The late Dr. Forrest Shreve of the Desert Laboratory in Tucson, Arizona,
stated that the principal characteristic of a desert is “deficient and
uncertain rainfall.” From our grammar school geographies we gained the
impression that a desert is a great expanse of sand piled into dunes by
the wind, without moisture or vegetation, a land of thirst, desolation,
even death.
Although sand dunes devoid of vegetation are characteristic of the
Sahara and some other deserts of the world, those of the United States
support a variety of plant and animal life which, through generations of
adaptation, are able to meet the conditions imposed by this environment
(see frontispiece). Persons who misunderstand our deserts fear them,
while others who have visited them become fascinated and return
periodically or settle down and live in them.
Some of the creatures living in deserts are known to be poisonous to
man. Western thriller fiction of press, screen, and TV has emphasized
and exaggerated this fact, developing in many people a wholly mistaken
fear of the desert and its inhabitants. In contrast, other persons may
under-estimate the possibility of injury from these animals and become
careless.
It is the purpose of this booklet to discuss accurately the various
poisonous dwellers of the desert, as well as to debunk some of the
superstitions and misunderstandings which have developed.
A majority of the poisonous creatures in the desert are by no means
restricted to that environment. Rattlesnakes, for example, so often
associated with the arid regions of the West, occur in nearly every
section of the United States.
“A poison,” states _Encyclopedia Brittanica_, “is a substance which, by
its direct action on the mucous membrane, tissues, or skin, or after
absorption into the circulatory system can, in the way which it is
administered, injuriously affect health or destroy life.” A poisonous
creature may be defined as one which produces a poison for the
administering of which it has developed a special mechanism.
Since, due to personal differences, the bite or sting of a poisonous
creature may injuriously affect the health of one person and not that of
another, and since the poison of one individual creature may be
insufficient to cause an unpleasant reaction, while that from several
hundred might produce severe illness or even death, it is difficult to
determine which creature should be included in a publication of this
nature. The writer, therefore, has exercised his judgment in discussing
in the following pages such creatures as he feels may offer a menace to
the welfare of a visitor to the desert. In addition, a few paragraphs
are included for the defense of several harmless desert dwellers which
are mistakenly believed poisonous and which, as a result, have been
mercilessly persecuted.
[Illustration: _Giant desert centipede_]
[Illustration: _Enlarged view of underside of centipede’s head,
showing the double pair of jaws._
(Photographs by Marvin H. Frost Sr.)]
It should be understood that the author has not himself conducted
scientific research among the desert animals regarding which he writes.
The material in this book is a digest of the findings of various
competent scientific and medical authorities, and has been carefully
checked for accuracy and authenticity.
Don’t be frightened as a result of reading this booklet. The desert is
just as safe—perhaps safer—for homemaking as many other parts of our
country.
Giant desert centipede
(_Scolopendra heros_)
Many species of centipedes of various sizes and colors are found
throughout the world. The majority are small, harmless, and not
sufficiently numerous to be considered seriously, even as pests.
Usually they are found under boards, in cracks and crevices, in
basements and closets, and in other moist locations where they hide
during the day and venture forth at night in search of small insects for
food.
The large, poisonous desert centipede attains a length of 6 or even 8
inches and has jaws of sufficient strength to inflict a painful bite.
Glands at the base of the jaw produce poison which causes the area about
the bite to swell and become feverish and painful. Persons who have been
bitten report that the swelling and tenderness may persist for several
weeks, that the bite sometimes suppurates and is difficult and slow to
heal.
_Because the bite of even a large centipede is usually a painful
inconvenience rather than a serious injury, no specific treatment has
been developed. Application of an antiseptic such as iodine immediately
following receipt of the bite, working it well into the fang punctures,
is advised. Bathing the site of the bite with strong ammonia will bring
relief if done immediately, while soaking the area in a solution of hot
Epsom salts may shorten the period of discomfort. Prompt treatment by a
physician will reduce duration and intensity of pain._
Although the bite of a large centipede is no joke, it is not cause for
fear or worry. Exaggerated stories of the deadly effects of the bite,
and reports that the tip of each leg carries a poisonous spur, have
caused many persons to be overly afraid of centipedes. Hysteria and
shock resulting from this unfounded fear probably have been the cause of
more suffering than the bites themselves.
The tip of each of the 42 legs of the giant desert centipede is equipped
with a sharp claw. It is possible when the centipede scurries across a
person’s arm or leg for these claws to make pin-point punctures.
Infection introduced through these tiny openings readily leads to the
belief that poison has been injected. Prompt application of an
antiseptic will greatly reduce the possibility of infection.
[Illustration: _Left_: _Yellow, slender-tailed. Deadly species._
Centruroides sculpturatus
_Center_: _Striped-tail. Not deadly._
Vejovis spinigeris
_Right_: _Desert hairy. Large, not deadly._
Hadrurus hirsutus]