Which Scorpion Is The Most Venomous?

All scorpions are venomous, but some are more venomous than others. Unfortunately, they are widespread, and people often encounter them. There is one from the list that stands apart from the other. Although there are a bunch of them that should be avoided at all costs, this takes the prize.

The most venomous scorpion is the Deathstalker Scorpion. As the name suggests, their venom, a combination of various neurotoxins, creates excruciating pain leading to dangerous symptoms. Anybody stung by this scorpion needs immediate medical attention. Therefore, doctors treat them as emergency patients.

Deathstalker Scorpion The Most Venomous Scorpion

Deathstalker scorpion comes at number one. These scorpions can be seen in Sahara, Thar desert, Western India, Egypt, Algeria, Mali etc. These scorpions are very dangerous. 

They are hard to spot, so many people travelling in the regions get stung by this scorpion, which follows an excruciating pain followed by numbness of the stung part. 

So immediate medical attention is required if someone gets stung by Deathstalker Scorpion. Symptoms are rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, convulsions etc. Someone with a heart condition or high blood pressure can be in serious trouble. Deathstalker scorpion can grow up to 4 inches long. They are very colourful and come in various colors.

The age range varies from 4 to 24 years. They use neurotoxins that have severe effects on our bodies. Their venom is said to be non-lethal to adult humans in small doses, but high doses can be fatal. Their sting is excruciating. 

You can see them in multiple colors. They are attractive; however, getting too close is dangerous and should be avoided. The antivenom used to eliminate the scorpion venom may not always work. Their venom is resilient to antivenom.

So getting rid of the venom from the victim’s body is problematic. They can hide very well and becomes difficult to spot. Their colors blend with the environment so well that it becomes difficult to distinguish them from the environment. If you go too close to them, then they can sting you. Various research has been conducted against their venom, but their venom seems too resistant to any treatment.

Keeping them as pets is forbidden because they are too dangerous to interact with humans or pets. In addition, a single sting will severely affect kids and pets. Pets and kids are more susceptible to a sting because they are unaware of the deathstalker’s danger.

Their venom is also used for medical reasons. For example, the medicine created from this scorpion venom can be used to treat cancer, malaria and tuberculosis. However, due to the rarity, their venom is also very expensive. It’s estimated to be around $39 million per gallon. 

List Of Some Other Dangerous Scorpions

Arabian Fat-Tailed Scorpion

Arabian fat-tailed scorpions are one of the most dangerous scorpions. They have a fat tail, and that’s why they are named that. They can be seen in Egypt, Israel, India, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey, Jordan, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bahrain and Kuwait. 

Regardless of the danger, people keep them as exotic pets. They are sold at a very high price. They will eat anything smaller than them. 

Fat-tailed scorpions can grow up to 4 inches and be in various colours, but most people picture them as black. The black scorpion you see in movies and pictures is Fat Tailed scorpion. Their stinger is much bigger than their pincers. So usually, they use their stinger first to paralyze their prey and then use its pincers to tear it and gradually consume it.

Arizona Bark Scorpion

These scorpions can grow up to 3 inches long and are very venomous. You can find them around the North America Arizona region. Their sting is felt as a lighting jolt, leading to various symptoms. Numbness is a prevalent symptom, followed by vomiting and dizziness. The venom can also create severe allergic reactions. So if you are travelling around the region, wear proper boots and avoid the places near their habitat.

Brazilian Yellow Scorpion

They are native to South America and are considered the deadliest in South America. They are also seen in the Middle Eastern region. They create a cocktail of potent neurotoxins to develop symptoms like vomiting, numbness, nausea, rapid heartbeat etc.

People in Brazil come in contact with these scorpions frequently. Older people are at more risk because if they have an underlying heart condition, then that can complicate things. Upon stung, the person should be rushed to the hospital immediately. It should not be left untreated. 

Indian Red Scorpion

Native to East Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, this scorpion is one of the deadliest. As the name goes, their body is mostly red-colored and they have a red stinger. They have a fatality rate from 8% to up to 40% depending upon the age and health of the person.

