Summer Rain Brings Out Acid-Spraying Vinegaroons In Texas Park

In Texas, the summer rain has brought out an arachnid that looks half scorpion and half spider and sprays acid.

The vinegaroon, or whip scorpion, thanks to its long thin tail, had been spotted in Big Bend National Park near a campground area last week. The critters are “relatively benign,” unless provoked, the park service said in a Facebook post. 

If provoked, they shoot a “well-aimed spray of 85% acetic acid, or vinegar, from the base of their’ whip'” as a defense mechanism. The acid is not poisonous to humans. Whip scorpions average about three inches long and pinch with their heavy mouthparts.

Most commonly found in the desert, they eat cockroaches, crickets, scorpions, and millipedes.

According to park officials, the rains have driven the vinegaroons out of their burrows in search of “food and love.”

“If you’re lucky enough to see one, look closely,” the post read. If it’s a female vinegaroon, you’ll be able to see the hatchling on its back.