Scorpions (lat. Scorpiones) are an order of arthropods from the class of arachnids (Arachnida). Exclusively terrestrial forms that are found only in hot countries. In total, about 1,750 species of scorpions are known.
Scorpio - description, structure.
The appearance of the scorpion is quite frightening: the cephalothorax, wide in front and slightly tapering at the junction with the elongated segmented abdomen, is crowned with a pair of impressive claws, which serve as a tool for capturing long-awaited prey. Another pair of scorpion limbs has become a rudiment, located near the mouth and performs the function of the jaw organs - the mandibles. The remaining four pairs of scorpion legs, attached to the lower part of the abdomen, provide it with enough high speed movement on shifting sand in the desert or on rocky soils in mountainous areas.
Adjacent to the last segment of the abdomen is a relatively small pear-shaped capsule segment with glands that produce poison. Scorpion venom is very dangerous; the scorpion injects it into its victim using a sharp needle. The scorpion's body is covered with a very durable chitinous shell, so it has practically no enemies that can harm it.
Origin
The ancestors of scorpions are Paleozoic crustaceans (eurypterids). The example of scorpions clearly shows the evolutionary transition from aquatic habitat to land life. Eurypterids from the Silurian, who lived in water and had gills, had much in common with scorpions. Land forms close to modern scorpions have been known since the Carboniferous period.
Reproduction of scorpions.
The mating season for Scorpios is very unusual. The male and female perform an intricate and interesting “wedding” dance, sometimes lasting for hours. All this time, the male scorpion holds the female by the claws and walks her back and forth across a patch of soil, periodically lowering his partner to the ground, where he previously released his sperm.
The gestation period of a female scorpion lasts from 10 to 12 months, and the number of cubs varies from two to several dozen depending on the species. For the first 8-12 days, small scorpions are not covered with a chitinous shell and spend time on their mother’s back, pressed tightly against each other. As soon as a hard shell is formed, they disperse throughout the territory and begin an independent existence. Under natural conditions, scorpions live 7-10 years.
After mating, the female sometimes kills and eats her suitor with excellent appetite.
The largest scorpion
Male Indo-Malayan scorpions Heterometrus swannerderdami are often over 180 mm in length, i.e. from the tips of the claws to the tip of the sting. One day a specimen 292 mm long was found. Emperor Scorpion The tropical emperor scorpion Pandinus imperator, found in West Africa, also reaches a length of 180 mm. The length of one male from Sierra Leone is 229 mm.
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The smallest scorpion.
There are several species that can be classified as the smallest. One of them is the species Microtityus waeringi, the adult of which reaches a size of 12 mm.
The most sociable Scorpio
Young individuals of the species Pandinus imperator can remain in their family even after reaching maturity. Different families often cooperate in order to obtain a victim. These are the friendliest arachnids.
Lifespan
Among arachnids, scorpions are rightfully considered long-lived, since their life expectancy exceeds one season and ranges from 2 to 6 years. Life expectancy is influenced by many factors - air temperature, abundance of food, natural enemies, of which scorpions have plenty. Scorpions from tropical zones develop faster than their relatives from temperate regions. Most scorpions mature between 1 and 3 years of age. The maximum life expectancy among Scorpios is 8 years.
Exotic animal lovers keep scorpions at home. Most often this is the emperor scorpion Pandinus imperator. This species matures in the third year of life, and in conditions of detention can reach 6 years of age. However, it should be borne in mind that you can purchase an already adult scorpion that has already lived half its life. If a scorpio lives for two years, it can be considered lucky.
Scorpions glow in ultraviolet rays.
Scorpions glow in ultraviolet rays. Under ultraviolet light, scorpions fluoresce green. In bright sunlight, the scorpion's shell also glows green. The reason for this phenomenon is a thin layer of organic substance hyaline on the scorpion cuticle, chemical composition which has not yet been identified. A scorpion does not fluoresce after molting. As the new cuticle hardens, the property of fluorescence appears. Perhaps the fluorescence occurs as a result of the action of secretory glands or as the cuticle matures.
