scorpion hunting

We went on our first scorpion hunt!

Scorpions glow in the dark when you shine black light on them, because of a substance in their exoskeleton.  Ranger Tippy said that bugs can see ultraviolet light, which makes them attracted to scorpions.  The scorpions glow like a nightlight, and when the bugs come near, the scorpions can snatch them and eat them.

This was also the weekend my college roommate Katie happened to visit.  We had forgotten to tell her about the night scorpion hunt, so she didn't know to pack shoes.  We didn't really want her hunting in sandals so Andy offered her his tennis shoes and our host dad offered her his military combat boots.  We decided that the combat boots had more of a fashion flair (especially with jean shorts) but that the tennis shoes were less likely to flop around.

Off we went at 8:00 p.m.!  Most of the hunters were little kids, and Ranger Tippy made sure they stayed on the path.   (Scorpion bites in this area are only lethal if you are under 65 pounds and if it's from a little scorpion; the little scorpions are more poisonous.)

We were trying to beat our record of 23 scorpions in one hunt.  We all crowded around when we spotted the first one and watched it squiggle around in the dust.  We were pretty excited about the prospects but we only ended up finding 13.  Anderson found one of them, and thank goodness I found one a while later (so we were equal).

This event helped assuage trepidation of scorpions felt by someone in the family.  It showed that scorpions are not swarming the house in ranks, let alone the desert.  We can now take our sidewalk strolls in the dark without fear of scorpions, never mind the beetles scuttling all over the place in various shapes and sizes.  They don't bother us anymore.