Uroctonus Mordax

Uroctonus mordax, commonly known as the California forest scorpion or western forest scorpion, is a species of scorpion in the family Vaejovidae. It is small with a squat body and a proportionally thin tail, typically dark brown to black with translucent yellowish brown legs, and males are smaller and duller colored than females; the fifth segment of its tail carries a distinctive ventral ridge that forks into a Y shape. It strongly prefers moist environments, typically found under rocks, logs, bark, and dead trees at elevations from 5 to 2,000 meters, and is shy enough that it hunts only on moonless nights. It is most common in California's San Francisco Bay Area, particularly in redwood forests and oak woodlands on south or west facing slopes, with its range extending north through western Oregon into southern Washington in remote west facing hill regions. The species is considered a foundational part of its native forest ecosystems.