All scorpions are venomous and sting with a bulbous, thorn-like structure at the end of the tail (abdomen).
But the toxicity of the venom to humans varies with the species of scorpion.
The sting of most scorpions is painful and causes swelling and discoloration at the site of the sting but is not dangerous.
A few scorpions are very dangerous and cause fatalities.
Of the 40 or so species of scorpions that occur in the United States, only one, a 2.5 inch long yellow or yellow and brown species that is found only in Arizona, causes death.
A related species that occurs in Mexico, known as the Durango scorpion, is especially dangerous.
During a 39 year period, it was responsible for 1,665 deaths, mostly of children, and mostly in the city of Durango, which at that time had a population of only 50,000.
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