Meet America's Most Dangerous Arachnid - The Arizona Bark Scorpion

What is the deadliest arachnid in America? It's not a spider, that's for sure! Today we're heading out into the Sonoran desert in search of America's deadliest arachnid- the Arizona bark scorpion!
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Here at MyWildBackyard we investigate the secrets of the natural world- secrets that can be hidden in our very own backyards! I want to share the incredible world of insects, spiders and other wildlife with you and inspire you to explore your curiosity. Get out there, and find your adventure!
For those who read the description- we've updated the channel! I'm working on adding more features to videos to better expand our conversations about the secrets we find in the natural world! Introducing the Creature Tier System! There are four rankings:
1. Staple - These are the lowest tier creatures. They are the most common species in a given habitat, and while they're not boring, they're really only exciting when you're exploring a new habitat and you haven't seen them before. Not something to write home about.
2. Neat - These are a step up from Staple. They don't make your entire day, but they are worth taking a closer look at when found. Definitely can be exciting to have a productive day finding many Neat species.
3. Wild - These are exciting to find. Whether they have interesting defensive features that offer a nice challenge in the field, are particularly cool looking, or maybe a little bit rare, Wild species aren't necessarily the MOST memorable of encounters, but they definitely make your day when you see them. An adventure featuring many Wild species will truly be memorable.
4. Gem - These are special. Usually involving extremely interesting biology and significant rarity, Gem species are animals that you really do not see every day. These species can make your whole adventure, and will be very memorable.
Creative Commons Music Tracks:
Artifact - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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Hypnothis - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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#scorpion #venomous

[@MyWildBackyard]

What a creepy find! What other unusual creatures should we feature soon?

[@jimmaddox2415]

Even though they are not venomous,I would love to see you interact with a ghost bird,because they are so strange and mysterious looking

[@Herbie11]

The giant velvet mite still interests me. They say they are harmless, but I've seen photos of their fangs (didn't even know they had fangs). The monsoons in Arizona bring them out.

[@ryanbrown918]

How about a Woodlouse Spider? Those fangs are something special!

[@CoffeeNKush]

Might not be super interesting for a video but where I live we have so called false widows, maybe if they exist in the US could be somewhat interesting? Ps: I havent seen the whole video so forgive me if you answered this question but what is it that makes the scorpion glow in the dark under UV light?

[@mooselord2838]

Not too sure where in the states they live but there's a big Salamander called a Hellbender which would be cool to feature. If I'm not mistaken it's the biggest amphibian in the country.......and it's called a Hellbender which is funny 😂

[@SonicBoone56]

I love the message about coexisting with these scorpions. Really applies to all native wildlife.

[@Lavenderrose73]

​@Ayn-Rand-Is-Dead Precisely. I love wildlife, but I love it at a safe distance.

[@pancakelens75]

If I didn’t have my house sprayed every month, at night I could shine a black light on my living room wall and there’d be dozens of bark scorpions

[@Q-BertASU98]

I've been tagged by a Bark before, definitely unpleasant and your reaction depends on how allergic you are to their venom. One very unnerving fact about Barks is they tend to end up on your ceilings, which makes the incidental tagging while sleeping not uncommon in AZ.

[@RealBelisariusCawl]

They actually PREFER a negative geotaxis- they like being upside down.

[@skunkwrxs]

Of the 8 or so stings 4 occurred while I was in bed. They also fall from the ceiling a lot and I've seen them plop down on desks and counters at work and home a few times.

[@DaLEGOmaniac]

Those suckers climb well. Not to mention its ability to flatten its tail to fit in many smaller spaces.

[@KwachieQuack]

I moved out of an apt. in Mesa because of the scorpions. I saw them crawling across the ceiling in my toddler's bedroom or in the bathroom sink several times, but when I sat on one on the couch that was the last straw.

[@goldfieldgary]

Stayed in a hotel room in Mexico once, turned on my portable black light and found two Centruroides on the ceiling. Not conducive to a good night's sleep.