The alcohol in which the remains of scorpions are stored also acquires the ability to fluoresce.
The hyaline layer of the cuticle is very durable. It is found on the remains of fossil species, and the hyaline layer remains on rocks even when other parts of the cuticle are destroyed. But even after thousands of millions of years, the hyaline layer continues to fluoresce.
The reason why scorpions should fluoresce has not been established. Some scientists believe that this is how they identify each other at night. After all, scorpions are nocturnal animals.
The greenish glow at night makes scorpions vulnerable to people catching them. All scorpion catchers need is a source of ultraviolet radiation, in the light of which they search the fields where scorpions live.
Antifreeze in the blood
Snow scorpions contain antifreeze in their blood, which is why they can withstand temperatures down to minus 6 degrees Celsius. However, if you take such a scorpion in your hand, it will die.
Metabolic slowdown
When there is not enough food, scorpions slow down their metabolism. Surprisingly, these arthropods hardly drink. They absorb water from food. However, like other substances necessary for life. Incredible but true: 70% of the food that scorpions eat replenishes their body tissues. At the same time, they are real ascetics and may not eat for a whole year. One moth can satisfy a scorpion for several months. In addition, freezing does not particularly harm them; frozen scorpions thaw in the sun and continue to live. In addition, scorpions can spend up to two days under water without breathing without much harm.
Radiation resistance
When atomic bomb explosions were carried out in the Sahara in the past, close proximity Only scorpions survived - they withstood 134,000 roentgens. In short, these are extremely resilient creatures.
How scorpions sting.
The sting is required by scorpions for many purposes. Firstly, it makes an excellent attack weapon and helps when hunting prey. The scorpion grabs the victim with its tentacles and squeezes it tightly, but it does not stop resisting. In order for it to stop moving and be ready for ingestion, it must be immobilized. If the victim cannot simply be crushed by the tentacles, the scorpion strikes it with its stinger one or more times. Since the scorpion's tentacles are weak, it relies more on venom - with its help, the scorpion kills prey the size of itself.
Poison is an indispensable weapon in defense. It instantly strikes large spiders, stinging them between the eyes. Some species of lizards (Sceloporous) are insensitive to scorpion venom. Vertebrates are especially sensitive to scorpion venom. Scorpions, whose venom kills vertebrates, do not use their bodies as food.
The third purpose of the sting is revealed during the mating season. The male scorpion extends its sting in front of the female, who determines his species by this sign. In some species (for example, Hadogenes), the sting is of primary importance as an identification feature. This species has adapted to life in rocks, and its abdomen has become flat during evolution. The male differs from the female in his highly elongated body, and his size does not allow him to use the sting as a weapon, because the tail is not able to carry the sting in front of the scorpion. Thus, a frontal attack is impossible for the male. But he has quite powerful claws and tentacles, which help him when hunting insects. In turn, the female, during evolution, has retained the usual body shape and is able to hunt with the help of a sting. The sting of this type of scorpion serves as an identification mark for the partner during mating.
Of the 1,500 species, only about 25 are deadly to large vertebrates and humans. The bite of most small scorpions is extremely painful for humans, but not lethal. It can cause fever, swelling, redness, and numbness of the skin, but these symptoms go away fairly quickly. The Palestinian scorpion poses a serious threat to anyone nearby; the cocktail of toxins in its sting can almost certainly lead to fever, paralysis and death. Although it is believed that the formidable fame of scorpions is overstated, in Mexico they hardly think so. In 1946 alone, scorpions sent 1,933 people there to the next world. And today, from 800 to 1000 people become their victims in Mexico every year. If you are “lucky enough” to meet a scorpion, first of all, pay attention to the claws and sting. If the claws are large and the sting is small, the scorpion is not very poisonous, but on the contrary, it is extremely dangerous. In any case, you shouldn't touch it. It is also believed that the hotter the climate in the habitat of scorpions, the more poisonous they are.
