The beautiful landscapes of New Mexico are a playground for outdoor lovers, but they are also home to native venomous creatures. By respecting the creatures' and their habitats, poisonings are typically avoidable. Follow the tips below when enjoying the great outdoors.
All spiders produce venom, a poisonous liquid that is injected when a spider bites. Bites that cause serious illness depend on the potency of the venom. Black widow venom is strong enough to cause serious illness.
Black Widow spiders have a shiny black color, and large, round stomachs. Females are larger than males, ranging from one to two inches in diameter. The female also has a marking on her stomach that is usually red, and the males do not.
Their bite is most painful the first 8 to 12 hours after they bite. Their venom causes severe muscle spasms all over the body, especially in young children and the elderly.
Prevention and First Aid
Scorpions are relatives of spiders. Like their relatives, all scorpions produce venom. The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, is the only species that causes serious illness.
The Arizona Bark scorpion is one to one and one-half inches in length. They have 4 sets of legs and two pinchers in the front of their long bodies. They sting their victims with the tips of their tails.
This scorpion likes dark and damp places. They typically come out at night to feed around swim pools, lakes and rivers. They are also commonly found in the home. The Arizona bark scorpion can climb all surfaces except glass and clean plastic.
Symptoms in children include uncontrollable crying, excessive drooling and rapid eye movements. Adults commonly experience symptoms within two to three hours after the sting:
If in areas inhabited by the Arizona bark scorpion...
Vinegaroons are black and nocturnal creatures. Unlike true scorpions, they are not venomous, but their
vinegar secretions can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and mouth. Exposures to the skin may cause
pain, reddening of the skin, tingling or numbness, itching, and swelling. These symptoms can last one
hour to a couple of days. Eye exposures are usually painful with possible blurred vision, and can last one
hour to several days. Exposures to the mouth in children can cause irritation and ulceration.
Snake season is usually April through October in New Mexico, when snakes come out of their winter dens to hunt for food and water. Venomous snakes have triangle-shaped heads, elliptical pupils, fangs and rounded tails. The two types of venomous snakes in New Mexico are the rattlesnake and the coral snake.
Rattlesnakes are the most common venomous snakes in New Mexico. Several species of rattlesnakes live in New Mexico. Adult rattlesnakes are usually 2.5 to 4.5 feet long. They have a rattle button on the end of their tails that may or may not sound before striking out. Rattlesnake venom is very toxic.
Coral Snakes are less common and are found in the southwest corner of New Mexico. The snakes found in this region are usually too small to bite through human skin. However, make no mistake, their venom is highly toxic. Coral snakes are often confused with the non-venomous New Mexico milk snake because they have similar banding patterns.
