Scorpions of

The
UNIVERSE
By Ethan Riley Cope

By Ethan

Introduction
Many scorpions of the world are fascinating.
Believe it or not, some scorpions are harmless!
Some are as dangerous as drinking poison, and
some are as harmless as a delicate flower. One of
the most dangerous scorpions is the Yellow
Pointed Stinger. Because they are so dangerous,
you wouldn’t want that as a pet! One scorpion
you would think is cool is the Brown Tail Swatter.
Scorpions are members of the class Arachandina
and are closely related to spiders, mites, and
ticks. Scientists aren't sure why, but scorpions are
fluorescent under ultraviolet light. These hardy,
adaptable arthropods have been around for
hundreds of millions of years, and they are
nothing if not survivors. They are found in
Brazilian forests, British Columbia, North Carolina,
and even the Himalayas.. They Average, 2.5
inches(6 cm); the largest is 8.3 inches (21 cm) .
The normal new born is the size relative to a
tea cup. There are almost 2,000 scorpion
species, but only 30 or 40 have strong enough
poison to kill a person, like the Yellow Pointed
Stinger. The scorpion’s diet is a carnivore.

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There are approximately 1,500 different species of scorpions
roaming the world right now. Scorpions live in a variety of
habitats including rain forests, woodlands, deserts, grasslands,
and everywhere in between. Most scorpions prefer warmer
tropical or subtropical climates. They prey upon a wide variety
of animals and insects and all have the ability to sting. Even
though a sting can hurt, very few scorpions are dangerous to
humans. Keeping scorpions as pets is becoming increasingly
more popular. They are relatively inexpensive to buy and
require very little maintenance, much in the way of set up or
care. Scorpions can be easily found at pet shops, reptile shows
and online dealers and breeders. If you are looking for an
interesting and unique pet, a scorpion makes an excellent
choice. As part of the arachnid class, scorpions have two
main body segments and four pairs of legs. The most
distinctive characteristic of the scorpion are its long,
clawlike pedipalps, which look like miniature lobster
claws, and their stinging tail. The tail is mainly used for
defense as opposed to capturing prey. One of the
smallest scorpions, the buthid, which rarely reach more
than 5 inches in length, is actually one of the most
lethal scorpions. One shot of venom from its stinging
tail can paralyze the heart and respiratory system of its
victim.

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 The bark scorpion’s (Centriroides
exilicauda) body has two parts, a
cephalothorax and abdomen. The tail
is actually a part of the abdomen. It
has five segments each longer than
the last. They have 8 jointed legs and
a pair of pedipalps that are use for
grasping prey and sensing. Scorpions
have "hairs" on their legs and other
body parts that are sensitive to
vibrations in the air. To avoid the
extreme heat of the daytime, they will shelter in the shade and
come out at night to hunt for food. In the winter months they will
hibernate, often
congregating in large
groups. Scorpions
can be found in many
places due to its
ability to climb. It can
be found not only
under rocks or in rock
crevices, but also in
trees or high on rock
walls. They also can
be found inside of
peoples dwellings
trapped in sinks or
bathtubs, climbing
walls, or in a dark
closet. Scorpions are
preyed upon by large centipedes, tarantulas, lizards, birds, bats,
shrews, and grasshoppers, and mice. They prefer cool and
moist areas and can be found in crevices, under pieces of bark,
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under rocks, under bricks and in houses. They prefer cool and
moist areas and can be found in crevices, under pieces of bark,
under rocks, under bricks and in houses. Bark scorpions will
glow a green color (fluoresce) under ultraviolet light. This is the
only species of scorpion in Arizona that is truly considered as
life threatening. Scorpions give birth to live young during the
summer months. The babies will crawl up their mother's pincers
and legs to get on her back. They will ride around on her back
until they molt in 7-21 days. Molting is when the babies’ colors
start to change.