Ancient gods
Throughout human history, there has been a special attitude towards scorpions. They have become part of mythology and are mentioned in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Bible and the Koran. Scorpio was also the sacred animal of the Egyptian goddess Selket, daughter of Ra, patroness of the dead. In depictions, Selket is depicted with either a scorpion's tail or a scorpion on his head.
False scorpions appear in the apartment less often than cockroaches or fleas, but the owners remember the meeting with the crumbled creature for a long time. The arachnid looks like a tick with powerful front claws. Despite its modest size, the strange creature frightens household members, and the lack of understanding of who got into the apartment increases anxiety for the health of loved ones.
Is the false scorpion dangerous? When do you need to get rid of an arachnid, and in what cases should you not touch the tiny creature? Information about the false scorpion will help you understand how to act when meeting an amazing creature.
Reasons for appearance
It’s easy to figure out why the population of unusual arachnids is increasing in an apartment if we remember the food that pseudoscorpions prefer.
Small creatures with claws willingly eat:
- larvae and beetles;
- tiny;
- dust louse;
- springtail;
- bread worms;
- soil mites;
- small brown ones;
- particles of dead epidermis that fell into the bath during bathing.
Conclusion: The main factor that attracts false scorpions into a home is insufficient cleaning of the apartment. Dust, cobwebs in the corners, on bookshelves, inside cabinets, between walls and sofas, armchairs, chests of drawers, on mezzanines, accumulation of unnecessary newspapers, old paper - an ideal habitat for small creatures with large claws. After establishing order and the disappearance of food for tiny creatures, false scorpions will have nothing to profit from, they will disappear from the home.
How to recognize
Unusual arachnids have characteristic features:
- the body resembles a tick;
- the length of adult individuals is no more than 2–3 mm;
- large claws are visible in front;
- the size of the mites reaches half of the tiny body;
- arachnids are nocturnal, and when the light is turned on, they quickly scatter into dark corners;
- In nature, small creatures live in caves, forests, hiding in cramped, damp places: under stones, snags, in bird nests. A book false scorpion settles in a person’s home;
- the characteristic features of the structure of the body do not allow the amazing arachnid to be confused with other insects and mites;
- The lifespan of false scorpions is 2–3 years. At first, the larvae are on the mother’s body and feed at her expense;
- arachnids build a nest from pieces of dry paper, grains of sand, plant remains, and garbage;
- during the molting period, female false scorpions glue together the elements of the shelter with a thin cobweb, a kind of cocoon appears, inside of which it is dry and warm;
- unusual creatures move slowly, often sideways, although sometimes they walk forward and backward. In a dangerous situation, false scorpions freeze, pretend to be dead, and sometimes quickly run away, hoping to find shelter. The tiny creatures are good at climbing vertical surfaces using suction cups on their tiny legs.
Favorite habitats in a person’s home:
- bookcases and shelves;
- mountains of old paper;
- dusty places, piles of garbage accumulated behind a closet or in the far corner of a bookshelf;
- a bathroom where dead skin particles and dust accumulate next to the pipes, in the far corners under the bathroom.
Interesting fact! The habit of settling among waste paper, books, and piles of papers explains the name of the small arachnid - book pseudoscorpion.
Benefits and harms
Is the tiny creature with claws dangerous? Is it worth destroying the small false scorpion?
Many owners, who know nothing about the arachnid’s lifestyle and “taste preferences,” believe that the best way out is to kill the formidable alien with large claws. But with a small population of book false scorpions, living in a large house, this is not worth doing. Tiny creatures are not dangerous to humans: they do not spoil food, do not inject poison, and do not attack sleeping household members, like . The best option is to think about why unusual creatures appeared in your home.
Negative points:
- small claws scare household members. Despite its tiny size, it is easy to see the large claws of this strange creature. It seems that a mutant scorpion or a new species of spider has entered the home. Negative emotions after meeting an unusual creature are difficult to forget;
- if the apartment is small, and there are a lot of false scorpions, they cause noticeable discomfort to the household. Nervous, sensitive people experience panicky feelings and become irritated. In case of an accidental or deliberate attack on a tiny arachnid, a defensive reaction will follow - a bite plus unpleasant sensations.
