Part 1

POISONOUS DWELLERS OF THE DESERT

Popular Series No. 3 Southwest Parks and Monuments Association

POISONOUS DWELLERS OF THE DESERT

by NATT N. DODGE

TWELFTH EDITION (revised), 1970

Published in co-operation with the National Park Service by the Southwest Parks and Monuments Association in keeping with one of its objectives, to provide accurate and authentic information about the Southwest.

Southwest Parks and Monuments Association Globe, Arizona (formerly Southwestern Monuments Association)

Copyright, 1952, by the Southwestern Monuments Association Box 1562, Gila Pueblo, Globe, Arizona 85501

Published October 21, 1947 Second printing, revised, October, 1948 Third printing, revised, December, 1948 Fourth printing, revised, January, 1952 Fifth printing, June, 1953 Sixth printing, March, 1955 Seventh printing, December, 1957 Eighth printing, revised, January, 1961 Ninth printing, revised, March, 1964 Tenth printing, June, 1966 Eleventh printing, August, 1968 Twelfth printing, revised, August, 1970

Printed in the United States of America by PABSCO Printing and Business Supply Co. Globe, Arizona

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS vi EDITORIAL NOTE ABOUT INSECTICIDES vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii GIANT DESERT CENTIPEDE 3 SCORPIONS 4 Treatment of scorpion stings 6 Where scorpions live 7 BLACK WIDOW SPIDER 7 Where black widows live 8 Black widow bites 9 Treatment of black widow bites 9 Control of black widows 10 BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER 10 Where found 11 The brown recluse bite 11 Treatment for bite of the brown recluse spider 12 TARANTULAS 13 CONENOSE BUG (cross bug, bellows bug, Walpai tiger, kissing bug) 14 Habitat of conenose bug 14 Treatment of conenose bites 16 Control of conenose bugs 16 ANTS, WASPS, HORNETS, BEES 17 Ants and velvet ants 18 Control of ants 19 Wasps, hornets, yellowjackets, bees 19 HONEYBEE 20 How a bee stings 21 Treatment of bee stings 22 PUSS CATERPILLAR 23 ARIZONA CORAL SNAKE 24 RATTLESNAKES 25 Where rattlesnakes are found 25 Protective clothing 26 Rattlesnake relatives 26 The sidewinder 26 Helpful precautions 27 First-aid for rattlesnake bite 27 BACK-FANGED SNAKES 30 GILA MONSTER 31 Food and habits 32 Poison of the Gila monster 33 HARMLESS CREATURES MISTAKENLY BELIEVED POISONOUS 34 BANDED GECKO 35 SOLPUGID 36 JERUSALEM CRICKET 36 VINEGAROON 37 REFERENCES CITED 39 INDEX 40

ILLUSTRATIONS

Deserts of the Southwest _Frontispiece_ Map of western United States viii Centipede 2 Enlarged view of under side of centipede’s head 2 Deadly and non-deadly scorpions 4 Giant desert hairy scorpion in alert position 5 Underside of black widow spider 8 Brown recluse spider 11 Tarantula 13 Conenose bugs 15 Common ant 16 Wasp 17 Velvet ant 18 Bumblebee 19 Honeybees on the honeycomb 20 Poison mechanism of worker bee 21 Puss caterpillar 23 Arizona coral snake 24 Western diamondback rattlesnake 25 Sidewinder or “horned” rattlesnake 27 Poison mechanism of the rattlesnake 28 Western black-headed snake 29 Sonora lyre snake 30 Gila monster 31 Underside of the Gila monster 32 Poison mechanism of the Gila monster 33 Two adult banded geckos 35 Solpugid or sun spider 36 Jerusalem cricket (sand cricket or chaco) 37 Vinegaroon 38

EDITORIAL NOTE ABOUT INSECTICIDES

Recommendations given in previous editions of this book regarding use of DDT and other “hard” pesticides are withdrawn in this 12th edition. We advise, until questions about merits and dangers of these products are resolved, that you contact a local agency before deciding what pesticides, if any, to use.

