''Smeringurus mesaensis'', the dune scorpion or giant sand scorpion, is a species of scorpion in the family

Vaejovidae Vaejovidae is a family of scorpion Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic for ...

. It is a common species found in the deserts of the south-western United States. The dune scorpion is approximately 72 mm in length and 2.0 g in mass. They are

fossorial A fossorial () animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, meerkats, and mole salamanders, as well as many beetles, wasps, and bees. Prehistoric eviden ...

and solitary, though young will aggregate shortly after dispersing from their mother. Females of this species are typically larger than males, with males traveling to find females during mating season. ''Smeringurus mesaensis'' are nocturnal creatures: they have been studied to remain active during the hours of 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., and this accounts for its lack of visibility during the daytime''.''

References

Vaejovidae Animals described in 1957 {{scorpion-stub