There's an old saying that everything in Texas either sticks, pricks, stings or bites you. It's an exaggeration, but West Texas is a thorny land, and, from cacti to tarantulas, our region's iconic inhabitants tend to have a certain edge to them. For many, it's part of the region's appeal.

Bites and stings from spiders and scorpions generally aren't a serious hazard here. But these creatures can trigger a visceral fear, and we can't help but wonder about them. Dr. Sarah Watkins is a professor at El Paso's Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. From the medical vantage, she's the source on all things creepy-crawly.

“I have always been interested in toxicology,” Watkins said. ... Hosted by for KRTS