We believe that every citizen should make a real effort to become informed about pesticides and potential changes in them, for use or non-use will likely have great impact on mankind’s future use of this earth.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author has conducted no original research, but has simply assembled information provided by others who have made painstaking scientific investigations into the lives, habits, and poisons of desert creatures. To these men all credit for the information contained herein is due.

The writer considers it a privilege to present partially herein the results of work conducted by Dr. Herbert L. Stahnke, Poisonous Animals Laboratory, Arizona State University, on scorpions and other poisonous creatures.

Valuable assistance has been obtained from Dr. Howard K. Gloyd, former director of the Chicago Academy of Sciences. To Laurence M. Klauber and the late C. B. Perkins, formerly of the San Diego Museum of Natural History, are expressed our thanks for much valuable information relative to poisonous snakes.

The help and cooperation of Dr. Sherwin F. Wood of Los Angeles City College has made possible inclusion of the section on the conenose bug.

The late Dr. Forest Shreve, for many years director of the Desert Laboratory in Tucson, and the late Dr. Charles Vorhies, zoologist at the University of Arizona, proved to be founts of knowledge regarding plant and animal life of the desert. The late Dr. C. P. Russell, of the National Park Service, checked many statements to assure accuracy.

We are indebted to Dr. W. Ray Jones, physician and hobby beekeeper in Seattle, Washington for his findings on, and treatment of, bee-sting poisoning. Also to Dr. F. A. Shannon of Wickenburg, Arizona for his especially helpful commentary. We take this opportunity to thank Dr. Paul Wehrle, entomologist, University of Arizona, and Dr. W. J. Gertsch of the American Museum of Natural History, for kindly checking the contents for authenticity.

Poisonous Dwellers of the Desert

The late Dr. Forrest Shreve of the Desert Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona, stated that the principal characteristic of a desert is “deficient and uncertain rainfall.” From our grammar school geographies we gained the impression that a desert is a great expanse of sand piled into dunes by the wind, without moisture or vegetation, a land of thirst, desolation, even death.

Although sand dunes devoid of vegetation are characteristic of the Sahara and some other deserts of the world, those of the United States support a variety of plant and animal life which, through generations of adaptation, are able to meet the conditions imposed by this environment (see frontispiece). Persons who misunderstand our deserts fear them, while others who have visited them become fascinated and return periodically or settle down and live in them.

Some of the creatures living in deserts are known to be poisonous to man. Western thriller fiction of press, screen, and TV has emphasized and exaggerated this fact, developing in many people a wholly mistaken fear of the desert and its inhabitants. In contrast, other persons may under-estimate the possibility of injury from these animals and become careless.

It is the purpose of this booklet to discuss accurately the various poisonous dwellers of the desert, as well as to debunk some of the superstitions and misunderstandings which have developed.

A majority of the poisonous creatures in the desert are by no means restricted to that environment. Rattlesnakes, for example, so often associated with the arid regions of the West, occur in nearly every section of the United States.

“A poison,” states _Encyclopedia Brittanica_, “is a substance which, by its direct action on the mucous membrane, tissues, or skin, or after absorption into the circulatory system can, in the way which it is administered, injuriously affect health or destroy life.” A poisonous creature may be defined as one which produces a poison for the administering of which it has developed a special mechanism.

Since, due to personal differences, the bite or sting of a poisonous creature may injuriously affect the health of one person and not that of another, and since the poison of one individual creature may be insufficient to cause an unpleasant reaction, while that from several hundred might produce severe illness or even death, it is difficult to determine which creature should be included in a publication of this nature. The writer, therefore, has exercised his judgment in discussing in the following pages such creatures as he feels may offer a menace to the welfare of a visitor to the desert. In addition, a few paragraphs are included for the defense of several harmless desert dwellers which are mistakenly believed poisonous and which, as a result, have been mercilessly persecuted.

It should be understood that the author has not himself conducted scientific research among the desert animals regarding which he writes. The material in this book is a digest of the findings of various competent scientific and medical authorities, and has been carefully checked for accuracy and authenticity.

