Acid-Shooting Whip Scorpions Seen Roaming Texas National Park – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

(CNN) – Some freaky looking creatures are looking for partners this summer. And no, we’re not talking about the candidates on Sexy Beasts.

Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas warns visitors that the summer rains are bringing arachnids called essigoons “out of their burrows in search of food and love.”

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Also known as whip scorpions, these three-inch creatures can pinch their heavy mouthparts, according to a Facebook post from the national park. They also have long, whip-like tails that can deliver a spray of 85% acetic acid, a major ingredient in vinegar.

The critters sound terrifying and have made sensational headlines about “acid-shooting country lobsters”.

Vinegar seen in Big Bend National Park in Texas (Image: NPS / CA Hoyt / Big Bend National Park / Facebook)

But the essigoons, which are nocturnal and cannot see very well, are “relatively benign unless you annoy them,” says the park.

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According to Texas A & M’s AgriLife Extension Service, they’re primarily found in West Texas, particularly the Trans-Pecos region. They are more common in the desert, but have also been reported in grasslands, scrub, pine forests, and mountains.

The park says they hunt millipedes, scorpions, crickets, and other invertebrates by sensing vibrations with their forelegs.

While the sight may be unsettling, if you come across one, don’t panic. Vinegar is not poisonous.

In fact, Big Bend seems to be encouraging people to take a closer look at the strange, insect-like creatures. The park advises that if you spot a female she may be carrying cubs on her back.

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(The CNN Wire ™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company contributed to this report. All rights reserved.)

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