[@tmanley1985]

Story time. About ten years ago or so I was into collecting various arachnids. I go to my local pet store and ask one of the guys if they had anything new come in. There was a younger fella I'd never seen before and he seemed jovial enough. He said he had something I might be interested in, and brought it out. I'd not seen this new scorpion but it looked familiar. He told me it was an Arizona Bark Scorpion. So I said, "fuck it, wrap it up." and I headed home. I started doing research on it and found its venom to be medically significant and thought it was crazy they had it there. Now let me say something else about myself. I keep every receipt. All of them. My wallet is a graveyard for paper and some of them you can't even read anymore. I don't know why I do this, it's just a part of me now. Anyway, fast forward about a year and a half to two years later I needed to get rid of my collection so I started taking them back in to the same store and getting in store credit. I had centipedes, tarantulas, scorpions, you name it. Well, I thought this was the time to say goodbye to my little Arizona Bark Scorpion so I had to take him out of his terrarium. TLDR on that, I thought the little asshole escaped and I was freaking out, but he was literally buried in the last little dollop of substrate left in the tank. I cleaned my underwear and took him back to the store. The guy that sold me the scorpion wasn't employed there any longer but I met with a regular employee and asked if I could get some in-store credit. He looked at it and told me point blank, "We can't take that from you." I scoffed and said, "I bought it from you though." He looked around and said, "You didn't buy that here." I pulled out my wallet knowing it would be in there somewhere but half bluffing because in order to find this receipt would have taken forever. I said, "No, I've got the receipt and everything!" To which he said, "No man. I'm saying, you didn't buy that here..." as he looked around the store. I just left the store and a buddy took the scorpion off of my hands. To this day I'm not sure if they weren't allowed to sell it or not but it sure seemed like it freaked them out.

[@spoonbendingspacemonkey]

I seriously don't understand how you can handle these animals. I'm freaked out just seeing them on a screen! You have a lot of love and respect for theses creatures ❤

[@LastEarBender]

Lived in AZ most of my life & never had to deal with bark scorpions until I moved into my current house. Not a fan of the little demons. Was thrilled to finally find a pest control company that can actually keep them at bay...

[@kingleoxvii2463]

How the heck do they get inside the house?

[@LastEarBender]

@@kingleoxvii2463 they can flatten themselves thinner than a credit card - so, thru doors & air vents into the attic.

[@mustbekhryss]

What pest control company do you use? I just found one in my house. Luckily I found it before my dog.

[@LastEarBender]

@@mustbekhryss Scorpion King - those guys are awesome

[@mthulhu]

This is the best channel I've seen that really captures the animal planet vibes I loved as a kid

[@MyWildBackyard]

Thank you so much! That's always the goal, I miss those days on Animal Planet

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

Well these aren't animals which are warm blooded, have fur and bones. I don't know when people started calling insects animals 🤦‍♀️

[@LeoOfficalGOD]

​@@SUGAR_XYLER bro you need to get back in kindergarten and never skip biology class

[@johnparsons1573]

Such an amazing animal. Talk about doing something right. They have been around for millions of years and changed very little. Absolutely amazing.

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

An animal has fur, bones and is warm blooded and doesn't have more than 4 legs. That's why they aren't called insects.

[@marblox9300]

How do you know they have been around millions of years.??? Because someone told you.???

[@DarthCiliatus]

You're thinking of mammals@@SUGAR_XYLER

[@Nedak2003]

​@@SUGAR_XYLER so reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish, arent animals?

[@bassage13]

@@marblox9300 Some of us study these things and know how to figure this out. I'm guessing you believe in fairy tale religious nonsense.

[@aclearlight]

As a visiting professor at Qufu University in China in 1988, my colleagues and I were honored with an especially fine banquet dinner put on by the chemistry department. Walking into the banquet room with about six tables, I was astounded to see that the central dish at each table was composed of a artfully-arranged pile of wheat noodles with about 8 - 10 large, deep-fried scorpions arrayed in a spoke-like pattern on top, and they were almost as large as this big one you handled here. I watched with keen interest as the first of the smiling Chinese grad students in attendance eagerly popped one into his mouth, stinger and all, and then went on to look very happy and healthy afterwards. So, I went for it, and OMG, they were DELICIOUS. Imagine a delicately-crunchy, meaty potato chip tasting like a cross between a large shimp and heaven. Evidently the deep frying process safely pyrolyzes the toxins in the stinger and brings out the wonderful seafood-like flavor. Now I always remember that surprising, delightful meal whenever I see scorpions in the wild where I live (Sierra Foothills, LOTS) or in videos like this. 😋

[@hotrodandrube9119]

The bark scorpion's first move is to strike, spiders always retreat first. The scorpion will start striking almost immediately, only injecting when they confirm penatration.

[@goldfieldgary]

The best place to find bark scorpions isn't on the desert floor, it's (as the name implies) around cottonwood trees with lots of loose bark. We jokingly call them the Arizona Shoe scorpion, as that's the most likely scorpion you'll shake out of your shoes in the morning when out camping.

[@aarong2374]

friend of mine got stung by a bark scorpion. Stuck at the hospital for 3 months but did live.

