A Boulder City resident, out for her morning jog by Veterans Memorial Park, ran towards what she thought were leaves on the pathway.
Only as she cruised past did it register they were scorpions! (If the picture looks blurry it’s because her hands were shaking from the “ICK!” factor…)
Scorpions are part of our lives here in the desert. The ultimate survivalists, they existed before dinosaurs roamed the earth, thrive in the harshest environments and can even, so it’s claimed, survive a nuclear fallout. That is one tough animal!
And while most people get the heebie jeebies around them, scorpions serve a vital role in the desert ecosystem – they even help people! Did you know their venom is used to help cancer patients? Check this out from the Smithsonian.
Most runners aren’t bothered by scorpions, even those who run the trails on the outskirts of town. Now rattlers, that’s another story…which we’ll save for another day.
Bottom line, remember that even on our paved roads in town, we’re the visitors here in the desert – not the other way around.
Written by Noreen Kenny for publication by Boulder City Social.