Another genus frequently found is the devil or stripe-

tailed scorpion group (Vaejovis). There are several
Vaejovid species found in Arizona. Arizona is a state in
the Western Untied States. They are intermediate in
size (1-2 inches in length) and are more robust than
bark scorpions. The stripe-tailed scorpion is typically
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found under many surface objects (including sleeping
bags, shoes, etc.) where it digs a short burrow or
"scrape" for protection. This species is normally an
obligate burrower, digging burrows about one meter
deep in gravel soils. High numbers of scorpions can
become a problem under some circumstances. If a
reduced population is desirable several steps can be
taken. Scorpions are difficult to control with
insecticides alone. Therefore, the first control strategy
is to modify the area surrounding a house or
structure:

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Habitat appears to be variable as long as seasonal temperatures don't
exceed 25 degrees Celsius for prolonged periods. Rainfall minimum
and maximum are highly variable. Wetter, cooler environments, such
as those found in coastal Eucalyptus type forests are ideal, although
certainly not exclusive. Most common habitats are under tree bark
high up, leaf litter on the forest floors ,(particularly around rocky
areas) and beneath bark on fallen logs. As suburbia encroaches on this
environment they may also be found in timber piles (especially if
termite activity is evident), brick stacks, and stacked tin sheeting
.They have also been found inside houses that back onto bushes or are
on small farm lots. These are considered to be the one of the more
"venomous scorpion species" in Australia. There has been one
reported death of a infant girl from Pemberton in Western Australia in
1929, "assumed" to be from L. marmoreus, but not confirmed. One
reported sting (person. conv.) revealed severe pain and a burning
sensation for approx. 2 hours, with the pain diminishing to a dull
ache/throb for about 12 hours.

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These scorpions are straw-colored or tan. Adults are usually 2-
2 ¾ inches in length including tail. They are in the same family
as spiders (Arachnida), so they have 8 legs. Scorpions also 8
eyes but have very poor vision and can only detect light and
dark. They like to eat insects, spiders, and other tiny prey.
Small prey is simply torn apart by the pinchers. Larger prey is
stung. The poison, a neuro-toxin, is held in a gland at the tip
of the tail and is injected through its stinger to kill prey by
affecting the central nervous system. Then it holds its food
with its pinchers and uses digestive juices to break the tissue
down. With the help of another set of small pinchers in the
mouth called chelicerae, it chews and sucks the liquefied food
into the digestive tract with the pumping action of the
pharynx. They live in Southern and Southwestern U.S. and
Mexico

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 Scorpions are from the spider family.

They have four pairs of eyes but cannot see very well.

They have eight legs and two claws.

They grow from 2.5 cm to 20 cm in length.

They live mainly in desert areas.

The scorpion can live without water for several months.

They mainly come out at night to hunt.

They are usually brown in color so that they can blend into the desert.

They eat mainly spiders and insects.

They can go without food for up to a year.

All scorpions can inject poison from the sting at the end of their tail.

After mating the female sometimes kills and eats the male scorpion.

Female scorpions give birth to live young and look after them by carrying
them around on their back.

. It takes a year for a baby scorpion to become an adult.

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A scorpion is a small animal with a potentially dangerous venomous
sting in its tail. The scorpion's sting is a curved organ at the end of its
tail. Two glands at the base give out a venom that flows from two pores.
A scorpion wound is painful, but rarely causes death.

A scorpion's body has two parts. Its short and thick forward part, called
the cehpalothorax, consists of the head and thorax (chest), which are
joined together. The hind part is the long abdomen. Its last six segments
form a slender tail. Most scorpions are black or yellowish and from 1 to
20 centimeters long. The scorpion has six pairs of jointed appendages.
The first pair consists of tiny pincers. The second pair, with large claws,
is used to seize and crush prey. The last four pairs are legs. There are 6
to 12 eyes - different kinds of scorpions have different numbers. The
breathing pores are on the abdomen.

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 EYES AND ARMS AND TAILS...OH MY!