[@MyWildBackyard]

I’m sorry to hear that! They’re not fun at all

[@MichaelJohnson1-cm4gpq]

These guys are actually very chill, and stings are rare

[@isaakpenunuri3242]

I agree, I more often then not freehandle and usually catch them by coaxing em onto my hand. Knock on wood I’ve still never taken a sting from the sculpts but I have been nailed by Paraveijovis spini. and lots by arizonensis one of them being a huge dose from an adult (I literally had to pull the telson out of my finger) and the effects lasted over a week!

[@Rick_King]

There are two creatures that really creep me out, alligators and scorpions. I don't worry much about alligators here in southeastern Arizona, but scorpions? Yet in the seven years I've lived here, I've yet to see one. I had a rattlesnake in my back yard, and a tarantula, but they didn't bother me. This was such an awesome video!

[@jorynickila7760]

I like it that the oldest recorded fossil of a land animal was a scorpion. I also like it that the first creatures to come on land were the predecessor of today's scorpion. On a weird side note. I worked at Petco and Brooklyn Park Minnesota in the late 90s, and I was the only one in the entire store that would barehand the Tarantulas and the Scorpions. One day, a short skinny mullet wearing Australian man came in and bought all 16 of the emperor scorpions. I asked him what he was going to do with them. He said he was going to eat them. I, of course, immediately called BS just like any normal person would. After purchasing them, he pulled a rather fat one folded the tale to the Pinchers and ate it right in front of me and several of my co-workers manager and several customers! I have about 17 witnesses that can corroborate my story. I asked him what they tasted like, and he said they taste like shrimp, and if they're cooked, they taste like chicken.😅🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@Bird1964]

😳🤢🤮 oh good lawd is that gross! Thanks for sharing your story 😊

[@jimmaddox2415]

Every video you put out Spencer amazes me,because I always walk away not only entertained but also educated about things that were unknown to me that are now known to me🧐

[@MyWildBackyard]

I’m glad to show you all this stuff man! I love all these weird little creatures, it’s so exciting to be able to see them in their habitats just goin about their business

[@Herbie11]

Not gonna lie, I was clenched for a bit, but excellent video! Thanks for teaching us how to identify the bark scorpion. Your aura and confidence must be great. I've noticed a lot of your targets are always so calm while you handle them. (Minus a certain red widow and centepede). Thanks man!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yeah this scorpion was CRANKY. We saw a couple larger ones that may have been handleable after we’d filmed this, but this guy nearly stung Zach at one point. Not worth the risk! Glad to be able to share either way, I think it’s good to show what the animals I won’t handle are as well as the ones that I do

[@headienutburn]

What the hell is that thing in your profile picture? 🤣

[@Herbie11]

@@headienutburn Heyyy! I've been moisturizing now. Gosh!

[@TheWildlifeBrothers]

You did such a great job with the messaging in this video, you developed your points so clearly and in such an approachable and digestible way that doesn’t overly demonize these animals. Arizona bark scorpions are incredible creatures, we’ve been lucky enough to work with them in captivity and they are actually relatively calm, you were smart not to risk it but I actually think you could have handled that scorpion without taking a sting with some more gentle interactions beforehand. Great work with the storytelling as always, this was a classic MWB episode to be sure. Can’t wait for more!

[@Apophis124]

Hey Spencer, right now here in Paraguay we are dealing with an outbreak of Tityus trivittatus (or yellow scorpion as the people's named it) it's the only scorpion of medical significance here and we are getting reports of up to 15 stungs a day, and sadly 2 teenagers aged 12 and 13 already passed away. Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and I'll be sure to pass along this valuable information to my close ones to prevent accidents. Keep it up!

[@Foxgaming14_]

desthstalker scorpions are know as the yellow scorpion

[@OwO---0bamasPersonalChef---OwO]

have you tried diatomaceous earth? it only works if the scorpions have soft bellies

[@azmiked3872]

I live in Arizona and have been stung a few times by a bark scorpion. It is very painful however when you call Poison Control they really just advise you to wait it out unless you have health issues, elderly or a baby. The time of how long it hurts varies, it usually hurts me for about 6 hours but my mom was like 12 to 16 hours. Kinda feels like when your leg falls asleep and you get that needle stinging feeling but for a long time. So if you stay off it and rest it doesn't hurt as bad.

[@BenjaminHernandez-vk6ph]

Although most scorpions are not known to climb, bark scorpions climb routinely. At night, the alleys in certain parts of the city are filled with these guys on the cinder block walls. I walked into the shower to find myself face-to-face with a bark scorpion more than a few times, and whenever someone screamed in the morning, it was always a scorpion in the shower.

[@marblox9300]

@@BenjaminHernandez-vk6ph Scorps in the house - how can you stand it.???

