Harmless. No venom and no sting despite the tail, which is a sensory filament rather than a weapon. Its defence is a spray of concentrated acetic acid — vinegar — which stings in the eyes and on broken skin and does no lasting harm.
SizeBody 40–60 mm, plus the tail filament
MarkingsA long thin whip-like tail with no sting or bulb at the end · Heavy, spined pedipalps held forward like pincers
WhereBurrows it digs itself in sandy or loose soil, under rocks and logs, in dry warm country.
How to tell it apart
A long thin whip-like tail with no sting or bulb at the end
Heavy, spined pedipalps held forward like pincers
First pair of legs long and thin, used as feelers rather than for walking
Glossy dark brown to black, body 40–60 mm — large and solid
Smells strongly of vinegar when disturbed
Where you’ll find it
The southern United States — Florida, the Gulf states, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico — and south into Mexico.
Burrows it digs itself in sandy or loose soil, under rocks and logs, in dry warm country.
How it behaves
Nocturnal, slow and reclusive, spending the day in a burrow it excavates with its pedipalps. It hunts by touch, using the modified front legs as feelers, and crushes prey with the pedipalps rather than envenomating it. The defensive spray is the notable feature: glands at the base of the tail produce a mixture that is largely acetic acid, aimed accurately at whatever is bothering it, and the vinegar smell is unmistakable at close range. Females carry the young on their backs after hatching.
You’ve found one indoors
Leave it or move it with a container — it is a slow, reluctant animal that would much rather be left alone. Wash your hands and avoid your eyes if one has sprayed. There is no reason to kill one; they eat cockroaches, crickets and scorpions.
Common questions
Does the tail sting?
No. There is no sting and no venom in it. The tail is a sensory filament, and the actual defence is a spray from glands at its base.
What is the vinegar smell?
Concentrated acetic acid, sprayed defensively. It is where the name vinegaroon comes from. It irritates eyes and broken skin and causes no lasting damage.
How is it different from a tailless whip scorpion?
The tail, and the order. This one has a long whip-like tail and sprays acid; the tailless whip scorpion has neither and has no chemical defence at all. They are separate arachnid orders that share a shape.
Is it dangerous to pets?
Not meaningfully. A dog that mouths one will get a face full of vinegar and learn from it. There is no venom involved.
Juan Cruzado Cortés · CC-BY-SA