2 Scorpion Species Found in North Carolina! (w/Pics)

What types of scorpions are found in North Carolina?

Common Scorpions in North Carolina

All the scorpions living in North Carolina are nocturnal carnivores, so they are most easily seen at night. But did you know that all scorpions glow a bright blueish color under ultraviolet light?

So many times, people take blacklights to help them find and observe scorpions!

2 Types of Scorpions in North Carolina:

  • As a rule of thumb, scorpions with small claws and a large stinger are dangerously venomous, while those with large claws and a small stinger are less. This ID Guide will help you identify scorpions, but please seek medical attention if you get stung.

#1. Pseudoscorpion

  • Pseudoscorpiones

Types of Scorpions found in North Carolina

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Tiny and normally reddish-brown, but can vary in a color—segmented body shaped like a teardrop.
  • Eight small legs. Large pincers that are more than twice as long as the legs.
  • No stinger!
  • Also known as the False Scorpion.

Have you ever seen something that looked like a scorpion but didn’t have a tail?

If you have, well, consider yourself lucky! This tiny arachnid is called a Pseudoscorpion. They are rarely seen and are considered a FALSE scorpion! The Pseudoscorpion is harmless to humans, but since they are predators, they will help keep your home free of small unwanted creatures.

Despite the name, Pseudoscorpions don’t have a tail with a venom-filled stinger. Instead, these tiny arachnids have venom in their pincers that they use to kill their prey. But you shouldn’t have any fear as they cannot harm a human, so there is no need to be afraid of this 1/8 inch (3 mm) arachnid.

pseudoscorpion on finger

Pseudoscorpions are kind of like spiders too because they can make silk! However, they don’t make webs to catch prey. Instead, they use the silk to create a cocoon to use as shelter from cold weather.

Pseudoscorpion Range Map

pseudoscorpion range map

Pseudoscorpions are more common than you think! But since they are so tiny, they are often overlooked and live in homes. In addition, their preferred habitats include moss, leaf litter, and under stones, logs, or bark.


#2. Southern Unstriped Scorpion

  • Vaejovis carolinianus

Southern Unstriped Scorpion pic

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Dark reddish-brown body, pincers, and tail. Legs are tan and short.
  • Pincers are thick and long. The tail is very wide with a big stinger.
  • Also known as the Southern Devil Scorpion.

You can typically find the Southern Unstriped Scorpion in humid climates. They can be found in leaf piles or under stones and wood stacks in North Carolina.

Southern Unstriped Scorpion Range Map

southern unstriped scorpion range map

This scorpion often enters homes, and they are commonly found in crawlspaces or cellars. Make sure to check your shoes before putting them on in the morning just in case they’re hiding there!

Stings are rare, but not unheard of.

But here is the good news:

The venom of the Southern Devil Scorpion is almost never lethal. Typical symptoms are swelling, redness, mild pain, and tenderness. Seek medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen, as you may be allergic!


Do you need additional help identifying scorpions in North Carolina?

Try this field guide!


Which of these scorpions have you seen in North Carolina?

Leave a comment below!


Check out my other guides about animals in North Carolina!

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3 Comments

  1. Swainson Hawks have been seen here in Massachusetts. In every Blizzard since 2010 here, near Franklin Park, one perches on the top of a tree about 15 yards from my window.

  2. Inside the years 1972 and 1974 in west Southern Pines, North Carolina, I got stung by a very thin, 2 inch, fluorescent, green-yellow scorpion. As a reaction, I slapped my foot and smashed something bright green and yellow. In 2019, I learned how to use computers and discovered it was a Japanese Scorpion. I can’t find that article now though. Right now from what I am reading, it may have been a Chinese Scorpion or a Desert Hairy Scorpion (November 29, 2024). I was walking barefoot. Sometimes, I liked to carefully step on the puffy wild grass ornaments. It felt like two 4 inch, red hot, straight pins penetrated my foot, one from the top and one from the bottom, though it stung me on top of my foot. The scorpion must have been grounded in some way because the pain shot up from the ground. After I slapped my foot, I checked to see if I stepped on a pin. No, but I did see two little holes on top of my foot and fluorescent green-yellow matter. No, it was not a spider. The scorpions stinger hooked me. I got a glimpse of something about 2 inches long and super thin, fluorescent light green-yellow, like the fluorescent psychedelic posters I had in my bedroom. The scorpion left a knot on my foot the size of a ping-pong ball.