[@BenjaminHernandez-vk6ph]

Not sure. You sort of just adapt. I just clear the brush from around the house and make sure the windows & doors are well sealed. That helps. @@marblox9300

[@pancakelens75]

@@marblox9300if you have your house sprayed monthly, it keeps them out. What the exterminator is doing actually is NOT killing the scorpions, it’s eliminating their food source, so they have no interest in coming into your house

[@bighomie245]

You’re right. I was pooping once. One fell on my shoulder and stung me on my stomach. It was a smaller guy the sting felt like getting stabbed by a tack and throughout the rest of the night, the pain began to grow and spread around the sting area. Feeling like a constant Indian burn until I went asleep which was about 6hrs. Felt perfect the next day

[@Divorian]

Gotta love Spencer, gives off Wild Discovery vibes. 90s kids will remember that awesome program

[@KingJohnathanDiorAnderson31]

Yes we will

[@leechjim8023]

I was in my 30's, but I remember it well!😀

[@itsDolphincat]

When I moved to Las Vegas, the real estate agent hammered into us that we have to keep an eye out for bark scorpions, especially during summer months. I've found multiple in my house in just a few years. I always have to check shoes but more importantly I worry about my pets. They are such fascinating creatures, thanks for the great video!

[@beccawiley6684]

I was born in Orlando, Florida, in 1970. My mother has told me that she once found a scorpion in my crib, and after that, she would always shake out all blankets, clothing, and shoes in our house. I'm still terrified of them to this day.

[@Scorpionwitch]

Hey Spencer, nice to see you finally made it over to these parts. The big beetle was a Palo Verde beetle and, believe it or not, that was a smaller one. They also can fly. Have you been able to track down one of our vinegaroons yet?

[@MyWildBackyard]

No luck on vinegaroons I’m afraid. Seem to be mountain-dwellers and fairly rare in AZ!

[@darthshrek1]

The first time I saw h. Arizonensis, I was 6 years old. Great scorpions to observe and occasionally interact with. That C. sculpturatus was a great find, and thank you for not free handling it or dramatizing it.

[@MyWildBackyard]

If we’d found a more relaxed individual I wouldn’t be opposed to handling but that’s the thing- if they’re being finicky why risk it? They’re faster and a lot harder to read, and it just isn’t worth it in my opinion

[@mrshannon8]

You are very cool.....handling the venomous spiders with total calm...like you are holding a butterfly....

[@nathanbadman271]

Dude, you're seriously my favorite channel to watch. You are the GOAT.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Thank you so much!

[@beau7160]

always cool to see others exploring and enjoying the desert that I call home

[@mulvey0731]

I knew an elderly man in South Texas that had many small brown scorpions in his house. His bath shower always had 3 or 4 of them. While he was in great health, one morning he didn’t wake up. His cause of death was ruled heart failure, but I’ve always suspected that he died of scorpion stings.

[@Mike-01234]

I live in Phoenix everyone in my family been stung by a Arizona bark Scorpion. One got my wife in the bed on her leg sleeping with us in the bed.

[@cynthiakoehne7004]

and in 1984 in NE Texas at a public campground I put my hand on a birch tree to see the bark look like it was moving, there were over a dozen red lined bark scorpions huddling there during the winter cold snap. needless to say, I never touched another tree for the 3 days we stayed there!

[@DMFH2A]

Myself and my six year old daughter love you show!! She is full steam ahead about finding and studying insects and arachnids.

[@MyWildBackyard]

That’s awesome! Any bugs she’d like to see more of?

[@DMFH2A]

@MyWildBackyard she's really into arachnids but, she said it's too hard to pick just one. Also she can't can't wait to tell her friends you responded. Thank you!!

[@cynthiakoehne7004]

also, as a park ranger in Death Valley we have our own version we just call the California death stalker, like it's Indian counterpart, this bark scorpion is highly toxic and quite dangerous, in fact on one morning I was cleaning the bathroom at our headquarters I found 2 of them on the wall behind the public toilet and had to close the restroom until a specialist came to remove them, and he was in a full Bee suit to make sure he was not stung by them, that was a real wake-up call!

[@Bob-tq2jv]

I came across a small Scorpion in Turkey two years ago, which was pretty defensive initially and then bolted for freedom. We managed to humanely capture it and release it out of the apartment. It had very small claws and judging by the info you give here it could well have been fairly venomous. Thanks Spencer for a very informative video

[@TerryDactyl-r8n]

What a great video - one of the better ones I've seen on KZbin! Bravo!

