Scorpion adults are yellowish brown to tan, sometimes with stripes or other markings. Newly born 1st instar nymphs are whitish, and stay light in color for about 2-3 months. In the west scorpions are found as far north as British Columbia. The whipscorpion has an oval abdomen, a long whip-like tail with no stinger, and an extra long 1st pair of legs.
Outdoors scorpions hide in burrows, and under rocks, logs or debris.
After catching large prey in the claw-like pedipalps, the scorpion stings it repeatedly. A dry pellet is discarded after feeding. With water nearby a scorpion can go for months without food. Scorpions give birth to living young, which crawl up onto the mothers' backs, and stay until the 1st molt, 7-30 days later, then come down to feed, scattering. Sometimes a lost body part may grow back, although the new one may be malformed.