If You Find One of These in Your Backyard You Better Stay Away
Arkansas is the home of a lot of critters but there is one critter you may want to avoid if you happen to run across one.
Striped Bark Scorpion
The Striped Bark Scorpion is found in other U.S. states but it is the only native species found in Arkansas. While the Striped Bark Scorpion is not lethal to humans, if you get stung by one you're gonna wish you were dead. Their sting is very painful about three times harsher than being stung by a wasp and can last for hours, your skin will most likely swell as well.
After the pain resides, you may experience numbness, nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. While there are 25 species of scorpions that can kill you, the Striped Bark Scorpion is not one of them. However, a lot depends on a person's sensitivity if you have an allergic reaction it's best to seek medical attention.
Striped Bark Scorpions tend to hide from their predators like birds and reptiles they are nocturnal and they like hiding in dark places such as attics, wall spaces, wood piles, underneath rocks, and dead debris from trees. People are more likely to be stung by this species than any other because of where they like to hide inside homes and buildings.
Bizarre Fact
The most bizarre fact about these scorpions is that they glow under a black light. How creepy is that?
Striped Bark Scorpions feed mainly on insects and spiders, they hunt by touch due to having poor eyesight but once their prey is spotted they catch it with their pinchers and sting it several times depending on how large the insect is. The Striped Bark Scorpion can give birth to up to 30 baby scorpions all at once and usually will take around 4 years for the babies to turn into adults.
The best way to avoid these critters is to keep debris and ground clutter free from around your home and business. Scorpion season in Arkansas typically starts in June and goes through late summer however they start roaming in April but are more active during the summer months.
Watch this video to see which Scorpion species sting is the worst.