[@killbotprime]

We have relatively large black and brown scorpions here, but they're almost harmless to humans except by accident or misadventure. Glad I don't have really big ones like that to dodge and you're a madlad, Spencer LOL

[@greyscout01]

I lived and camped in AZ for years. While never got hit by a Bark Scorpion, my buddy got it while sleeping, in the sack between his legs... yeah, that one. (The scream was horrific!) He spent the rest of the next day laying in a cool stream. He said it felt like someone snuck up and hit him between the legs with a baseball bat.

[@BugsandBiology]

Awesome scorpion! Very different from the common Hormurus I see a lot of in Australia. Those things are unbelievably chill, and a sting I received caused minor pain that lasted for maybe 10 minutes.

[@MyWildBackyard]

Those Hormurus are insane looking! But it’s kinda the same principle, HUGE claws for overpowering prey as opposed to this guy, tiny claws and toxic venom.

[@corneliusSunflower]

Thank you Spencer for your videos, they’ve helped break my arachnophobia. If you’d like to see that moment, I captured it on my channel. I just want to say thank you and show appreciation.

[@user-ov1mn8zg3e]

courage personified. God speed to u sir

[@postal_the_clown]

About 10 years ago, I was doing a service call in Carson City and up through the floor vent came the LEAST creepy scorpion I've ever seen. About the same proportions as the Bark in the vid but the whole body had a sandy look. Light tan with sand grain sized dark brown flecks evenly across the body...legs, tail abdomen...simply well camouflaged for the outside. I was able to corral it long enough to ask the customer/home owner if they had something I could put it in to take it back outside but she said, "Oh, we get them all the time. Just kill it." Sadly, having no secure way to move it...and no exit nearby... I complied. But in 70 years of living near the creatures of the desert from Reno to Death Valley, I've never seen a scorpion like it.

[@Tribecasoothsayer]

“You’re alright..” says the giant alien being, irradiating you and then abducting you into its collection vessel for further observation

[@dagoram]

Absolutely love your passion and dedication to the often unseen and misunderstood world of these animals. Keep it up man!

[@VineyardGHS]

On average 5,000 people a day gets stung by the Arizona bark scorpion. 0.9% of them are fatal. Feels a lot like a bee sting that just doesn't go away all week. You're more likely to be allergic to bees sting then you are the bark scorpion sting.

[@paulbessell6154]

@@VineyardGHS Citation?

[@SUGAR_XYLER]

I see no animals here. Next they'll be calling animals insects 🤦‍♀️

[@emilyadams3228]

​@@SUGAR_XYLERJesus Tapdancing Christ, shut up.

[@GREGORYEVANS-m3g]

I absolutely love your content,may the most high bless you,be safe

[@highcat2046]

I find it funny, I watch this channel to help get over my nervousness around spiders, and you say people fear scorpions the most, whereas I could hang around scorpions all day long, they're my favorite multi-legged friend to admire and interact with.

[@Diditallforthexp]

I grew up watching Steve Irwin and countless TV documentaries on the wild world of which we are a new part. This channel captures those feelings. No sensationalism, and your respect and wonder contribute to an authentic experience that stems from the same love of nature that I feel. My kids are now hooked on your channel. I hope you continue to grow. The channel deserves it, and the audience does too. Respect.

[@LeahMarshals22]

Thanks for this video that you co-featured the Desert Hairy-Tail scorpion. The one you picked up was a female. They are possibly the most docile and gentle scorpions along side Asian Black Scorpion. I am currently saddened over the loss of my male Desert Hairy Tail, Sargas. He was sweet from beginning to end. Just like you did observe the behavior of the invertebrates you picked up, I did too. There is a good time to pick them up and a bad time. My pet mostly had good days. Again thanks! ❤

[@jacobharford9576]

Been stung many times by bark Scorpions and I’m still alive. Like a bee sting

[@Pinkielover]

yup.. It's because you're not allergic he fails to tell you that

[@Bravo27Alpha]

Hi, what flashlight did you use? 🦂 🔦

[@indygeo4267]

I always have found scorpions to be far more menacing in appearance than spiders. Still, I am very fascinated by them. They are my favorite arachnids.

[@Alexrod9876]

awesome vid! I have been stung by bark scorpions twice in my life once when I was about 15 on my foot I had very little reaction at all and moderate pain. The second when I was about 23 i picked up a log in the middle of the night for a fire and got stung on the palm of my hand. The second time I felt like my arm was being dipped in a vat of lava for about 12 hours and about 1-2 months of nerve damage to my hand. These little guys can be very dangerous but very beautiful creatures. Im glad you made it out to Arizona there are some incredible animals out here.

