Q:
Hello! I would like to know more about this scorpion I found in my garden. I live near Jacksonville, up in the Griffin Creek area. We found three of these little guys. Never seen one before! Very cool. Thanks in advance!
A:
That is a western forest scorpion (sometimes called a California forest scorpion), Uroctonus mordax. These are medium-sized, shy scorpions that live in cooler, moister conditions compared with other scorpions.
When disturbed, they tend to play dead, rather than sting, but they do sting small prey organisms when they are hunting for food.
These scorpions are found in the mountainous and western parts of California, western Oregon and southwestern Washington.
Enjoy!
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