''Hadrurus spadix'' is a large (around 15 centimeters / 5.51 inches) scorpion native to the southern

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s of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. It is a burrowing scorpion which spends a lot of time digging in the sand and enlarging its

burrow An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...

. A similar species is the giant desert hairy scorpion.

Captive care

''Hadrurus spadix'' can be housed in a big vivarium. A mixture of peat and sand should be used for

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (locomotion), the surface over which an organism lo ...

, though sand should be the major component. The substrate should be humidified in order to stabilize it and permit burrowing, then dried before introducing the scorpion in the vivarium. A rock or a piece of

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

should be provided so the scorpion can dig its

under it. No water is needed in the vivarium and humidity should be quite low (30%) to prevent mycosis. ''Hadrurus spadix'' requires high temperatures, and do best at 30 °C–35 °C (86 °F–95 °F) during the day, with a sharp drop in temperatures (to 20 °C (68 °F)) during the night to mimic desert conditions. As with all scorpions, this species can be fed most types of small insects, though

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

s remain the most common choice.

Behavior

Commonly known as the black-back scorpion, it can be differentiated from the giant desert hairy scorpion by its completely black prosoma or cephalothorax. This scorpion is quite nervous and can display aggressiveness. The toxicity of its venom is usually deemed to be low, though its sting can be quite painful. The scorpion locates its prey through vibrations, meaning it has more difficulty finding prey that are less active. The scorpion will often pause prior to feeding, although no explanation is known for why this behavior occurs.

References

External links

The page of ''Hadrurus arizonensis'' at the Scorpion filesScorpion Adaptations
accessed 04/06/1017 {{Taxonbar, from=Q3125643 Scorpions of North America Animals described in 1940 Caraboctonidae