''Anuroctonus pococki'', also known as the California swollen-stinger scorpion, is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
of the family
Chactidae
The Chactidae are a family of scorpions established by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1893. They are included in the superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily Chactoidea.
Genera
Chactidae contains the following genera:
*''Anuroctonus'' Pocock, 1893
*''Auy ...
. It is native to the
coast ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges (officially gazetted as the Pacific Mountain System in the United States; ; ) are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Althoug ...
of Southern California, and into
Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
in North America.
This is the only scorpion from the genus ''
Anuroctonus'' in Baja California. This scorpion, at , is large compared to other scorpions found in the region.
These scorpions have very large, black-tipped claws, and a "swollen region just before the stinger" on their
telson
The telson () is the hindmost division of the body of an arthropod. Depending on the definition, the telson is either considered to be the final segment (biology), segment of the arthropod body, or an additional division that is not a true segm ...
s, most prominent in mature males.
California swollen-stinger scorpions are nocturnal ambush predators who mostly wait in their burrows for bypassing prey species. Females dig burrows up to deep, while burrows created by males are usually underground.
This scorpion was first formally named in 2004.
Stings from the mildly venomous California swollenstinger scorpion are rare.
They are usually painful but non-serious and resolve after 24 hours; however, in some cases stings may pose serious health problems in the very young or old, and professional medical attention is recommended for anyone stung by a scorpion.
Taxonomy
''Anuroctonus pococki'' contains the following subspecies:
* ''Anuroctonus pococki pococki''
* ''Anuroctonus pococki bajae''
See also
*
Arizona bark scorpion
The Arizona bark scorpion (''Centruroides sculpturatus'', once included in '' Centruroides exilicauda'') is a small light brown scorpion common to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. An adult male can re ...
References
External links
iNaturalist Guides: California Scorpions
Scorpions
Scorpions of North America
Animals described in 2004
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