Desert Hairy Scorpion

Desert Hairy Scorpion
Hadrurus arizonensis

Our resident desert hairy scorpion, Séigo (pronounced say-ko), came to us in August 2021. The desert hairy scorpion is a relative of the Western or California forest scorpion, which is found here in the Bay Area. Desert hairy scorpions are much larger, reaching over 5 inches long while our local scorpions are only about 1.5 inches in length. This species’ size lets visitors see all of their  amazing adaptations — including their pointy tails — at a larger scale. Although his tail is mildly venomous, our desert hairy scorpion only uses it to pierce his prey: crickets. Scorpions are primarily insectivorous but in the wild they will also go after vertebrates like small mice and lizards.