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Keizer, OR (KPTV) — Firefighters at the Keizer Fire Department became fast friends with four scorpions Wednesday after a concerned citizen found the arachnids near a park play area.
The fire department says the scorpions were found in a container at Keizer Rapids Park.
Fire officials accepted the scorpions and were referred to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, where an entomologist confirmed the species as the native Pacific Northwest Forest Scorpion.
The species is nocturnal and are therefore uncommonly seen, according to the department of agriculture. The species is not aggressive and, although they can sting, they prefer to play dead when disturbed.
“They are most often found on south- or west-facing slopes, under rocks or logs on the ground, preferring moister situations,” according to the fire department.
Timmy, Lynn, Ted, and Jeramiah will now live the life of celebrities, the fire department says, traveling to outreach events like the Oregon State Fair. Fire officials say they plan to “get some good portraits” of the scorpions soon.
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