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Animal profile

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Centruroides sculpturatus

ArachnidaSonoran Desert rocky slopes, riparian woodland and human buildings, often clinging to vertical surfaces

Field profile

The Arizona bark scorpion is a slender, pale scorpion of about seven centimetres, common in the Sonoran Desert and frequently found inside houses. It climbs well and often rests upside down under bark, rocks and ceiling surfaces. It is the most medically significant scorpion in the United States.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-11-13

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Bark scorpions glow blue-green under ultraviolet light

Like nearly all scorpions, the Arizona bark scorpion fluoresces a striking cyan under a black light, because compounds in the cuticle absorb ultraviolet and re-emit it as visible light. Field workers use ultraviolet torches to census a desert that otherwise appears empty.

Read with evidence →

Arizona Bark Scorpion | Daily Animal Facts