How to get rid
Are there too many false scorpions? Do tiny arachnids often scare family members? You will have to clear your home of useful but unpleasant “neighbors”.
Do not kill arachnids or use toxic drugs. The best option is to find members of the population in the bathroom, cabinets, on bookshelves, collect them in a jar, take them to a planting area, a park, or closer to a body of water.
It is important to eliminate the factors that provoke the appearance of unusual “scorpions”:
- do a general cleaning, clear all corners of dust and debris, vacuum the home, wash the floors well;
- be sure to take things out of closets, chests of drawers, mezzanines, air clothes, bed linen, towels on the balcony or in the yard, clean the carpets;
- wipe the cabinet shelves with soapy water or vinegar, remove dust, particles of lint and wool;
- thoroughly wash the bathtub, thoroughly disinfect the bathroom, get rid of cobwebs and dust in hard-to-reach areas;
- special attention to cabinets and shelves where publications from the home library are collected. When cleaning, housewives do not always pay enough attention to this area; dust is a common occurrence at essay collections. It is important to remember that not only beneficial false scorpions live here, but also harmful ones.
Scorpion is a detachment of arthropods from the class of arachnids (lat. Scorpiones - scorpions). These are interesting and unusual creatures that lead an exclusively terrestrial lifestyle and are most often found in countries with hot climates.
Scorpio - description, structure and photographs.
The appearance of the scorpion is quite frightening: the cephalothorax, wide in front and slightly tapering at the junction with the elongated segmented abdomen, is crowned with a pair of impressive claws, which serve as a tool for capturing long-awaited prey. Another pair of scorpion limbs has become a rudiment, located near the mouth and performs the function of the jaw organs - the mandibles. The remaining four pairs of scorpion legs, attached to the lower part of the abdomen, provide it with a fairly high speed of movement on shifting sand in the desert or on rocky soils in mountainous areas.
Adjacent to the last segment of the abdomen is a relatively small pear-shaped capsule segment with glands that produce poison. Scorpion poison very dangerous, the scorpion injects it into its victim with a sharp needle. The scorpion's body is covered with a very durable chitinous shell, so it has practically no enemies that can harm it.
Scorpio eyes.
Scorpios' vision is very well developed. There are 2-8 eyes on the upper cephalothorax of the scorpion. One pair of eyes is larger and is called the median eyes. It is located in the middle of the cephalothorax. The remaining eyes of the scorpion are located near the front edge in lateral groups, they are called lateral eyes.
What color is a scorpio?
The color of a scorpion depends on its habitat and can be sandy yellow, brown, black, gray, purple, orange, green. There are also colorless species with a transparent body.
Types of scorpions, names and photographs.
- Imperial scorpion(lat. Pandinus imperator) is a real giant among its relatives. The body length can reach 10-15 cm, and together with the tail and claws it can exceed 20 cm. Emperor scorpions are characterized by a black color with a noticeable dark green tint. The pincers with which they capture and hold prey are thick and wide. Under natural conditions they can live up to 13 years. This type of scorpion lives in the tropical forests of West Africa. Shelters in which they wait out the heat of the day are made in the ruins of stones, under fallen tree bark or in dug holes. The diet of young emperor scorpions consists of small insects; adults can attack small amphibians and.
Imperial scorpion
- Tree scorpion (lat. Centruroides exilicauda) has several varieties, the color of which can be either monochrome (different shades of yellow) or with black stripes or spots. The body length of adult individuals without a tail reaches 7.5 cm. The claws of tree scorpions are thin and long, and the thickness of the tail does not exceed 5 mm. This type of scorpion is common in the forests of North Africa, the deserts of the USA and Mexico. Unlike their relatives in the order, tree scorpions do not dig holes. They find a place to hide under pieces of tree bark, in rock crevices or in human dwellings. Such a neighborhood is quite dangerous because the bite of a tree scorpion can be fatal for children, the elderly and people with poor health. Scorpions feed on small and large insects, young and. They often attack relatives.
