This beautiful place, though a bit flooded, has become a hotbed for something a teensy bit unsettling. As the waters rose, scorpions, snakes, snapping turtles, and spiders have had to evacuate their homes and run for safety. Unfortunately, that means we’re seeing a whole lot more of them. This flooded lake in Kansas is one reason why you may be seeing a few more creepy crawlies in the area than normal.
Many Kansans are very familiar with the Clinton Lake area and its beauty. However, many are not familiar with what lives here, just around our feet.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
Due to recent rains building up too quickly to be released safely, the water level is somewhere around 20 feet too high as of the end of June 2019.
Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook
All of this flooding does mean that the boat ramps and campsites are closed, but it also means all the things that made the shore area their home are scampering for safety.
Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook
What you see here is the Striped Bark Scorpion, native to Kansas and mostly unseen unless you’re searching with a black light at night or they’re pushed out of their homes by flood. They need a dry place to live near food, and now they are forced to find a new home.
k.draper/Flickr
However, their sting is no more harmful than a regular bee sting, unless you’re allergic to them, which is highly unlikely.
Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook
While scorpions are a little more creepy than the rest, other creatures displaced by all this water include snakes, spiders, and even snapping turtles. Though a snapping turtle or a snake are technically more dangerous than the scorpions here, all of these animals and arachnids are needing new homes.
USFWS Fish and Aquatic/Flickr
Skittering creatures aside, we hope the rains calm down so our lakes can go back to their normal levels without any more issues. We hope you don’t find scorpions or spiders taking up residence in your yard, but if you live near Clinton Lake, they could be.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
In the meantime, while you are waiting for lake levels to recede finally, check out this beautiful scenic drive in Kansas that is worth every mile driven and every moment spent exploring.
Patrick Emerson/Flickr
Clinton Lake, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Facebook
k.draper/Flickr
USFWS Fish and Aquatic/Flickr
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