Scorpion stings can cause searing pain, grievous bodily harm, and potentially even death, with scorpion-linked fatalities numbering in the thousands each year. While antivenoms can treat these stings, they’re often tailored to specific species, and it’s not always immediately clear which one is the culprit.
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Being able to predict where scorpion species might be lurking—before they end up in an unlucky individual’s shoe—could help prevent many of the nearly 2 million stings each year. Which is just what an international team of scientists led by Michel Dugon of the University of Galway in Ireland recently set out to do.
The team chose to study Morocco, due to its rich diversity of scorpion species and habitats. To discover potential deadly scorpion hotspots, they combined field observations with computer modeling, taking into account a range of variables related to temperature, precipitation, elevation, vegetation, and more. They published their findings last week in Environmental Research Communications.
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Somewhat surprisingly, they found soil type played the biggest role in where 74 percent of the species lived, with the remaining species’ ranges determined primarily by temperature. Importantly, not all scorpions were as adaptable as others. H. gentili, a generalist, showed the most widespread distribution, covering 62 percent of the study area. Meanwhile, four other scorpion species were restricted to areas covering less than 1 percent of the same area—much narrower ecological niches.
The team hopes these new findings will lead to a better public-health response to scorpion stings worldwide.
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“The findings could save lives,” Dugon said in a statement. “By pinpointing where dangerous scorpions are most likely to appear, health authorities can target awareness campaigns, train frontline medical staff, and focus community prevention in high-risk areas, especially protecting children. The approach can be applied wherever scorpions pose a threat, from Brazil to the Middle East and India.”
Until then, don’t forget to check your shoes.
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Lead image: Lamyai / Shutterstock