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Photo#5777
California common scorpion - Paruroctonus silvestrii

California common scorpion - Paruroctonus silvestrii
Lakeview Mountains, near Hemet, California, USA
August 10, 2004
Paruroctonus silvestrii
AKA Silvestri's scorpion

Family Vaejovidae

Approx 7 cm, including tail

found under a piece of wood in our garden

OOOOUUUUUCH!!
When I was a teenager I got stung by one of these as I stepped out of my house barefoot onto my cement porch. It was in a rural part of Hemet, the same city where the picture above was taken. I didn't see the scorpion before I stepped on it so I didn't know what had happened until someone that saw me yell and fall backwards into the house came over and found the (now squashed) scorpion right where I had stepped.

Oh my friggin GOD!!! It just felt like someone stuck an ice pick straight through my foot!!! I can't think of any better way to describe it, it was the most intensely sharp pain you can imagine. In terms of stings or bites, you just can't even compare a scorpion sting to a wasp or bee or anything remotely similar. The pain is indescribable, and simply off the charts.

We were all obviously freaked out, not knowing if the sting could be fatal. However my girlfriend called poison control and described the scorpion, and they said the stings aren't fatal but to monitor me closely for the next few hours. I don't remember how long it took for the pain to subside, it's been more than two decades ago, but from my best recollection the really horrific pain only lasted for a reasonably short period of time, perhaps 5 to 15 minutes, and then it gradually lessened over time. I don't recall if I had any other side effects, but I mostly recovered within hours, though my foot was probably painful to walk on for a while.

In short, if you ever get stung by one of these things I truly feel sorry for you. But unless the person has an allergy, or it's an infant or small animal that gets stung, it won't be fatal.

 
I also live in a rural area i
I also live in a rural area in Hemet near Simpson Park. I stepped on a scorpion in my room and luckily was not stung! Here It is a little over a year later and I wake up to the same thing same spot even next to my bed but this time.. It's dead already. I am relieved about that but I'm afraid I've dodged a bullet twice. Next time I feel my luck will run out. I have 3 kids too.

Stepped on one of these at my cabin
We have a cabin up at Huntington Lake in central California. One of these guys got in and I stepped on it. I first thought it was a sharp piece of wood and then the pain started in. I looked down and it started to move. We put a jar on it and then sprayed it with Raid. We put it in a jar and it will now become a show and tell for my daughters. We have had the cabin for 10 years and this is the first time I have seen a scorpion. Needless to say we are a bit cautious, now wearing shoes inside. The sting hurt for a while and then my toe turned numb until morning. No other symptoms. Thank goodness.

Silvestri's Scorpion
I found one of these in my bedroom - as I was getting up from sitting on the floor, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye! My minature poodle went to play with it and I caught her just in time. As he was running for the door (must have come in gap under the door in the garage apartment I rent!), I kicked an empty box that happened to be there, and it hit him just right, sadly to say (?), between the head and body like it broke his neck! He stopped and froze on the run... He is now with the rest of my spiders I have collected since living here!
:-)

 
Well, dont feel bad. ;-) you
Well, dont feel bad. ;-) you couldnt have broken its neck as they dont have one. Scorpions are invertebrates. In other words, they lack skeletons. Their "skeleton" consists of the hardened plates that form the outer body Theyre also ectothermic....

 
pests
We occasionally find them in our house as well, unfortunately.

 
Harmless
Fortunately, they are not at all dangerous, but the sting does hurt a bit.

Kari J McWest, Canyon, Texas

 
May cause Cardiac Arrest
My wife got stung by one in our house in Temecula Valley, it stung her twice she confirms it is the most painful stinger she ever felt said you could feel it alway to the bone. she and I were in bed, She got up and I saw it and captured it in a jar, she was ready to sleep it off and I thought she had better go to the emergency room. Good thing we did after 3 hours her blood pressure dropped to 70 over 40 and they had to put her on a IV with fluids then shortly after it came back to normal. The doctor was worried she would have a heart attack. not something to shrug off, maybe it was due to getting stung twice or where she got stung, in the rear and the shoulder but be careful they can be fatal.

 
Wow
I have never heard of a scorpion in this family (Vaejovidae) causing such severe symptoms. (I am in no way refuting your story!) I have been stung by this species and several others in the genus Paruroctonus and even more in the family Vaejovidae. This species is indeed quite painful!
Stings by scorpions in the genus Centruroides (bark scorpions, which are commonly invasive) may result in symptoms like you describe. I have been stung only once by this genus (in the family Buthidae), which was enough to avoid being stung by other Centruroides!
It is possible she was stung by an imported bark scorpion (native to Arizona, its borders, and into Mexico), or suffered anaphylactic shock as a secondary result or from allergies to components in the venom.
When did this occur and had you traveled to Arizona or Mexico before that?
Are you sure it was this particular species? (There are more than a dozen species in Riverside Co. alone.)

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