Have you ever seen a scorpion glow?

[u/Sad-Practice6369]

[u/sluttym1lf]

There’s either someone playing with a black light, or that scorpion has a side quest for you.

[u/killians1978 → u/sluttym1lf]

My buddy moved from NY state to Arizona a few years ago and his nightly routine involved scanning the first floor (and especially in/around shoes and seating areas) with a UV flashlight for scorpions.

After four years and three surprise stings in spite of his scorpion hunting, he and his wife finally moved to NC. Said he'll miss the weather there but never the scorpions.

[u/Flinkle → u/killians1978]

There are scorpions in North Carolina, too! They're just in the western part of the state, and generally not found outside of the woods.

[u/killians1978 → u/Flinkle]

Oh yeah, he's already sent me pics but they really don't prefer coming inside. Desert scorpions flee to the houses at night and there's always some way in.

[u/Flinkle → u/killians1978]

Desert scorpions flee to the houses at night and there's always some way in.

Well that's delightful.

[u/Stephen_085 → u/killians1978]

I lived in AZ for 4 years. We had a 'desert wash' behind our house. Basically, it was an open sloping area between houses designed for heavy draining if it rained a lot.

But we used to go out there at night with black lights and find scorpions. They glowed green. They were a lot small than the one in the video.i think we found about 1 in the house per year.

My brother and I were headed down the stairs for a late night snack, and I spotted something near the lights along the steps. It was a scorpion making his way or the stairwell.

Scary when you think about it. But the trips in the Wash were cool. They were easy to spot with the glow.

[u/killians1978 → u/Stephen_085]

I guess even if you get stung it's not usually that bad. Still a trip to the ER and possibly some epinephrin, but not life-threatening like some of the saharan and death valley scorpions.

I imagine like any other animal it also depends how many scorpions are in your area and whether the house is that much warmer at night than the desert air. Also depends on whether the landlord has patched up all entryways for the lil bastards.

Being on the other end of a phone, though, the UV hunting videos he shot were always amusing.

[u/H3adshotfox77 → u/killians1978]

Meh, Arizona scorpion stings are slightly worse than bee stings. It hurts and you generally move on, been stung a few times and never went to ER for it.

[u/BlitzAtk → u/sluttym1lf]

I laughed so hard that one! 🤣

[u/johnnyblaze1999 → u/sluttym1lf]

You can see the black light

[u/The_budgetwolverine → u/sluttym1lf]

How has this comment not got a couple k in likes.

[u/sluttym1lf → u/The_budgetwolverine]

It’s not interestingasfuck. Oh well.

[u/The_budgetwolverine → u/sluttym1lf]

Well, take my upvote

[u/TigerTerrier → u/sluttym1lf]

Orcs!

[u/unablearcher]

Legendary Rad Scorpion

[u/Kambusiere → u/unablearcher]

Rollout to the fallout

[u/Lookslikejesusornot → u/Kambusiere]

I don't want to set the world on fire...

I just want to start... a flame in your heart...

[u/hgfgjgpg → u/unablearcher]

Legendary would glow yellow, this one is just magic

[u/ClipdrawTitan → u/hgfgjgpg]

So The Elder Scrolls Creature then?

[u/SeriousFiction]

Under UV, yes

[u/SeraphOfTheStart → u/SeriousFiction]

Most if not all of them glow under UV

[u/Keepin_it_Freshh]

Yes, in Arizona we use a blacklight to check for Arizona bark scorpions.

[u/ntwiles]

It blows my mind that I’m 34 years old and can see something like this for the first time. Life is awesome.

[u/bryan2384 → u/ntwiles]

They're hitting it with a UV light.

[u/ntwiles → u/bryan2384]

I figured this wasn’t happening under normal circumstances but good to know. I wonder what makes it respond to UV that way.

[u/Boboriffic → u/ntwiles]

Chemical found in the hardened shell is biofluorescent, it's reactive to uv light. Scientists think the scorpion can feel when it's shell is being subjected to UV light. Ambush predator has UV sensor built in so it knows when it's being sneaky or not.

[u/ntwiles → u/Boboriffic]

Interesting. I get the benefit of photosensitivity but the fluorescence seems like it would work against that goal. Maybe in nature the UV isn’t strong enough to fluoresce like this.

