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Stripe-tailed Scorpion

Vaejovis spinigerus

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Stripe-tailed Scorpion (Vaejovis spinigerus)

The Stripe-tailed Scorpion is one of the most common scorpions in the American Southwest, with distinctive keel-like ridges along its tail segments. It is smaller than the desert hairy scorpion and its venom is mild, causing local pain but not systemic effects. It hides under rocks and debris by day and hunts insects at night.

Habitat
Desert grasslands, rocky hillsides, and under debris in the Southwest
Diet
Adults: insects and other small arthropods
How common
Common

Best time to see a Stripe-tailed Scorpion

The best time to see a Stripe-tailed Scorpion is April–August, when about 63% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 3,540 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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