Bar got stung last night on her big toe by a two inch-long scorpion. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, barefoot as usual, and must have stepped on it. Scorpions usually don’t attack unless provoked. She didn’t see it because it was caramel-colored and blended into the color pattern on the oriental carpet. Probably came in from the back porch, under the sliding glass door, trying to get warm in the 30ish outdoor temperatures of late.
Probably was a Striped Bark scorpion, the most common in Texas and especially here in Central Texas. There are 11 other common scorpions in Texas which pack a varying punch in their sting. Bar said it felt like a bee sting but the pain quickly went away with no noticeable swelling. The venom of the red ones is said to be capable of killing a small dog or a cat. We’ve seen a few of them. Fortunately, the main scorpion predator is another scorpion. They’re cannibals, which helps keep the population down.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 