Scorpions-Alacrans

Scorpions are not usually anyone’s favorite insect. They are usually very feared because of their sting which can cause mild to extreme pain, or in some cases, death. What happens is determined by the scorpion species, the body mass of the victim, the amount of venom injected, and the individual person.In the lakeside area, there are two families of scorpions – Buthidae and Vaejovindae. The genus of Buthidae in Mexico are called Centruroides, and northern Mexico has some dangerous ones. Lakeside,  there are less dangerous species such as centruroides infamatus or centruroides elegans. The other family here is Vaejovindae, and its many species of the genus vaejovis. Most people cannot identify local scorpions because they have more similarities than differences. However, generally the more poisonous scorpions have smaller pincers that have less muscle force, and require a more venomous toxin to kill its prey. The species of Centruroides found here have slightly smaller pincers than Vaejovis, and thus a stronger toxin. Fortunately, if you are stung here, statistics show it will probable be by a species of Vaejovis.How much poison is injected depends on the situation. A scorpion needs poison to defend itself and to kill its prey. Using all of it just to sting you is not in its own interest. If you just bump it, it will likely not sting with all its venom. If it is trapped in your pant leg, shoe, etc, it will sting to try to save its life, and may give you all it has. If it has already stung, it many not have had time to regenerate more toxin, and will not be as dangerous.Scorpion poison is a neurotoxin, and can work by either retarding inactivation (an α-toxin) or enhancing activation (a ß-toxin), both leading to spontaneous depolarization of excitable cells (nerves and muscles). Nerves are “short circuited” to send pain signals of a problem that does not really exist (there is no real skin burn, just the sensation). In small children, muscles can move in limbs, face and eyes from the action of the toxin on the nerves and muscles. Although the heart could be directly affected, this would be very rare from a scorpion here. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are involved, so the person could have hypertension or hypotension, hypersalivation, or even priapism in severe cases. In most adults, important symptoms are from nerves controlling the mouth and throat. The most dangerous effects are those that inhibit the ability to breath, either by airway obstruction, or by respiratory failure. Allergy to the toxin is also a possibility, as is allergy to the anti-toxin. Symptoms are usually evident in the first 15 to 45 minutes, although rare atypical symptoms can be delayed as much 5 to 8 hours. Classic lakeside symptoms are extreme pain in the area stung, and clinically important cases will have an unusual sensation in the throat.