[@TheBlubunni]

Out of all the creatures out there, I haven't warmed up to scorpions, yet. Oh and centipedes. Another informative video. Thank you Spencer. And no I didn't want to see you get stung. Not at all. Take care out there 🙂✌🏼

[@MyWildBackyard]

😂 thank you! Some people love seeing me get nailed by different bugs lol

[@MicrowavedAlastair5390]

The wildest arachnid encounter I ever had was actually with a scorpion in the Grand Canyon. Hiking with my family, and we reach a point where I was starting to get tired. I hike back towards a rest spot, and about halfway there, I see a scorpion just chillin' in the middle of the path. Since it was a fairly well-trafficked path, I checked a nearby rock for other wildlife and sat there, giving people heads up till it decided it was time to move.

[@WiredWasp99]

omg love this bro!! learning some cool stufff i didnt know and im from az!

[@DaveTexas]

That desert hairy scorpion was really cool! So big yet so totally chill. I’m not sure I’ve ever personally seen a scorpion with its tail in a relaxed position like that - they always have their tails up when I’ve seen them. Not that I’ve seen a desert hairy scorpion… The tiny little Arizona bark scorpion was something else, though. Terrifying little beast. I’ve been stung a number of times by the striped bark scorpions we have here in Central Texas, always from sticking a hand or foot somewhere without checking for critters first. I’m glad the striped bark scorpions aren’t as deadly as the Arizona ones! Being as flat as they are, they can get into houses very easily. I have a cousin who lives in Phoenix and she’s been trying to get me to come out there to go on a nighttime spider/scorpion trek in the desert. A guide takes a group out after sunset and you look around with flashlights and black lights for the reflective eyes of spiders and the fluorescent glow of scorpions. The guide then explains what you’re seeing. It sounds like a really fun evening! I love seeing invertebrates of all types…although only outside for most of them. I’m not fond of scorpions (or black widows or brown recluses) in the house.

[@TheFatman118]

imo in terms of invert’s, scorps give thee most warning before thinging vs spiders/tarantula/snakes. A snake can strike from nowhere, a spider can bite pretty quickly, but scorps almost 100% of the time adopt defensive posture before striking

[@steveseymour4762]

When you said, "have a look at that" I had flashbacks to watching Steve Irwin as a kid.

[@sirkurahale7307]

Living in AZ most my life i learned quite a bit about them. they often live in colonies of multiple scorpions if you see one in your house there are likely many more. you can also identify them a few ways, First they are the only scorpion that can crawl up walls and even hang upside down off cielings, second is the most reliable they also are the only scorpion in the world that can lay its tail completely flat beside itself, allowing them to get into very tight places. you can see this at @5:26

[@whiskey6964]

i had a really close encounter with a scorpian that looked like the first one almost a year ago removing base board inside a new build home in arizona that scared the hell out of me

[@jamesblake7338]

I love scorpions but this one is one I’m glad lives all the way across the country from me! Thanks for sharing this though , they deserve our respect! 👍

[@MyWildBackyard]

I love em all. Some make me wary like this species, but they’re so interesting to look at, really fascinating creatures regardless of whether they’re pests or not

[@ThomasDillon-z6u]

I once read that the venom targets the cardiac nerve of all prey and it doesn't know the difference between the cardiac nerve of an insect a mouse or a human. I was camping about 20 mi outside of Tucson and woke up with one crawling down my arm. I made no movement whatsoever until it moved off of me.

[@ArmaniStudio]

I lived in Chandler AZ near Phoenix for 15 years..got stung by one, I use to work for Intel and we had a stockpile of furniture outside, I found a nice chair and bam got hit by a bark scorpion. I have had bad luck with getting but by things. But anyway, my veins in my arm turned black and my arm was swollen, felt like a hammer slammed my hand.

[@agentswipe6662]

As dangerous as they may be, they don't stand a chance against our plastic containers

[@dh23dabears]

Literally stepped on a bark scorpion yesterday. The sting was really painful for the next 15 hours until I was able to finally sleep. By far the worst of the couple times I've been stung by any critter. (Edit; if you are on the wrong end of one of these guys, for pain use ice/ ice packs)

[@vickyd8025]

Ice was the only thing that helped me. It was pretty painful for about the 1st six hours. After that it was numb & tingling. Not something I want a repeat of.

[@HautSos]

Ive lived in Arizona most of my life. The Australia of America for sure

[@davidrobertson5996]

Another great post, Spencer! Love the fact that they fluoresce!

[@curious_gage]

I live in Arizona and I can attest that bark scorpions are quite plentiful in some areas. I walked through a couple alleys last week looking for scorpions and counted at least 30-40.

[@TheXavier20000]

I’ve been stung by a bark scorpion before. It was kinda no big deal for me. It significantly reduced my fear of scorpions. I really think the only thing to fear in the Sonoran desert is the rattle snake.