Don’t be frightened as a result of reading this booklet. The desert is just as safe—perhaps safer—for homemaking as many other parts of our country.

Giant desert centipede (_Scolopendra heros_)

Many species of centipedes of various sizes and colors are found throughout the world. The majority are small, harmless, and not sufficiently numerous to be considered seriously, even as pests.

Usually they are found under boards, in cracks and crevices, in basements and closets, and in other moist locations where they hide during the day and venture forth at night in search of small insects for food.

The large, poisonous desert centipede attains a length of 6 or even 8 inches and has jaws of sufficient strength to inflict a painful bite. Glands at the base of the jaw produce poison which causes the area about the bite to swell and become feverish and painful. Persons who have been bitten report that the swelling and tenderness may persist for several weeks, that the bite sometimes suppurates and is difficult and slow to heal.

_Because the bite of even a large centipede is usually a painful inconvenience rather than a serious injury, no specific treatment has been developed. Application of an antiseptic such as iodine immediately following receipt of the bite, working it well into the fang punctures, is advised. Bathing the site of the bite with strong ammonia will bring relief if done immediately, while soaking the area in a solution of hot Epsom salts may shorten the period of discomfort. Prompt treatment by a physician will reduce duration and intensity of pain._

Although the bite of a large centipede is no joke, it is not cause for fear or worry. Exaggerated stories of the deadly effects of the bite, and reports that the tip of each leg carries a poisonous spur, have caused many persons to be overly afraid of centipedes. Hysteria and shock resulting from this unfounded fear probably have been the cause of more suffering than the bites themselves.

The tip of each of the 42 legs of the giant desert centipede is equipped with a sharp claw. It is possible when the centipede scurries across a person’s arm or leg for these claws to make pin-point punctures. Infection introduced through these tiny openings readily leads to the belief that poison has been injected. Prompt application of an antiseptic will greatly reduce the possibility of infection.

Scorpions

More deaths have occurred in Arizona from scorpion sting than from the bites and stings of all other creatures combined. It is apparent that scorpions are dangerous, that all persons should be informed regarding them, and that details of first-aid treatment should be common knowledge.

In some parts of the South, scorpions are called “stinging lizards.” This is unfortunate because it has caused many people to think of lizards as poisonous and capable of stinging.

Not all scorpions are deadly. Danger from the two deadly species (one shown above) which look so much alike that only an expert can tell them apart, is greatest to children under 4 years of age. Unless prompt action is taken small children might succumb to the poison from a single sting from an individual of either of the deadly species. Older children may die from the effect of several stings, and adults, especially those in poor health, may suffer serious injuries.

Of the more than 20 species of scorpions recorded in Arizona where detailed studies have been made, the two deadly forms have been found only across the southern portion of the State and in the bottom of Grand Canyon. As far as is now known, no other deadly species occur in the Southwest, except in Mexico where there are several.

It is important, then, that all persons should recognize the deadly species. Study the photograph. Note that the deadly species (left) is about 2 inches in length, is straw colored, and that its entire body, especially the joints of the legs, pincers, and “tail,” are long and slender. It has a streamlined appearance. This is in contrast with the stubby or chunky appearance of the many non-deadly species.

Scorpions sting, they do not bite. The pincers at the head end of the body are for the purpose of holding the prey, which consists primarily of soft-bodied insects, while the scorpion tears it to pieces with its jaws.

The sting is located at the extremity of the “tail” and consists of a very sharp, curved tip attached to a bulbous organ containing the poison-secreting glands and poison reservoir. The sting is driven into the flesh of the victim by means of a quick, spring-like flick of the “tail.” Muscular pressure forces the poison into the wound through two tiny openings very near the sting tip. Thus the poison is injected beneath the skin, making treatment difficult, as the impervious skin renders surface application ineffective.

Whereas the poison of non-deadly species of scorpions is local in effect, causing swelling and discoloration of the tissues in immediate proximity to the point of puncture, that of the deadly species is general over the entire body of the victim. There is intense pain at the site of the sting but very little inflammation or swelling.

