Bark Scorpion
Centruroides sculpturatus
What the sources say
Venom: “The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, is the only species that causes serious illness.” (New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center)
Scorpions in New Mexico: Species, Stings & Lookalikes
Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
On this page
This page lists 2 scorpions: all from New Mexico Department of Wildlife's BISON-M species search, taxonomic name "Scorpiones". 1 is venomous by official accounts.
New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says: “Like their relatives, all scorpions produce venom.” Official sources name the arizona bark scorpion (listed here as Bark Scorpion) as dangerous to people; it is marked venomous, with the source, and listed first. The other 1 scorpion is marked “Not named as dangerous”. That does not make it harmless: do not handle scorpions.
Not every species: no complete official list of New Mexico scorpions exists, so this page covers the ones state and Extension sources name. How lists are built.
Which scorpions can hurt you
Official sources single out these scorpions in New Mexico, in their own words:
-
Photo: Andrew Meeds · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist Arizona bark scorpion
Venomous. “The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, is the only species that causes serious illness.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center
All 2 scorpions
Venomous species first, then A to Z. Do not handle them.
Peloncillo Scorpion
Diplocentrus pelloncillensis
- Venom
- “Like their relatives, all scorpions produce venom.” New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center says this of the whole group; it does not name this species as dangerous to people. Do not handle it.
- Conservation
- State NM: Endemic to New Mexico
When scorpions are active in New Mexico
Records of scorpions in New Mexico peak in May and August to September. They show when people record scorpions, not how many there are (about month bars).
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
Official advice from New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center:
- Bites and stings (black widow, scorpion): call Poison Help 1-800-222-1222. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center
What official sources say
Are there dangerous scorpions in New Mexico?
Yes. The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of the state, is the only species that causes serious illness. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center
“The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, is the only species that causes serious illness.”
About this list
The species list comes from BISON-M species search, taxonomic name "Scorpiones" (order Scorpiones records only; pseudoscorpions excluded) (New Mexico Department of Wildlife (BISON-M, with Natural Heritage New Mexico), live database export 2026-11-03).
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Sources
- Living With Wildlife. New Mexico Department of Wildlife (formerly New Mexico Department of Game and Fish). page modified 2026-10-26; checked November 3, 2026.
- BISON-M (Biota Information System of New Mexico) species search export: taxonomic name "Scorpiones". New Mexico Department of Wildlife (BISON-M, with Natural Heritage New Mexico). database queried November 3, 2026; checked November 3, 2026.
- Bites and Stings. New Mexico Poison & Drug Information Center (UNM Health Sciences; New Mexico's poison-control program). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
Quoted passages (3)
“The Arizona bark scorpion, found in the southwestern corner of New Mexico, is the only species that causes serious illness.”
“Like their relatives, all scorpions produce venom.”
“If you think that you have been stung by a scorpion, call 1-800-222-1222 immediately for first aid advice.”
- GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.