[@Ecotasia]

The intro is really sharp, and pleasure helping out with this one

[@PaperCorpse]

I was stung by a baby bark scorpion a few years ago, the entire right side of my body went numb. Woke up several hours later, still alive. Great experience 😅

[@sutherngirrl7590]

You make me so nervous when handling these types of specimens!! 😊 As you do your commentary and look at the camera, I find myself thinking, "Look at what you're doing!!" 😂 That's the mama in me... Another great find Spencer!

[@Mike-01234]

Lived in Phoenix for 38 years seen so many of them they are everywhere. Co-worker said they fall out of his AC vent so their kids moved there beds away from the vents.

[@erikpl123]

My childhood home on the east side of Tucson Az was full of bark scorpions as was the yard. I was only ever stung inside, usually while asleep in bed. It's a very painful sting in my experience and if you manage to fall asleep within 12 hours or so after you might have very strange fever dreams. I don't blame them, but being stung especially while sleeping kinda ruined the rest of the day

[@GrandDukeMushroom]

"they're not out to get us" tell that to the 20cm spider contiunously tracking me aroudn the house being the first thing i see on the ceiling when I wake up jokes but that guy was creeping me out and I had to revoke his house pass

[@telsonboy]

Sounds like a huntsman spider. Awesome, big, and "friendly". We allow them free range in our home north of Tucson.

[@sstritmatter2158]

2 things - I was opening up a wooden ammo crate one day out on the gun line at Ft Sill. We were firing howitzers. A scorpion that looked a lot like this (thin, pale tan) crawled out from under a artillery shell in the crate - I yelled so loud, they called a cease fire LOL. They laughed it off when they found what I yelled about. It surprised me and was close to my hand, so a natural reaction. Second funny incident as I was watching this, I went to fill up my pipe and somehow some tobacco spilled off a clump and landed on top of my hand without me realizing it. It looked like a giant brown spider, so I yanked my handand it went everywhere, which is how I know what it was that spooked me lol. Good timing

[@Zenshu1]

I had a desert hairy that lived in my guard shack back in the day. He was hanging out on the box by the desk every night when i took over for my guard shift.

[@vickyd8025]

I got stung by an AZ bark scorpion in my bathroom a couple of weeks ago. Suffice it to say it hurt like a sum bish for about 6 hours. Then my foot was numb & tingly from just below my ankle, where I was stung to about 4" above my ankle, for the next 18 hours, or so. Ice was the only thing that really helped with the pain. I now make sure to at least put on my filp flops for trips from my bedroom to the bathroom at night. Lol. I stepped next to it with bare feet, and it very obviously felt threatened enough to sting me.

[@Sptn051]

I've experienced this particular creature's venom. Felt something I thought landed on my arm while I was gaming on my buddy's floor, it was a super light tough so I thought flying insect at first. Went to brush it away and immediately got stung on my right ring finger, knew exactly what happened. So I brought my hand into my monitor's light and sure enough there was the scorpion dangling by the stinger. My ring finger went numb, then my pinky, then it slowly spread to my whole hand and up my arm; it spread up my arm and across my chest stopping in the center before bleeding down my right side. I was super close to having really bad shit happen to me, especially if the venom got to my heart. The limb was useless and I had lots of bruises the next day. Best part is the irony of having a military base in the desert with no poison control center. Makes you wonder who's ingenious idea that was. lol

[@WWTormentor]

I think we should respect, protect and give their space to all creatures regardless how dangerous or benign they may be. All these beautiful creatures have the same right to life as we do. When ever I find any unwanted guest in my house, I simple try to safely get them and take them outside.

[@flyback_driver]

I was stung twice by one of these scorpions when I was a kid. I wasn't able to receive antivenom in time so the recovery was miserable. First 24 hours was like a hellish fever dream and nearly a week of extreme fatigue with muscle soreness in every muscle i had. Neck, tounge, throat, glutes, ect. Strange experience and smart choice not to chance a sting from this one.

[@RaineHoltz]

Love scorpions! Thanks for another great video Spencer :) glad to see the channel doing well!

[@MyWildBackyard]

Glad to share! Thanks for all your support!

[@cynthiakoehne7004]

LOL here in central California we have a giant longhorn Beatle over 3 inches long, but rarely seen!

[@scorpioriddick]

Scorpions are FREAKING AWESOME!!! But then again I'm a Scorpio, lol. My goal is to get a black Asian forest scorpion one day, they're just so BEAUTIFUL!!!

[@skeeter197140]

Scorpions are great! I'm not a fan of the 80s stuff like "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and all the whistling stuff, but their 70s stuff was awesome!

