Striped Bark Scorpion

Centruroides vittatus

ScorpionintermediateVenom: Moderate

Venom note

Intense localized pain lasting ~15-20 min; rarely serious for healthy adults. No handling.

About

A small, common North American bark scorpion — slim-clawed, fast, and a climber, so give it vertical bark/cork to scale and molt on rather than deep substrate. Keep on the dry side (40-50%) at room warmth with a small water dish. Its sting brings sharp local pain for a while but is rarely serious in healthy adults; it's skittish and best not handled.

Taxonomy

FamilyButhidae

GenusCentruroides

Native regionSouthern USA, Mexico

TypeScansorial

Temperamentskittish, fast; climbs

Size & growth

Adult size2-2.5 inches

Length50.00–70.00 mm

Growth rateslow

Climate

Temperature75–82 °F

Humidity40–50%

Enclosure

Adult size10-20 gal; deep substrate or rock stacks per type

Substratedry substrate with bark/vertical surfaces to climb and molt; small water dish

Substrate depth1-2 inches

Water dishRequired

Feeding

Feeding modePredator (live prey)

Prey sizecrickets, roaches

Adult cadence1 prey every 1-2 weeks

Times kept: 0