Scorpions have eight legs, two pincers (pedipalps) and a tail equipped with a poisonous stinger that serves as their predatory weapon against insects, spiders, and small lizards. They feed on insects as well as small reptiles such as toads.
They possess amazing survival capabilities, such as slowing their metabolisms so they can feed off just one insect per year! Furthermore, they can withstand both extreme temperatures and cold conditions.
1. They’re arachnids
Scorpions are one of the world’s most iconic creatures, both beloved and loathed for their frightening appearance and painful sting. Yet despite this perception, scorpions actually pose very little danger to humans – only about one percent of species possess enough poison to be lethal for humans. You’ll find scorpions all across continents except Antarctica with desert environments and hot, dry climates being their most prevalent home.
As with spiders and mites, scorpions belong to the class Arachnida along with crustaceans and insects. Arachnids are animals with eight legs and an eight segmented body; head and thorax (or cephalothorax) fuse into one segment known as the parachest while abdomen features modified pedipalps with pincer-like pedipalps at its front that serve as pincers.
Scorpions rely on pincer-like claws to capture and kill prey as well as defend against attackers, while sensing objects around them for size, shape and presence of scent or chemicals such as pheromones – this sensory system has played an essential role in their survival over millions of years on Earth.
Scorpions experience incomplete metamorphosis, with young scorpions looking much like adult scorpions upon birth, complete with tail and stinger. To survive, young scorpions must climb onto their mother’s back and ride until they become strong enough to hunt independently – this behavior is known as vivipary and is key in how scorpions have thrived for millions of years on our planet – some types, like whip scorpions have even retained much of their appearance for millions of years! In addition, whip scorpions possess special powers: being able to shoot liquid substance similar to vinegar at their enemies is another mechanism employed in protecting themselves against enemies who come their way!
2. They glow under UV light
Scorpions are creepy, strange creatures. While scientists still don’t fully understand why scorpions glow in the dark, we do know there are chemicals within their outer cuticle layer known as exoskeleton that emit a blue-green glow when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Cuticular fluorescence, or glow production by arthropods living in desert environments such as scorpions, is known by scientists. The glow is generated when molecules in their exoskeleton absorb wavelengths that fall within ultraviolet spectrum light before emitting those same wavelengths with blue-green hues that humans can detect.
Carl Kloock made an exciting discovery a few years back. While subjecting scorpions to UV light exposure, he noticed that those that could still glow tended to gather near sheltered areas – suggesting their fluoresence might help detect hiding places by sensing light through more than just eyes alone.
Douglas Gaffin from the University of Oklahoma has recently expanded on Kloock’s research by blocking scorpion eyes before shining different hues of light onto them. Gaffin discovered that scorpions with blocked eyes responded similarly to UV lighting as those without, with their glowing exoskeletons serving as photon collectors to absorb UV and transform it to cyan-green before relaying this data back to their central nervous systems.
Glowing may help arachnids avoid sunlight, locate each other or confuse prey, yet its purpose as an evolutionary trait remains unclear. Perhaps it acts as a form of sunscreen or helps communicate between scorpions of different species within their species.
3. They’re viviparous
Scorpions are viviparous animals, meaning that they give birth to live young rather than depositing eggs like most non-mammalian animals do. Once fertilized, scorpions usually keep the embryo inside for several months to several years (depending on species) before giving birth and emerging with white skin covered by an envelope known as a chorion membrane encasing its white body and climbing onto their mother’s back until molting for the first time (or longer in some species).
As soon as they hatch, it’s up to their babies to hunt and feed themselves, which explains why it’s common to see a mother scorpion with multiple babies on her back. Since baby scorpions don’t sting like adults do, this helps maintain family harmony.
People often associate scorpions as nuisance pests, yet these venomous arthropods actually play a vital role in our ecosystem. For instance, their presence helps control insect populations. Their venom can even be used to make antivenins for those stung, potentially holding the key to treating certain diseases.
Scorpions are highly adaptable creatures, capable of thriving even in some of Earth’s harshest environments. Their book-shaped lungs enable them to withstand water shortages, while slowing their metabolism so as to use only one tenth as much oxygen than most insects do. Plus, in dry habitats scorpions have been known to survive up to one year without food as long as there is sufficient water available – these resilient insects even use their bodies as protection from extreme heat or cold by hiding inside cracks in rocks or burrowing underground when necessary!
4. They’re nocturnal
Scorpions typically hide during the day and hunt at night. They typically find shelter under rocks, sand, wood piles, stacked firewood or debris piles; in attics; or narrow spaces like homes. Their flattened bodies enable them to get through narrow spaces easily; this is often how they make their way in; some scorpions even enter through bottom windows or doors – some even have book lungs which enable them to submerge in water for hours at a time!
Scorpions can sting prey up to 10 times without losing their ability to inject poison, though most scorpions only use their venom when necessary – for instance, to take down large prey or defend themselves. Venom production requires considerable energy; most scorpions use it only when necessary or to protect themselves.
As opposed to using their eyes alone, scorpions find prey by sensing vibrations in the sand or feeling their claws (called pectines). Hairs on their tarsi can detect changes in air pressure while constellation arrays on their pectines detect smells. Furthermore, their abdomen contains a long tube known as the prosoma that serves to locate and hold prey, potential mates or partners.
Scorpions are arthropods that give birth to live young instead of laying eggs, investing a tremendous amount of energy during gestation to create live young. Reproduction rates tend to be low; gestation periods typically last several months to one year with litter sizes typically ranging between 25 and over 100 babies per litter. Scientists continue studying scorpions due to these unique characteristics – their venom can be used to develop antivenins for those stung, and even potentially lead to the discovery of drugs!
5. They produce venom
Scorpions use venom to subdue prey and protect themselves from predators. Venom comprises an intricate mixture of chemicals including mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronidase, phospholipase, serotonin, histamine, enzyme inhibitors and neurotoxic peptides.
But the poison from scorpions varies considerably across species; certain produce venom that is less potent than others and only about 25 of the world’s scorpions have enough venom to kill humans; even those capable of doing so often only sting when threatened or to defend themselves, rather than using their venom in self-defence unless required.
As arthropods, scorpions have eight legs and two main body regions: the prosoma or cephalothorax and the opisthosoma or abdomen. Furthermore, scorpions possess five to ten small eyes, other than their prominent pair at center; these eyes can detect UV light as well as moonlight and starlight to detect colors as well as distinguish shapes at night; some scorpions even sing by rubbing their pedipalps together like crickets do!
Scorpions are champions of survival, capable of withstanding extreme conditions. By slowing their metabolism rates to such an extent that they can go a whole year without needing food, and needing only 10% as much oxygen than most insects do to survive, scorpions have proven their mettle in survival. Furthermore, these impressive animals can raise themselves off the ground to cool themselves when temperatures become excessively hot.
Scorpions have evolved to thrive in many climates, from deserts to ice caps. They can dig into the ground for shelter, and even survive extreme temperatures by slowing their metabolisms and using themselves as thermal insulation. Researchers have even successfully frozen scorpions overnight before thawing them out – only to discover they were still alive!