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Yes stepping on a scorpion would indeed be a shock! They generally leave people alone but coming into direct contact with one, like putting your foot in a shoe with a scorpion in it, or stepping on one, or picking it up in a wrong way, will get you a "fire shot" as my brother calls it.
Well, the person that borrowed it returned my copy of "Tularosa - Last of the Frontier West" by C.L. Sonnichsen yesterday. To quote from the back cover:
"Tularosa--sun-scorched, sand-blasted, merciless - the parched desert where everything, from cactus to cowman, carries a weapon of some sort, and the only creatures who sleep with both eyes closed are dead. Tularosa - the last frontier in the continental United States."
Around here lots of things bite or sting. I've only killed two rattlers this year so far at Koolibri Rantšo, but that may not be all because they haven't "gone to ground" yet for the year. I'm expecting a lot because of the rains moving them down from the foothills near me.
Every place has it's varmints, some good some bad. Then of course are the plants. I have a nice hole in my palm from a "Spanish bayonet" and the "goathead" stickers are a particular nuisance around here. But, you take your lumps and get used to dealing with it.
I plan on moving into a country setting rather than a city, something with a few acres. So it seems that I'll have to keep my eyes peeled. So do most people need to see a doctor after a scorpion sting or is it not that serious?
How much danger is a scorpion to a dog? I have a Jack Russell and a German Shepherd, both elderly, but the Russell will chase anything and the Shepherd's not to quick on her feet anymore. Neither of them are ever unattended while outside, but I'm worried about them literally sticking their noses where they aren't wanted. Can a vet do much for a scorpion sting or snake bite?
And I'm curious to know what else bites and stings.
My previous dog, an Australian Shepher, got stung by a scorpion once. After that he never messed with them again. I wouldn't get too concerned about the big dogs, but little ones might be vulnerable. Rattlesnake bites can kill even the big dogs - my neighbor's dog was killed by one. Cats seem immune to scorpion bites and "hunt" them.
NM may be better or worse than here in AZ. But we have the bark scorpion which is poisonous, rattlesnakes, and black widows. I have been stung several times by scorpions. Never heard of anyone getting it from a shoe. All mine and everyone I know that got stung around the house was walking barefoot and stepped on it. The sting is no fun. Burns like mad and then the stung part often gets numb and tingly for days. But normal people don't die from it anymore than they do from bee stings. Scorpions are not at all aggressive and run away from people and pets, but it they chase or you accidently step on them they react. The are very common and in just about every house in desert areas around PHX. Stings are far less common.
Rattlesnakes are out there, but you rarely see one. They eat mice and stuff and avoid humans and their pets unless surprised while snoozing. I had one in my garage once but that's in 30+ years of living with them. People who get bit are usually drunk and messing with them. Dogs get bit because they mess with them too. The bite can definitely kill even a big dog. But again, encounters are rare - even for dogs.
Black widows are also common around here. You find them in wood piles, trash, stuff in the yard. You can tell they are there by the distintive white round egg sacks. They are not aggressive either, but if you grab one you're going to get stung. In spite of the fact they are common, I have never known anyone who got bit by one.
It's ironic. So many people who think of or move to the southwest are concerned about bugs and snakes while the reality is that bugs (and snakes) are much less of a problem around here than just about anywhere. We have few mosquitos, no chiggers, no biting flies. Nobody buys or uses Off!. It is really a groundless fear.
Tarantulas are harmless. I see them on the roads once in a while. The kids keep one as a pet in my daughter's 4th grade class.
Last edited by Ponderosa; 09-29-2006 at 07:28 AM..
I wouldn't exactly call the concerns groundless - there are several creepy crawlies that can hurt or kill you there. Black widows are deadly, so are killer bees and rattlers. And the hantavirus and plague are in NM too - carried by mice and prarrie dogs.
They are less annoying bugs because they won't come flying in your face like these stinkin bugs up here in PA, but there are a fair share of bugs/pests that can still really wreck your day if you don't know what you are looking out for.
A young man I met in AZ got stung by a scorpion that was hiding out in his boot. He stuck his foot in and said it felt like a nail went through his foot..I always check my shoes before I put them on, even up here in PA because I HAVE had a black widow in my sneaker before.
I wouldn't exactly call the concerns groundless - there are several creepy crawlies that can hurt or kill you there. Black widows are deadly, so are killer bees and rattlers. And the hantavirus and plague are in NM too - carried by mice and prarrie dogs.
They are less annoying bugs because they won't come flying in your face like these stinkin bugs up here in PA, but there are a fair share of bugs/pests that can still really wreck your day if you don't know what you are looking out for.
A young man I met in AZ got stung by a scorpion that was hiding out in his boot. He stuck his foot in and said it felt like a nail went through his foot..I always check my shoes before I put them on, even up here in PA because I HAVE had a black widow in my sneaker before.
Oh yeah. Forgot about the killer bees. All the bees in AZ and probably NM are now "africanized" and therefore are the dreaded killer bee. We used to hear sometimes about someone or their dog being attacked but it seems pretty rare anymore. I think people may have learned to not mess with a bee hive and call in the experts if you find one on your property. They don't bother you when out on the flowers, but they are quite aggressive defending the hive.
I'll stick to my guns that the bug and snake concern is overblown. You want to worry, worry about the human vermin.
If you really want to avoid tarantulas, scorpions, and snakes in NM, you can do so by living high enough in elevation. I live above 9,000 feet, and we have none of those things up here. Of the places you are considering, Silver City is the one that's near some real elevation. I'm not sure what the elevation cutoff is for those creatures, but you could find out by calling a ranger station in NM. I'm guessing Silver City (6,000 feet) is still too low, but there might be higher towns around there. Up here in the clouds, we have bears and mountain lions, but they don't cause much trouble. Nor do the deer, raccoons, or squirrels. At least not for me. They are all too busy gasping for breath, I suppose.
Alright. So..lets talk snakes. For those of you interested there is a educational class on snake handling/rescue on April 18th from 9am-12. Please PM me if you'd like more information...and are actually serious about it.
Alright. So..lets talk snakes. For those of you interested there is a educational class on snake handling/rescue on April 18th from 9am-12. Please PM me if you'd like more information...and are actually serious about it.
Do you get any good recipes?
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