According to Kent and Stahnke[1], “the victim soon becomes restless. This increases to a degree that, in cases of small children, the patient is entirely unable to cooperate with attendants. It turns, frets, and does not remain quiet for an instant. The abdominal muscles may become rigid, and there may be contractions of the arms and legs. Drooling of saliva begins, and the heart rate increases. The temperature may reach 103 or 104 degrees. Cyanosis (skin turning blue) gradually appears, and respiration becomes increasingly difficult, causing a reaction not unlike that observed in a severe case of bronchial asthma. Involuntary urination and defecation may occur. In fatal cases the above symptoms may become so marked that apparently the child dies from exhaustion.

“In cases that recover, the acute symptoms subside in 12 hours or less. In the adult, symptoms as enumerated may be encountered, but as a rule they are less severe. Numbness is usually experienced at the site of the sting. If one of the appendages is stung, the member may become temporarily useless. Two cases of temporary blindness have been experienced. Some patients complain of malaise (discomfort) for many days following the sting. One patient developed a tachycardia (rapid heart) lasting two weeks.”

Treatment of scorpion stings

Dr. Stahnke recommends the following treatment for a person stung by one of the deadly scorpions:

_“First, apply a tight tourniquet near the point of puncture and between it and the heart.... As soon as possible, place an ice pack on the site of the sting. Have a pack of finely crushed ice wrapped in as thin a cloth as possible. Cover and surround the area for about 10 to 12 inches. After the ice pack has been in place for approximately 5 minutes, remove the tourniquet._

_“If a person is stung on the hand, foot, or other region that can be submerged completely, place the portion, as soon as possible, in an ice-and-water mixture made of small lumps of ice (about half the size of ice cubes) in a proportion of half ice and half water. Treatment should not be continued longer than 2 hours._

_“NEVER put salt in the water. After the first 15 minutes, the hand or foot must be removed for relief for 1 minute every 10 minutes in the iced water.”_

_Dr. Stahnke continues: “If the patient is less than 3 years old, if the patient has been stung several times, or if the patient has been stung on the back of the neck, anywhere along the backbone, or on an area of deep flesh like the buttock, thigh, or trunk of the body, or especially on the genital organs, medical assistance should be obtained at once.”_

_Dr. F. A. Shannon advises that no person with disease involving the circulation of the extremities should use iced water. Morphine is a necessary tool in controlling pain, and barbiturates are useful for control of convulsions._

Several hospitals in southern Arizona keep a supply of scorpion antivenin and, in any case, the patient should be taken to a hospital as quickly as possible. In all cases the first-aid treatment should be applied and maintained until the patient is under the care of a physician.

With adults, in case a physician is not available, the iced-water treatment usually proves sufficient. Generally, after 2 hours of iced-water use, there is no longer any danger, but should symptoms reappear, treatment should be resumed.

Scorpion antivenin for stings of _Centruroides sculpturatus_ and _C. gertschi_ is available at the Poisonous Animals Research Laboratory, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. The recommended method of treatment is the “L-C” method. The L stands for ligature and C for cryotherapy (tourniquet and ice pack treatment).

_Treatment is as follows: “As soon as possible (after the sting has been received) inject intramuscularly or subcutaneously, 5 to 10 cc. of natural serum or 3 cc. of the concentrated. In serious cases, inject intravenously.” No immediate untoward results have been noted, but some cases of skin irritation develop later._

In cases of scorpion poisoning when antivenin is not available, the following treatment is recommended[12]:

“_Use morphine with extreme caution. It has not been found effective in the usual doses. Barbiturates are more effective and less dangerous. Bromides in large doses are apparently of value. In those cases characterized by severe pulmonary edema (accumulation of fluid in the lungs) atropine is indicated along with general supportive measures. Compresses, using a fairly concentrated ammonium hydroxide solution, have been found helpful if applied within a few moments. If applied for the first time about 10 minutes after the sting, no apparent benefit is attained.”_

Where scorpions live