![]() ![]() The unknown substance is contained in a very thin but tough coating called the cuticle. The exoskeleton, or outer covering of this creature contains a substance that fluoresces under ultraviolet and moonlight. Why, exactly, do scorpions glow in ultraviolet light? When a scorpion falls into the beam, however, it glows intensely. The blacklight is not bright, in fact, casting a soft, violet-blue glow on the ground. The fluorescent glow of these spider-related creatures is startling. The scorpions I found on my evening walk were large enough that I suspect they were the giant hairy scorpion species. The three most common scorpion species found in San Diego County include the giant hairy scorpion, the Arizona bark scorpion and the stripe-tailed scorpion. Enough, in fact to remind me never to be out and about at night in bare feet. In fact, I found several large scorpions during my wandering. This time I was equipped with an inexpensive, lightweight blacklight ordered from an online retailer. So now, a bit older, but just as curious as decades before, I picked a dark summer night to begin my renewed exploration. I began to research these reclusive creatures and discovered they are night feeders, especially on warmer summer nights. I was somewhat startled when I came face to face with a brightly glowing scorpion. The first thing to glow in the dark was not a rock at all. There’s a lot more research going on with great potential for the future.Like most kids, I was energetic and spent an evening wandering about the desert, nose to the ground, looking for the magic rock glowing in the dark. Researchers at Stanford University recently synthesized compounds that could help fight bacterial infections. ![]() A protein (a peptide) derived from chlorotoxin in the venom shows promise for Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, and Cancer.Īlthough the venom is extremely expensive, once a scientist identifies a compound, they hope to synthesize it for commercial use. The other key reason is that scorpion venom is showing great promise in medical research. If they use their venom on a predator to escape, they may not have enough to use in procuring their next meal. That’s why scorpions tend to run and hide before standing and fighting. There are two key reasons why it’s so expensive.įirst, scorpions can only produce a small amount of venom at a time, and it takes time for the venom to be replenished once it’s been used (or milked by a scientist). If you buy it in bulk, you can get a gallon for a cool forty mil. ![]() Scorpion venom is one of the most expensive liquids in the world worth around one to two million dollars per gram. Arizona also has about 45 other scorpion species. There is an antivenom, so, if stung, seek immediate medical attention.Īrizona Bark Scorpions live in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California deserts. No surprise, young children and older adults are the most susceptible. Still, in most cases, the sting is excruciating, but death is uncommon. This scorpion lives in the desert southwest. Here in the United States, we only have one scorpion with potentially deadly venom. Out of the roughly 2,300 scorpion species worldwide, only about 30 are poisonous enough to kill a person. It’s rare for people to die from a scorpion sting, especially here in the United States. Since Santiago didn’t live where any super poisonous scorpions lived, his Mom knew he just had to wait out the pain. ![]() In many cases, the pain only lasts for a few hours. Most scorpion stings hurt a lot but are not deadly. Santiago thought about it and had to ask, “Do I put the ice cream on the sting? And, don’t I need to go to the hospital?”. Santiago’s Mom, having been through this a number of times before, sat Santiago down and told him that she’d get some ice cream for the sting. Finding his Mom, he screamed, “A scorpion stung me! What do I do?” Santiago ran into the house, yelling that a scorpion had bitten him! He was panicked and worried that he was going to die. ![]()
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