Rogue scorpion lost in room with cockatiel!

[zonkbat]

Hello! I believe I saw a bark scorpion running around in my room somewhere, where my cockatiel is also housed. Is there something anyone could recommend to try and lure it out? I attempted looking around with a black light but didn’t see anything, so i’m guessing it’s hiding somewhere! My cockatiel loves walking around on the floor, hanging out under the bed /cabinet, etc. so i’m a little worried.
What should I do?

 

[darkness975]

Don't let the bird out in that room until you find it.

Black light at night is your best bet. Given they're native where you are it will come out at night to wander and hunt.

 

[NMTs]

Provide a heat source in the room - like a black or red heat lamp several inches from the floor. If the scorp is wandering in there, it'll be attracted to the heat and likely stop to bask.

 

[zonkbat]

Provide a heat source in the room - like a black or red heat lamp several inches from the floor. If the scorp is wandering in there, it'll be attracted to the heat and likely stop to bask.

Perfect, I do have a space heater I could use. Could a bark scorpion kill a cockatiel if it happened to sting them?

 

[NMTs]

Perfect, I do have a space heater I could use. Could a bark scorpion kill a cockatiel if it happened to sting them?

Don't know about that, but I would do my best to avoid finding out! Maybe aim the space heater at a wall, so the heat is concentrated in one area if you know what I mean. Heating the entire room won't help much. Good luck!

 

[The Snark]

Could a bark scorpion kill a cockatiel if it happened to sting them?

A question that might come up in a zoology class. Birds are scorps #1 natural enemies and as such the scorp would be inclined to go to guns upon encountering one. Their sting is designed to target predators in self defense, especially birds, and the venom instantly causing acute pain. And Cockatiels, herbivores, tend to be airheads as they forage about. So a potential perfect storm on the horizon there.
Best is @darkness975 and @NMTs answer; don't find out. Get the bird out of harms way.

 

[The Snark]

To follow up as to the hazard a scorpion could present to a bird there are two factors involved here. Potency and delivery amount of the neurotoxin and the somewhat unique physiology and neurology of the Cockatiel.

Principal cause of animal death from scorpion venom may be direct effect on the victims organs, specifically the heart and lungs, but going by known symptoms exhibited by animals stung it is next to certain it will cause neurotoxic shock coupled with some degree of psychogenic shock. Both by themselves have caused deaths.

Cockatiels have exhibited odd, some call it advanced mental capabilities to wit: they have exhibited long term memories, develop and maintain preferences and dislikes of foods, surroundings, and activity around them along with numerous other advanced mental capabilities. They have also gone on record of taking an intense dislike to certain circumstances, refusing to eat and going into a mental decline which has resulted in death. All summed up, they are likely to be candidates for neurological and psychological trauma to have a profound effect on their general well being.

Of course to be certain of a theory would require inhumane testing but having seen acute shock effects in some animals and in numerous humans including myself, effective envenomation would be very bad news for the cockatiel with an poor prognosis if it developed any symptoms.


Ref
Shock, general. Trauma that causes hypoxia, lack of oxygen, to the brain.

Simple shock. A light headed feeling which may cause a person to lose consciousness. The commonest cause is a sudden extreme pain trauma where the blood vessels voluntarily expand, blood pools in the lower extremities and the brain becomes de-oxygenated. This form is easily reversed in humans by getting the person to lie flat on their back and elevate the legs. Blood flows back and becomes available to the cardio-pulmonary system.

Neurotoxic shock is a common mechanism in animal venoms which cause a degree of paralysis on two pathways, inhibiting or arresting vital organ function where blood is not properly oxygenated, pulmonary issues, and or arresting delivery of oxygenated blood to the brain through either inhibited or arrested cardiovascular functions.
A well known example is spider hunting wasps. The initial sting paralyzes the victim and depending on the wasp that may be sufficient but most often they sting multiple times to infuse the venom throughout the tissues and organs with the venom's secondary function being a preservative - the neurotoxin also effects microorganisms such as bacteria - to deliver healthy flesh for the wasp larvae to feed upon**.

Psychogenic shock is the same as simple shock with the trauma delivered through the senses. The most typical example was a mid air collision of two aircraft. Bystanders on the ground were found dead without physical trauma. Psychogenic shock from seeing body parts and debris raining out of the skies the sole cause of the deaths.

Shock can happen instantly on out to minutes or even over an hour in the case of diabetic or similar latent shock conditions.