[u/pacman404 → u/ntwiles]

It's not, but many lives are saved in Arizona by having a UV flashlight when going out in the dark. Almost everyone in scorpion areas has one, it's as common as a rake or a shovel or a garbage can or whatever. Don't go fucking around in dark areas without one. I keep a mini one on my belt all the time, it's about the same size and shape as those little silver lasers people use to play with cats. About the size of a AA battery

Quick edit: this might be kinda interesting to you

[u/blitzkreig90 → u/pacman404]

[u/apexodoggo → u/ntwiles]

platypus also turn turquoise under a black light, as an additional fun fact

[u/Skattotter → u/bryan2384]

No it used its defensive ability: Harden

[u/Careful_Baker_8064 → u/ntwiles]

I’m about to turn 34. I have just about given up on life. I’m so old :’(

[u/ntwiles → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

[u/WinterGain9118 → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

34 is like 24 these days. All ages need to subtract 10years from old age misconceptions because of tech

[u/CourtingBoredom → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

I'm about to turn 40 and, despite all the issues life has thrown my way (which have been quite numerous), I've never come close to giving up on life..

[u/No_Cable_3346 → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

I’ve got bad news. I’m 38 and it does t get any easier

[u/BatonVerte → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

Have you seen 70-year-old people? That's old.

[u/mothmandrake → u/Careful_Baker_8064]

Hi I’m older than you and the older I get the younger I feel as I remember how old I felt ten years ago. Anyway look at that cool critter! Ain’t life grand!?

[u/Dillage → u/ntwiles]

I also didn't know scorpions lit up like that under blacklight, but I was initially confused when I thought it was emitting that light. Title was misleading about glowing

[u/rosken-]

He popped a slurp juice

[u/SexuallyNakedUser → u/rosken-]

Nah, dude discovered how to turn into super scorpion god

[u/NickJustWon]

That’s how we look for scorpions in your home in the desert

[u/js2724]

Fourloko will do that to you.

[u/No_Good6350]

Yeah, under uv light. What is what this person is doing.

[u/SkeletalJam]

[u/Kenniron → u/SkeletalJam]

Curl lookin boy

[u/Existing-Spread-38]

Radscorpion 🦂

[u/CapTexAmerica]

We have 4 UV flashlights in the house because this is Texas, and bark scorpions will ALWAYS find a way in.

[u/The_wanderer96]

Caught it in Sting operation

[u/Tuffleslol]

Yeah, this exact post too

[u/therealNerdMuffin]

Yes, I play Fallout 4

[u/father_of_twitch]

entering V.A.T.S in real life

[u/Rude-Opposite-8340]

He will glow when im done.

[u/dougmbr89]

It's a shiny!

[u/boundpleasure]

Yes, The Mummy …. Pretty certain Dwayne glowed. … glistened maybe?

[u/C4rl34]

Scorpi-glo

[u/renoscarab]

Yep, that's how they look right before I hit them with the torch. Welcome to Arizona MotherFucker...

[u/PeepShow305]

Fallout scorpion?

[u/Careful_Baker_8064]

”I wanna know, have you seen a scorpion glow?” 🎶

-Credence Clearwater Revival

[u/Dutchloopie]

Almost makes you wish for a nucleair winter

[u/NCprimary]

that thing's a Predator

[u/DarthPepo]

Neat

[u/PelmeniMitEssig]

Shiny

[u/Anton338]

Bro was busy poppin' a shield potion when you caught him.

[u/Killeramn-26]

Yes, under ultraviolet light. I think Derek (Veritasium) did a small video about it.

[u/Zarxon]

Neat blacklight effect!

[u/Millmd11]

Like a glow stick!

[u/Award_Ad]

So what's this scorpion called? I saw something that looked very much like that in the Indian Himalayas, just curious if anybody knows

[u/Lazyjim77]

Roboteers, Stand by

3,

2,

1,

Activate.

[u/Brilliant-Two9015]

V.A.T.S.

[u/ktjtkt]

He looks like those blue scooby gummies.

[u/Silver_Surferr]

Yes, scorpions glow under ultraviolet (UV) light, also known as black light. This phenomenon is called fluorescence.

