Crossing paths with a BIG black scorpion

.

"Lest you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, ¹⁵ who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water." 

Deuteronomy 8:14-15

 

This scorpion walked across the path right in front of me down in the desert just outside of town!
The size of the palm of my hand!
Just before and after sunset, after the hot summer day, I usually go out for a walk out in nature.
In my two years of roaming this desert, this was my first time to meet a scorpion.

Don't be afraid to click two separate times and enlarge the photos!

Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek hospital published this warning on Facebook on July 22:

This past week, two people were rushed to hospitals after getting stung by scorpions. Scorpions tend to "hide" in thick brush and in areas that are dark and isolated. It is recommended to wear gloves when working in the garden and wear closed shoes when walking around at night, outside, in areas with thick vegetation. In addition, if you go camping, it is better not to sleep directly on the ground and remember to shake out your shoes before putting them on.

Dr. Todd Zalut, Director of the Emergency Medicine Department at Shaare Zedek explains, "Scorpions can be divided into black and yellow scorpions and all bites can cause allergic reactions. While the bite from a black scorpion hurts a lot, the yellow scorpion has poisonous venom. People stung by a yellow scorpion may experience pain, swelling, tingling or numbness around the area of the bite, the person may have difficulty swallowing, blurred vision, roving eye movements, seizures, salivation, thick tongue, nausea, vomiting, respiratory distress, or agitation… Antivenom is one treatment option, however, we only use it in very severe cases since there is a potential for complications from the antivenom. Generally, we calm the patient, treat the pain and give muscle relaxants. Please be sure to seek immediate medical attention if you have been stung by either type of scorpion."

(Linking, of course!, to Camera-Critters.)
.