Northern Scorpion - Paruroctonus boreus
When we think about scorpions, we think about the deserts of the American southwest. Things like cactus, hot sand and a general lack of water come to mind. While Montana is known for its majestic mountains and clear, cool rivers, over half of the state is a more arid sagebrush and grassland sea where sandstone cliffs rise as if from nowhere. Among the cliffs where ravens nest, rattlesnakes sun themselves and pallid bats roost in crevices, lives Montana's only scorpion species.
Northern scorpions are native to Montana. They have a range encompassing the entire western United States and southern Canada. Despite their vast distribution, they are rarely seen. At less than 2 inches in length, a light tan to brown color conducive to blending into a sandstone environment and strict nocturnal habits, our paths with them don't cross very often.
The best places to find northern scorpions are on south-facing slopes in southeastern Montana, but you can find them throughout most of the state, if you find the right habitat. You can find them during daylight hours by flipping over rocks. However, they are nocturnal, so if you want to improve your odds of seeing one, you can use an ultraviolet light at night to scan the ground as they fluoresce a bright blue/green color under UV light.
Northern scorpions are arachnids that eat anything that can fit in their claws, and like their traditional desert counterparts, they have a stinger loaded with venom used to stun their prey. Their venom is considered mild, like that of a spider. Stings from this particular scorpion are considered rare. Northern scorpions are also an important food source for pallid bats, which are a species of special concern in Montana.
Northern scorpions reside in many of Montana's state parks. Visit one and try your hand at finding one. Just be aware of rattlesnakes; they occupy the same habitats and won't be happy if you invade their personal space.
State Parks with Northern Scorpion Habitat:
Pictograph Caves State Park
Tongue River Reservoir State Park
Makoshika State Park
Cooney State Park
Medicine Rocks State Park
Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park
First Peoples' Buffalo Jump
Madison Buffalo Jump State Park
Rosebud Battlefield State Park