TEXAS — While it sounds like something out of the “Alien” franchise, experts say it’s not all that dangerous.
All of the recent rain Texas has received has brought vinegaroons out of their burrows in search of food and romance, Big Bend National Park reports.
The insects are about 3 inches long and while not terribly dangerous they can defend themselves. They can pinch and are capable of spraying 85% acetic acid (vinegar) from the base of their long tail, or “whip.” Their accuracy is pretty high, too.
The insects are nocturnal, can’t see all that well and mostly hunt scorpions, crickets, cockroaches and millipedes. They’re mostly found in desert regions, so you’re unlikely to stumble upon one in Central Texas, for instance.
The female vinegaroon carries its eggs in a sac. After hatching, the babies ride on the mother’s back like a scorpion.