In the Sonoran Desert, the Arizona bark scorpion is feared for its potent sting. It's the most venomous scorpion in the U.S., and a sting can cause agony for days, leading to hundreds of hospital visits each year. But the Southern grasshopper mouse has developed an astonishing defenseâit can effectively numb its own pain receptors while doing battle, rendering the scorpionâs repeated stings painless.
In the Ultra-HD video below , KQED's Deep Look goes deep on this odd battleâand how the mouse's reaction to such severe venom could help scientists develop painkillers.
CONTENT NOTE: This video shows a scorpion stinging a mouse in the face! Repeatedly! It gets a little intense just past the 2:00 mark, but the mouse turns out fine. The scorpion is lunch.
For more on this (or if you can't watch the video), check out KQED's article about the scorpion/mouse arms race , which features this particularly scary passage (emphasis added):
Check your boots, folks.
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