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Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Vaejovidae

Lesser Stripetail Scorpion
Vaejovis coahuilae

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Vaejovis coahuilae

Lesser Stripetail Scorpion (Vaejovis coahuilae), Presidio, Presidio County, Texas. Photograph by Kari McWest.

Vaejovis coahuilae

Lesser Stripetail Scorpion (Vaejovis coahuilae). Photograph by Kari McWest.

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Physical Characteristics

May be yellow brown to brown, but are quite variable in appearance, with some being quite pale with little pigmentation on the dorsum. There are four dark longitudinal, keeled stripes on the underside of the tail. Pincers are smooth, swollen in males, with short fingers. The average length is 35-40 mm.

Habitat

A burrowing species, Vaejovis coahuilae prefers sandy soils and digs a spiral burrow at the base of shrubs, under rocks, and even in the open. It is found in creosotebush scrublands, grasslands, and rocky slopes.

Geographic Range

This species occur in Coahuila, Chihuahua, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Diet

Vaejovis coahuilae, eats spiders and insects.

Remarks

The sting of Vaejovis coahuilae, is relatively mild, comparable to a bee sting.

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Literature Cited

Jackman, J. A. 1997. A field guide to spiders and scorpions of Texas. Gulf Press, Houston.

Polis, G. A. 1990. The biology of scorpions. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA.

Williams, S. C. 1968. Scorpions from northern Mexico: Five new species of Vaejovis from Coahuila, Mexico. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 68:1-24.

Web Resources

Scorpions of the Chihuahuan Desert

Scorpions of Texas

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Aaron Bodor, June 2006.

A.H. Harris, Last Update 4 Jul 2006.