Tree scorpion
- Desert hairy scorpion (lat. Hadrurus arizonensis) has a dark brown back and a light yellow tail. This contrasting coloring, along with the thin and long hairs that cover the legs and tail of the scorpion, are the distinguishing features of this species. The size of adult individuals can reach up to 17 cm including tail and claws. The distribution range of this species of scorpions includes the territories of southern California and the deserts of Arizona. They prefer to wait out the heat of the day in dug holes or under stones. The diet of the hairy scorpion consists of various crickets, moths and other insects.
Desert hairy scorpion (Gadurus arizonalis)
- Black fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus fat-tailed) (lat. Androctonus crassicauda) is widespread in the desert areas of the United States United Arab Emirates and reaches a size of 12 cm. The color of individuals can not only be different shades of black, but also vary from olive green to red-brown. During the day, scorpions take refuge in burrows, under ruins of stones, crevices of houses and fences near human habitats. The diet of this type of scorpion consists of large insects and small vertebrates.
Black fat-tailed scorpion
- (southern androctonus) (lat. Androctonus australis) is widespread in the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, Eastern India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This type of scorpion is characterized by a pale yellow body color and a dark brown or black sting. Adults can reach 12 cm in length. These scorpions live in rocky and sandy deserts or foothills. Minks, voids and crevices in rocks are used as shelters. They feed on various small insects. The venom of the yellow fat-tailed scorpion is so strong that it is fatal two hours after the bite. Unfortunately, no antidote has yet been found for this toxin.
- Stripedtal scorpion (lat. Vaejovis spinigerus) is a typical inhabitant of the deserts of Arizona and California. The color can be various shades of gray and brown with characteristic contrasting stripes on the back. The length of an adult does not exceed 7 cm. This scorpion lives in burrows, but can wait out unfavorable conditions under any object that allows shelter from the scorching sun.
Stripedtal scorpion
Where do scorpions live?
It is quite possible to meet a scorpion on any landmass, with the possible exception of the Arctic, Antarctica and the islands of New Zealand. They feel quite comfortable in hot and temperate zones, in tropical and subtropical zones, hiding from the daytime sun in crevices, under stones or almost completely burying themselves in the sand. When night falls, scorpions come out to hunt.
Scorpion: Interesting Facts, photos and short description to compile a report or presentation for children in grades 2-3-4.
Habitat
Scorpions are practically the oldest animals from the class of arachnids. These invertebrate creatures can be found in different places on the planet: Asia, America, Africa, Southern Europe, Crimea and Australia.
Scorpions are very undemanding to climate and can survive in almost any conditions. Thus, their natural habitats are deserts, savannas, seashores and tropical forests.
Appearance
Scorpios are different. There are many species of this animal, there are about 1500 of them. Therefore, the body length varies and ranges from 1.5 to 20 centimeters. The colors of scorpions are also varied. You can meet green, brown and even black representatives of this arthropod.
The scorpion also has powerful claws and a tail consisting of five rings. At the end of the tail there is a sharp sting with which it injects poison. The poison, in turn, is found in the last ring of the tail.
Reproduction and lifespan
The mating process of scorpions is very interesting. With the arrival of the mating season, the male is in danger. The fact is that he can be eaten by the female when trying to mate. The male dances and attracts the female. Then they can fight. All this is done to impress the partner, who must consent to mating.
The eggs in the female’s body develop for about a year, after which 5 to 50 scorpions are born in the burrow. At first, the mother takes great care of the offspring, carrying small scorpions on her back. After a few weeks, the cubs begin to grow stronger and soon begin an independent life.
Scorpions live in natural conditions from 2 to 8 years
Behavior and nutrition
Scorpions' diet includes insects, worms and spiders. Scorpions emerge from their burrows late at night to search for food. A tail with a sting and claws help them hunt. The first is used to inject poison that is lethal to small animals.
Scorpios are considered loners, that is, they live and get food on their own.