Venomous scorpion found by dog on Scottish street

An inquisitive dog stumbled upon a venomous scorpion in Lanarkshire thousands of miles from its natural home. The eight-year-old female westie named Skye found the insect outside her owner’s Hamilton home on Wednesday. According to the Scottish SPCA, the Florida bark scorpion may have been unknowingly brought from its native America in someone’s suitcase as they came to Scotland.

The animal welfare charity said Skye’s owner had managed to contain the young insect in a plastic tub with air holes, while a new home is now being sought for it while it is being cared for Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre at Cardonald. Animal rescue officer Ashley Griffin said: "The man who found this scorpion wasn't fazed at all and was able to contain it without any trouble, which is pretty remarkable as I'd imagine most people would have panicked.



"Skye definitely deserves a lot of credit for alerting her owner as it's a small scorpion which could easily have come to harm. Florida barks aren't deadly although, if bitten, the pain could vary from that of a bee-sting to intense inflammation and sickness. They are used to heat so it would have been enjoying the warm weather we've had this week but wouldn't have survived for long as the temperatures dropped at night.

"As they're native to Florida and very common there, it's likely someone has brought this creature back in their suitcase without realising. However, the man who found it hadn't been on holiday recently so we don't think it has come from inside his house.” She added: "It's around three centimetres at the moment, indicating it's quite young as an adult can reach up to four inches long. We're hopeful we'll soon be able to find this scorpion a home with an experienced and knowledgeable owner where it can receive the care it needs."