An Order (Scorpionida) within the Class of Arachnida, Scorpions are
well-known for their predatory and deadly nature. Since the Silurian
Period (about 430 million years ago), these Arachnids have lived on the
earth. Today, about 2,000 living species of Scorpions are grouped into
thirteen families.
Contrary to popular belief, Scorpions do live in places other than
hot and dry habitats. People would be surprised to know that these
adaptable Arachnids also dwell in inter-tidal zones. Found world-wide
(except in Antarctica), Scorpions can live almost everywhere, except for
tundra regions. They will make their homes in trees, under rocks, in
sand, in caves, and on mountains. Wherever there is a construction site
that disturbs their homes, They will find their way into people’s houses
to live. Furthermore as commerce expanded world-wide, so did Scorpions.
For instance, these Arachnids were accidentally carried in shipments of
fruit to England. Now, They can be found in Sheerness on the Isle of
Sheppey in the U.K.
People can readily identify Scorpions by their distinctive body shape. The segmented abdomens (
opisthosoma) of these Arachnids taper into a curving tail (
metasoma) with the stinger (
aculeus)
at the end. Although They have at least six eyes, Scorpions prefer to
navigate by smell and touch. With the tiny hairs on their pincers (
chelae),
Scorpions can sense an Insect flying by. In addition, They have slits
on their legs to pick up vibrations in the air and on the ground. To
grab their prey, Scorpions use their strong front claws. Then, They suck
liquid out of their prey with their “claw protrusions” (
chelicerae) in their mouths. The toothed jaws of Scorpions shred their meal for their stomach to suck in the juices.
What is best-known about Scorpions is their deadly venom. Each
Scorpion has as many as forty-five different toxins to use on their
various prey. Hunting by smell, They search for Amphibians, Crustaceans,
Insects, Reptiles, and small Mammals to eat. Grabbing the unfortunate
victim, Scorpion will either crush or inject venom into It. Since it
takes a lot of time to replenish their spent venom, Scorpions prefer
crushing to stinging. However, only about twenty-five Species are
capable of killing people. It is these few Species who give all other
Scorpions their deadly reputation, whether their venom is as toxic or
not.
During the Silurian Period, the first Scorpions possessed gills for
living in the waters. (Even today, Scorpions can stay for long periods
underwater.) They ventured onto land to become one of the first animals
to do so. Since They could readily adapt from life in the shallow lakes
to that on land, these Arachnids have displayed tremendous staying
power. Being extremely adaptable, Scorpions have evolved into an Order
of nearly 2,000 living Species.
Nocturnal and solitary, Scorpions are formidable hunters. Masters of
surprise, they will wait by their burrows, hidden from view, for a tasty
Insect to come by. Then in an explosive move, Scorpion will suddenly
grab and crush the unfortunate victim. Using her raised tail, She
injects her venom for the killing stroke.
Since Scorpions have tiny mouths, They can only suck in liquid. One
use for their venom, besides killing, is to turn the Insect into a
liquid. While They wait, Scorpions use their “mouth claws” to bring any
available liquid to their stomachs to digest. Since this process usually
takes an eternity, these Arachnids possess low metabolisms. In fact,
They can go an entire year without eating anything.
Besides their venomous stings, Scorpions are also noted for their
impassioned and elaborate mating rituals. When Male Scorpion begins his
courtship dance, He grasps Female Scorpion and turns Her in circles. In a
“
promenade a deux,” the Pair gently bump into each other
without stinging until Male Scorpion fertilizes his Partner. Once this
ritual is finished, Male Scorpion races away, before Female Scorpion
changes her mind and attacks Him instead.
Contrary to popular opinion, Female Scorpion is a good mother. After
being born, her Scorplings will immediately climb onto her back. She
will carry Them for at least a few weeks (up until two years depending
on the species). The Scorplings stay with their Mother through (at
least) their first molt, and sometimes more. When They become adults,
Mother Scorpion will gently removes her Scorplings off her back with her
tail. For the more reluctant Ones, She will tip Them off.
These formidable Arachnids inspire awe and fear in everyone.
Aggressive in hunting, Scorpions patiently spend weeks consuming their
victims. Being highly adaptable, They have forty-five different kinds of
venom for use on various animals. Moreover, their well-designed body
maximizes their talents of sliding under rocks to elude predators,
surprising their prey, and successfully living in different habitats.
Since Scorpions have honed Themselves into an Order to be feared and
respected, their formidable reputation is well-deserved.
When you want to be respected and feared, look to the Scorpion
Family. Adapting to nearly every habitat, They have spread across the
earth. Because only a few Species are deadly, people have avoided all
Scorpions altogether. Just remember not to be so venomous, that your
good qualities are overlooked, such as being a good parent.