Despite having six to twelve eyes - an obvious pair at the centre of the carapace
and two to five smaller eyes on each side - scorpions do not have good
eyesight. However, they can readily distinguish light from dark and appear to
have excellent low light sensitivity, which helps them to both avoid harsh
sunlight and to navigate by starlight or moonlight. They sense their way around
using sensory hairs and slit organs on the legs, pedipalps (see page 9), and
body that pick up vibrations and scents (mechanoreceptors and
chemoreceptors). They also have special organs on the underside of the body
called pectines, which pick up ground textures and scents. Males and females
find each other by vibration, scent and touch. During mating, the sensory
pectines under the body are used to find a suitable place for the male to deposit
his sperm parcel - the spermatophore. The male and female then perform a
mating dance above the spermatophore, with the female being wrestled into
position over it in order to draw it up into her genital pore. The fertilized eggs
develop inside her body, and she then gives birth to live young. She carries the
pale young scorpions on her back for the first few days or weeks, until they are
strong enough to become independent. The young then disperse to find food
and shelter. Scorpions take a long time to reach maturity, changing frequently
(up to five or six times over two to six years) in order to grow, and may live for
two to ten years. Some have been recorded as living up to 25 years.
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Scorpions are venomous arthropods of the class Arachnida and
they are considered relatives of the spider, mite, tick and
harvestmen. There are approximately 1,300 species of
scorpions worldwide, and each one of them has an elongated
body and a segmented tail tipped with a venomous stinger.
Scorpions are usually thought of as desert animals, but in fact
they live in many other habitats as well including: grasslands,
savannahs, forests, mountain pine forests, rain forest and
caves. Scorpions have been found under snow-covered rocks
at elevations of over 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains of
South America and the Himalayas of Asia. About 90 species of
scorpions live in the United States, and all but four of them are
naturally living West of the Mississippi River. Living scorpions
reflect ultraviolet light and can glow with an eerie greenish color
when exposed to UV light, no matter what color they appear
under normal lighting conditions.

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Although it's only a medium-sized scorpion, the Death Stalker is
one of the most deadly scorpions on Earth. Its very potent
venom helps it compensate for its smaller size and narrow,
weak pincers; this scorpion’s sting injects extremely toxic
venom (a neurotoxin) that can cause extreme pain, fever,
convulsions, paralysis, and often coma or death in humans (by
heart or respiratory failure). The Death Stalker Scorpion is found
in North Africa and the Middle East. It prefers a dry climate, and
makes its home in natural burrows or under stones. The
neurotoxins found in Death Stalker venom are being studied by
scientists, who hope to find in them a treatment for some
diseases, notably some forms of brain cancer, and diabetes.

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 Oh no! It Bit Me!
• If you remain calm, it is not difficult to treat a scorpion sting. Even
if you are stung by the Arizona bark scorpion -- the most
dangerous and venomous of the Arizona scorpions -- it is not likely
to be fatal or even to have long-lasting effects. Local medical
centers are familiar with the treatment.
• If you want to be able to recognize scorpions when you come
across them, study this book carefully.
• Often people say they didn't know they were stung by a scorpion.
It is important to recognize scorpion sting symptoms: immediate
pain or burning, very little swelling, sensitivity to touch, and a
numbness/tingling sensation.
• If you are stung by any scorpion, including the venomous Arizona
Bark Scorpion, turn the page to find some immediate actions
you should take:
•

What to do if you are bitten:

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 1. Wash the area of the scorpion sting with soap and water.
2. Apply a cool compress on the area of the scorpion sting. Ice
(wrapped in a washcloth or other suitable covering) may be
applied to the sting location for 10 minutes. Remove compress
for 10 minutes and repeat as necessary.
3. If stung on a limb (arm or leg) elevate the limb to heart level.
4. Call the Poison Control Center in your area . If you develop
symptoms such as numbness or tingling of extremities or face,
blurry vision, or muscle twitching, roving eye movements, go to
the nearest hospital emergency room. Young children and older
people who are stung by a scorpion should be taken to the
emergency room immediately.
5. Keep your tetanus shots and boosters current.

Scorpion Sting Tips

1. Be careful when camping or during other outdoor activities

to make sure that a scorpion has not made a home in
your clothes, shoes or sleeping bags.
2. Scorpions glow brightly under UV light (black light).
3. Scorpions are basically immune to most pesticides. If you
suspect your house has scorpions, call a professional
exterminator. Eliminating their food source (other insects)
can help.

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