money Summer rains in this national park draw out acid-spraying, scorpion-like creatures
Everything's bigger in Texas, including nocturnal acid-spraying, scorpion-like creatures, apparently.
A 3-inch-long vinegaroon was recently photographed crawling through a campground at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas.
The park said in a Facebook post that the arachnids are relatively harmless – unless they are provoked. Then, watch out for an acetic acid spray and steer clear of their mouth pinchers.
The park's statement said summer rains have lured the vinegaroons out of their burrows to find food. The arachnids are usually found in the desert, but this one was discovered roaming through the park's Chisos Basin campground.
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They prefer hunting crickets, millipedes and cockroaches by sensing their prey's vibrations using their front legs. The vinegaroons even kill their look-alike arachnids: scorpions.
Vinegaroons are nocturnal but are not able to see well, according to the park. The way to determine if it's a female is to see if it's carrying hatchlings on its back. The arachnids mostly are found in Texas, Arizona and Florida.
The park's Facebook post garnered thousands of comments from users saying they've spotted a vinegaroon in their backyard, grocery stores and local parks. One user said she even spotted one in the Chisos Basin bathroom.
Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Summer rain brings out acid-spraying, scorpion-like insect in Texas