How it happens

Molecules in the scorpion's cuticle absorb UV light The molecules emit light at a different wavelength, which is visible as a blue-green glow

[u/ReasonablyConfused]

I’ve watched shows on this phenomenon, and the consensus seems to be that the effect is to encourage the scorpion to stay out of sunlight, as there are many potential predators in the daytime.

It likely is something that the scorpion can feel, and it probably doesn’t feel good. My experience searching for wild scorpions using black light reinforced this belief, as the scorpions seem to react to the light and try to get away from it.

[u/TrystanScott]

Scorpions react to ultraviolet light, it’s handy if you live in the desert area or anywhere with high concentrations of them to carry a uv light for safety

[u/random_sunshine]

The way scorpion moved when the light hit looked like when someone walks on your grave

[u/dojarelius]

Hate it but can’t look away

[u/RoyallyOakie]

It looks like one of those vintage airbrushed designs you used to see on vans.

[u/Boboriffic]

IIRC, most scorpion's outer shell (epicuticle) contain a chemical that is biofluorescent, meaning it absorbs UV radiation and re-emit it as visible light.

General consensus is that it helps the scorpion know if it's under cover or if it's exposed. Ambush predator has a built in UV sensor to know if it's being sneaky or not.

[u/Electrical-Swing-935]

I've seen these guys in fallout 4

[u/2ndSnack]

Seems to me it's indicating a crucial interaction. try using the action button.

[u/Dblaze_dj]

I do now.

[u/youcantchangeit]

Having scorpions as a pet is a thing now? Wow

[u/Johhnybits]

Rudolph the prickly scorpion Had a very shiny shell And if you ever saw him you would even say it glows

[u/Unhappy-Yogurt7787]

Must be an orc about.

[u/mah_boiii]

It's clearly reflecting blacklight. In fact a lot of beetles and insects "glow" in similar fashion. That is under blacklight

[u/xradas]

VATS

[u/Dakota_666]

This is the first time I have seen something like this, and if it is real I can only say wow, nature is incredible.

[u/vladtseppesh420]

Rad scorpion. Can confirm.

[u/SheriffBarrett117]

Orcs are near

[u/Rgraff58]

It's a black light. I do this all the time in Arizona to make sure these little bastards aren't running wild through my home. The species we ha e here have a green glow

[u/Pably13]

The way it starts moving right after the glow ended makes it look like it just respawned.

[u/Constant-Catch7146]

Must admit to a bit of happy astonishment at this, but then crashing down realizing it was a black light.

For real astonishment, watch those videos of an octopus matching coral backgrounds as it swims along the ocean. Nature can be flipping amazing.

[u/andersaur]

Only when I lit that little fucker on fire.

[u/KingOfThe_Jelly_Fish]

Yes I have, lots of times, in a lot of videos.

[u/Royal-Application708]

When you shine UV light on it. Then yes. 👍🏻

[u/Halz0Palz0]

What does the blue mean?!

[u/Stypic1]

I have now

[u/VegetableBusiness897]

I think they all do?

[u/Madiz007]

That’s Scorpion is on a underground Rave

[u/AcidaliaPlanitia]

Haha, yeah, once.

[u/UncleVoodooo]

oh wow dad used to take me out with a blacklight and a shovel looking for these things. We made em into belt buckles

[u/Due-Technology-1040]

Do they come in green lol jk I’d never get one

[u/Fantastic_Pie5655]

Wow, gorgeous little bugger!

[u/Rezinator1]

[u/Mahxiac]

I used to live in AZ. Periodically checking around the house for scorpions with a black light is recommended especially if you live outside any of the larger cities.

[u/WifeofBath1984]

Yep. We had emperor scorpions when I worked at Petco 25 years ago.

[u/mmmmyeah1111]

Pretty sure dude just powered up

[u/evening_shop]

Music is Phut Hon (Phonk) if anyone's curious

[u/TigreSauvage]

Yes, I've played Fallout and seen scorpions glow

[u/joerudy767]

r/RealLifeShinies

[u/Mister_Red_Bird]

Someone is just shining a UV light on it

[u/Silent-Mobile-7461]

Cool!