and can enter homes for water or food. The bark scorpion, Centruroides exilicauda, can be seen across Arizona, southeastern California, and southwestern New Mexico.
The bark scorpion can be seen in Sonora, Baja California Sur, and Baja California Norte in Mexico. It is the only species out of the more than 70 species that inhabit North America, that is dangerous to humans because of its toxic venom.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these slipper lobster surprising facts and sac spider fun facts pages!
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