''Paravaejovis spinigerus'', commonly known as the stripe-tailed scorpion or devil 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 found in the south-western United States and north-western Mexico.

Description

''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' is a medium-sized scorpion with large adult males and females reaching nearly 60–70 mm, weighing approximately 9.5 g. It can be differentiated from the

Arizona bark scorpion :''The striped bark scorpion and the closely related Baja California bark scorpion are also called bark scorpions.'' The Arizona bark scorpion (''Centruroides sculpturatus'', once included in ''Centruroides exilicauda'') is a small light brown s ...

(''Centruroides sculpturatus'') by the brownish-tan stripes on the back of its tail along the keels or ridges; the tail is typically thicker than the hands and pedipalps, both of which are quite slender in the bark scorpions. Some others may have a base color of light yellow/golden brown with variable underlying ducky markings along its tail. The name ''spinigerus'' is derived from the spiniform granules at the ends of the dorsal keels of the tail. ''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' was formerly classified in the genus '' Hoffmannius'' prior to 2013.

Distribution and habitat

''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' is found in the Sonoran desert of north-western Mexico (

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, Baja California, and

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

) and the south-western United States ( Arizona, New Mexico and parts of California), where it is commonly found under rocks and surface objects, such as sleeping bags or shoes, or on sandy soils in a variety of habitats, from

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

floor to rocky hillsides. It seeks the most humid areas it can find.

Ecology

Diet

Like most scorpions, ''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' feeds primarily on small invertebrates, including other scorpions, as well as crickets, meal worms and roaches.

Predators

Pallid bats, "sand-swimmer"

snakes Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joi ...

spiders Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species dive ...

, centipedes,

lizards Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia althou ...

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

, mammals and other scorpions all prey on ''Paravaejovis spinigerus''.

Venom

Like all scorpions, ''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' is venomous however the venom of this species is not medically significant for humans or other mammals and is not considered dangerous.

Reproduction

Smell and vibrations are two ways the ''Paravaejovis spinigerus'' mate with other scorpions. When a couple find each other, they may display a dance with each other that can take a few minutes to hours. After they are finished dancing with each other, they will go their separate ways. If the male stays dancing longer than the female, the female will then attack him and eat him. The offspring grows inside of the female scorpion and be born alive from her body The females posture is different from any other scorpion during this gestation period, which usually lasts for 3–8 months. Her body will look very inflexible and rigid. Around the time of birth, her front legs will be lowered, allowing the offspring to come out of her body. Some will emerge one at a time with a few minutes apart, others will emerge all at once at a constant flow. Her stiff posture will remain until all of the offspring have left her body. She will care for them and carry them on her back up until they go through the first molting period. "Scorplings" (her offspring) can range anywhere from 1- 100 at a time. Depending on the species and their environmental factors, the mothers will either care for them or eat them. The reason for this behavior is unknown.

References

Warburg, Michael R. "Scorpion Reproductive Strategies, Allocation and Potential; a Partial Review." European Journal of Entomology 108.2 (2011): 173-81. ProQuest. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. {{Taxonbar, from=Q3139096 Vaejovidae Fauna of the Southwestern United States Animals described in 1863