However, most deaths are reported in children. People must avoid this scorpion at all costs. They can grow up to 4 inches in length. The venom of the Indian Red Scorpion affects the cardiovascular system, increasing fatality.

How To Avoid Them

If you are closing in on the territory of a scorpion, the first and foremost thing you need to do is wear a boot and jeans. This will give you a significant level of protection. However, you should know where the infestation is high and avoid those areas since there will be more than one scorpion.

Too many scorpions can be troublesome, even if you are wearing boots. If you are travelling at night, then make sure to use a powerful flashlight to look around the environment. These simple steps will help you to avoid scorpions.

Symptoms Of Scorpion Sting

Symptoms can vary from person to person; however, there are various symptoms, but some are common in most species of scorpion.

Feeling Like Something Hot Is Serging Through Your Veins

These are the first symptoms that most victim feels. They feel like something hot or jolting is surging through their veins, and you cannot stop that from happening.

This happens due to the venom mixing with the blood and being carried out to the various body parts of your body, followed by immense pain. This is also the time when most people have a panic attack, and this panic attack can lead to fainting. Although fainting is not common in all victims, intense pain is common.

Feeling Dizzy

Feeling dizzy is a prevalent symptom. As the venom courses through the victim’s veins and mixes with your blood, the victim starts to feel dizzy. This dizziness can be incredibly tough to manage as it will be difficult for you to move around.

Feeling Nauseating

Immediately after feeling dizzy, the victim starts to feel nausea. At this point, the venom has begun reaching the pancreas and other digestive systems. Making the victim feel like vomiting as the body tries to throw this venom out.

Swelling

Swelling will happen simultaneously along with the other symptoms. Sometimes the swelling can be as much like a bee sting and sometimes more significant. However, it will be much more painful and have extreme effects. It will be like a red dot with swelling around it, feeling hot. The swelling can depend more or less on the venom injected into the victim’s blood.

Sweating And Abnormal Heartbeat

As your body recognizes the threat, it will start to fight back, and as the venom travels through the body, the heart will start pumping faster as the venom will change the composition of your blood. So the heart will keep pumping more blood to replenish that.

High Or Low Blood Pressure

Blood pressure can increase as the heart tries to pump more, and the blood pressure can increase due to increased difficulty of pumping. On the other hand, blood pressure can become low if your heart cannot cope with the venom. Due to a lack of proper oxygen transport, blood pressure can go down.

Breathlessness

Breathlessness happens in extreme cases when the venom affects the lungs or the heart. It feels like choking, and the victim is unable to breathe correctly. This is an extreme situation where immediate medical attention is needed. They will feel like their chest is burning, and their body can eventually enter a state of coma. To avoid that, the person will need immediate oxygen and antivenom.

Why Scorpions Sting?

Scorpions sting to defend themselves. If you get too close to a scorpion, the scorpion may sting you out of self-defense. Scorpions roam around for food. That’s why their population are so dispersed. They can survive harsh conditions because of their exoskeleton and quickly adapt to a new environment.

A single scorpion can cover vast areas for food when they are starving. So if you come across one of them, it can be harmful. If scorpions are hungry, they can become aggressive, and if they feel threatened in any way, they will use their stinger. 

Their venom is precious to them, so they usually don’t like to use it unless it encounters something that can potentially kill them or to use it to take down prey. Scorpions sometimes will hunt prey more significant than their size, like lizards, rabbits etc.

Scorpions do not have the brute strength to fight and kill animals bigger than them, so they use the venom to subdue them, and once they are dead or paralyzed, the scorpions will start consuming it. Scorpion venom is very effective against small animals. Although only a handful of scorpions are deadly to humans, every single sting hurts and can trigger a panic attack or allergic reaction in an individual. 

Final Words

Scorpions can be deadly, and you must avoid going near them. Unfortunately, out of curiosity, some people go too close to the scorpions, which can be very dangerous. Scorpions are fast and can attack suddenly; if there is one scorpion, there can be more.

Therefore, keeping a safe distance is crucial. If someone gets stung by a scorpion, immediately rush them to the hospital before the symptoms worsen. The symptoms can get from worse to worst in a short time.