Hadrurus intergrade

Hadrurus
intergrade

Hadrurus intergrade refers to a hybrid or intermediate form between species in the Hadrurus genus, in this particular case: Hadrurus arizonensis and Hadrurus spadix. As natural laboratories of speciation and adaptation, Hadrurus intergrades illuminate how ecological overlap and potential hybridization shape the evolutionary trajectory of North American desert scorpions

HABITAT

🌍 Geographic Range:

Hadrurus intergrade can be found in the overlapping ranges of Arizona and California (the same ranges where H.spadix and H.arizonensis can be found.) In the zones where these 2 species overlap, Intergrade variants can be found.Prefers desert environments, often found in sandy, rocky, or gravelly soils. It typically seeks shelter in burrows or under rocks to avoid the extreme heat of the day.

• This species is known to dig burrows that can be several feet deep, which help regulate temperature and humidity levels.

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🏡 Microhabitat Preferences:

Found in arid and semi-arid regions. Specialized for life in rocky habitats, especially:

Cliff faces
Rocky hillsides
Cracks and crevices in escarpments

It is a flat-bodied scorpion, which allows it to squeeze into very narrow rock crevices to avoid predators and extreme heat. Nocturnal, emerging at night to hunt insects and other arthropods.

Physical Description

📏Size:

Hadrurus intergrade is one of the largest scorpion species in the United States, with adults typically reaching lengths of 10 to 13 cm.

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🎨Coloration:

Mix between H. arizonensis and H.spadix, often yellowish with varying degrees of darker pigmentation.

Intergrades usually show a sandy-yellow base like arizonensis but with varying degrees of dusky brown or dark shading across the carapace and tergites.

The back is darker than in arizonensis but not as fully black as in spadix, often appearing mottled or partially darkened. Legs, pedipalps, and tail remain mostly pale yellow, sometimes slightly darker than in arizonensis. Overall, the colouration of intergrades looks intermediate, with a sandy background and moderate darkening on the dorsum that does not reach the solid black typical of spadix.

Captive Care

📏Enclosure Size:

A minimum terrarium of 30x30x20 is sufficient for a single H. intergrade adult.

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🌡️Temperature:

24–30 °C

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💧Humidity:

50%.

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🌱Substrate:

Sand/clay

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⏰Feeding schedule:

Once every 2 weeks

STATS

LATIN NAME:

• Hadrurus intergrade

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COMMON NAME:

• Desert Hairy Intergrade Scorpion

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TEMPERATURE:

• 25°- 30°

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TEMPERAMENT:

• Will sting if provoked

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HUMIDITY:

• 40-50%

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COMMUNAL:

• 2/5

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SIZE:

• Up to 14cm

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ECOLOGY:

• Terrestrial/Fossorial

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SUBSTRATE:

• Sand/Clay

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ORIGIN:

• Arizona, USA

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FACTS

Hadrurus intergrades are natural hybrids between Hadrurus arizonensis and Hadrurus spadix, found where their ranges overlap in the American Southwest. They combine the sandy-yellow colour of arizonensis with the darker back of spadix, producing intermediate patterns that vary by individual.

Like both parents, they are among the largest North American scorpions (up to 14 cm), mildly venomous and avid diggers. Intergrades are valued for showing how species boundaries blur and for their striking appearance.