** Animals that produce venoms also produce or develop immunity to their venoms. How this works is examined in great detail in advanced toxicology. Feel free to explain the receptors, channels, blockers and et al to me.

 

[darkness975]

To follow up as to the hazard a scorpion could present to a bird there are two factors involved here. Potency and delivery amount of the neurotoxin and the somewhat unique physiology and neurology of the Cockatiel.

Principal cause of animal death from scorpion venom may be direct effect on the victims organs, specifically the heart and lungs, but going by known symptoms exhibited by animals stung it is next to certain it will cause neurotoxic shock coupled with some degree of psychogenic shock. Both by themselves have caused deaths.

Cockatiels have exhibited odd, some call it advanced mental capabilities to wit: they have exhibited long term memories, develop and maintain preferences and dislikes of foods, surroundings, and activity around them along with numerous other advanced mental capabilities. They have also gone on record of taking an intense dislike to certain circumstances, refusing to eat and going into a mental decline which has resulted in death. All summed up, they are likely to be candidates for neurological and psychological trauma to have a profound effect on their general well being.

Of course to be certain of a theory would require inhumane testing but having seen acute shock effects in some animals and in numerous humans including myself, effective envenomation would be very bad news for the cockatiel with an poor prognosis if it developed any symptoms.


Ref
Shock, general. Trauma that causes hypoxia, lack of oxygen, to the brain.

Simple shock. A light headed feeling which may cause a person to lose consciousness. The commonest cause is a sudden extreme pain trauma where the blood vessels voluntarily expand, blood pools in the lower extremities and the brain becomes de-oxygenated. This form is easily reversed in humans by getting the person to lie flat on their back and elevate the legs. Blood flows back and becomes available to the cardio-pulmonary system.

Neurotoxic shock is a common mechanism in animal venoms which cause a degree of paralysis on two pathways, inhibiting or arresting vital organ function where blood is not properly oxygenated, pulmonary issues, and or arresting delivery of oxygenated blood to the brain through either inhibited or arrested cardiovascular functions.
A well known example is spider hunting wasps. The initial sting paralyzes the victim and depending on the wasp that may be sufficient but most often they sting multiple times to infuse the venom throughout the tissues and organs with the venom's secondary function being a preservative - the neurotoxin also effects microorganisms such as bacteria - to deliver healthy flesh for the wasp larvae to feed upon**.

Psychogenic shock is the same as simple shock with the trauma delivered through the senses. The most typical example was a mid air collision of two aircraft. Bystanders on the ground were found dead without physical trauma. Psychogenic shock from seeing body parts and debris raining out of the skies the sole cause of the deaths.

Shock can happen instantly on out to minutes or even over an hour in the case of diabetic or similar latent shock conditions.

** Animals that produce venoms also produce or develop immunity to their venoms. How this works is examined in great detail in advanced toxicology. Feel free to explain the receptors, channels, blockers and et al to me.

I have had various species of birds as pets for most of my life and some definitely are more dimwitted than others.

The smaller size of the animal would also be an issue. The same amount might be uncomfortable for us but is lethal to a small bird.

 

[2nscorpx]

I'm sorry to say it, but I think the scorpion would have less of an ability to survive in this case individually (i.e., winter, lack of access to water) than anything to do with the cockatiel (I'm assuming C. sculpturatus or C. vittatus, and I see that you're from Nevada). There are a few tricks to something like this, even things like putting a bit of flour down on the floor to see where the scorpion has travelled, but since it's arboreal (and regardless), I'd look in any places that provide warmth (first) and water (second) - if you have a ceiling fan, the insides of shoes, cabinets or around a desk near where you or a computer might be, in your bathroom - all the classic places. If the C. sculpturatus/vittatus/gracilis, etc. stung a cockatiel, it could certainly be fatal, yes. I wouldn't expect any interaction between them, though.

I'd just do as people have already said, set up a heat source (an infrared bulb/lamp would be great if you have one), maybe provide a shallow water dish near it, and check consistently in the above-mentioned places with a UV light as you have been. I hope you find it!

 

[Wolf135]

You should put the bird up until you find it.

 

[darkness975]

I think the scorpion would have less of an ability to survive in this case individually (i.e., winter, lack of access to water) than anything to do with the cockatiel (I'm assuming C. sculpturatus or C. vittatus

In the short term on its own yes. But the biggest issue is if the Nymphicus hollandicus inadvertently encounters the wayward Centruroides spp. before being found. A sting would not be good.