Common names:
Official US common name is "Arizona Stripedtail Scorpion". "The Arizona Devil Scorpion" has also been used. The latin name spinigerus means "spine bearing".

Distribution:
North America (Mexico and USA (Arizona, California, & New Mexico). The type specimen was reported from "Texas", but has not been found in Texas since the original description!

Habitat:
An inhabitant of the Sonoran Desert and associated grasslands, pine-juniper forests, and chaparral. Barely enters California from the east and New Mexico from the west (basically along the borders of Arizona with both states) and northwestern Sonora, from Guaymas northward. Found in almost every situation within its range except dunes, rare in excessively sandy soils. Although it is a burrower, it is very commonly found under rocks and surface objects, under which it digs out "scrapes".

Venom:
No data available, but vaejovids are generally not know to be of medical importance. Sting might be painful, though.

Selected literature:

On the Internet:
Scott Stockwell on Vaejovis spinigerus.
A picture on the net.

General:

Reaches 70mm (for a BIG female), commonly 55-60mm.

Vaejovis spinigerus (male) photo by Jan Ove Rein (C)
Part of the information in this file is supplied by Kari McWest