[@curbyvids]

lol

[@skeeter197140]

;)@@curbyvids

[@MyWildBackyard]

😂

[@stubby8663]

Thank you for the video Spencer. I haven't warmed up to Scorpions yet lol But am thinking of getting a few Jumping spiders. Sure enjoy your show, glad I found the channel.

[@ThePollaton]

Glad you didn’t decide to show off. 😂 we need a new video next week x

[@toddhewett1027]

We have scorpions in Billings MT. Along the rims. They are called Northern Scorpions and pretty cool to see them.

[@Dontbeweak123]

I got stung on my left ring finger by a bark scorpion when I was 19. It took 6 months before I had full feeling in that finger again. I’ve been stung by the big ones several times too, it hurts but 30 min to an hour later the pain is gone

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yup they’re no joke. Wasn’t gonna risk handling this one after my widow bite back in the spring

[@chrismclaughlin3988]

Good channel! Very well said, and accurate info. Thx 👍 And hell yeah Scolopendra is a whole other nightmare 😂🤣😳

[@hoibsh21]

That scorpion is the main reason why I would never live in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, etc. They creep up on you!

[@bassage13]

They're not even even dangerous. They just look scary. Would you rather live around bears?

[@vickyd8025]

They definitely don't creep up on people, but they will sting if they feel threatened. Most stings happen because people get too close to them by accident. They want to be near people about as much as people want to be near them.

[@thememe986]

Scorpions are fascinating because they're super venomous, excellent hunters, and they're also tiny tanks

[@MyWildBackyard]

Yep! Super cool

[@RikJSmith]

Hi . Hope you're doing well . I realize from what you said that this Scorpion is more dangerous than most Spiders . But this doesn't creep me out like ALL Spiders do . Great Video . 🎸

[@atlantic_love]

I'm the same way.

[@Rubiastraify]

Yes, very creepy...but fascinating! I was hiking in the desert years ago, and came across a battle between a small lizard and a big scorpion - don't know what either species were -- but, it was like out of an old monster movie! Lots of thrashing about -- the lizard finally won with a bite to the head before getting stung! I'd like to see a feature on camel spiders -- they look pretty horrible and fearsome, but are harmless to humans.

[@virion3270]

We here in AZ call that beetle a Palo Verde beetle. We call the giant dwelling-and-vehicle-devouring worms Shai-Hulud. It's awesome here. 😑

[@idalily3810]

Was stung once in So Cal by a scorpion. Don't know the exact species, but the pain was intense. It was like my whole body was on fire. it only lasted a day though. The only thing worse was when I was stung by a swarm of yellow jackets and had to be hospitalized.

[@fearfullywonderfullymade4057]

Ive taken multiple stings from the az bark scorpion when i lived in their range. It was incredibly painful and it cuased tightness in the chest and trouble breathing. The pain last for about 24 hours and the other symptoms last 48 hours getting less serious by the hour. once the pain went away I experienced numbness in the sting area for a couple weeks after.

[@just_kos99]

Graham Chapman, of Monty Python, was a medical doctor in real life. When they were filming "The Life of Brian" in Tunisia, he'd hold his "surgery" while not filming. He treated mainly scorpion stings and dysentery. They said scorpions were EVERYWHERE!

[@mikezylstra7514]

Yes! Finally. I know 2 people visiting Phoenix who wound up in the ER from bark scorpion bites. One in a hotel, 5th floor bit him in bed. No Arizona for me! Uh, uh.

[@vickyd8025]

Unless you're allergic, a baby or elderly an ER visit isn't necessary. I was stung by an AZ bark scorpion 2 weeks ago. It hurts, but I waited it out for about an hour or so and determined I'm not allergic. It felt like a TENS unit cranked on high for about 6 hours straight, then it was numb and tingling for the following 18 hours-ish.

[@chrisredjackfl94]

I was lucky this year only 3 had a dozen or more for the last few seasons. Been stuck many times by bark scorpions and it is a very miserable experience. Stung behind my ear and down my neck 3-5 times and cause numerous problems first 3 days are the worst after that it actually helped some nerve issues I live with.

[@jordanottesen1186]

I lived in AZ for 4 years and we had tons of bark scorpions in our neighborhood. We used to go scorpion hunting with black lights, and they were genuinely everywhere. I learned they eat each other - mom will eat the babies, babies eat and attack each other, they're aggressive and grumpy. Just kinda evil little things. On one occasion I found one in my house less than 1 inch away from our newborn daughter as she was playing on the floor. I destroyed that scorpion so fast... didn't sting her thank goodness. I'll respect them in their habitat, but once they enter my dwelling, they're toast.

[@tflashtube]

I liked the sentence "while they are very common in households, ..." Thanks a lot for this reassurance Spencer ???