The most poisonous scorpion dope. The most dangerous scorpions in the world

The scorpion is an exotic arachnid similar to crayfish, related to insects, which for many centuries has cast fear on all living things.

Its bite carries a huge danger to a person, up to partial paralysis and death.

Where can you find a scorpion?

Scorpions are very aggressive and venomous; are found mainly in the countries of Southern Europe, Central Asia, America, North Africa, the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Crimea.

A special representative of this insect species is the Israeli subspecies of the genus Leiurus quinquestriatus, which is translated from Latin as "deadly pursuer". Residents and guests of southern countries are most at risk of being bitten, who first of all should know what such an insect looks like and what lifestyle it leads. If somehow a person received such an injury as a scorpion sting, what should I do? How to be saved? What measures should be taken first?

Description of the scorpion

The scorpion has impressive dimensions (sometimes up to 18 cm), outwardly resembles a crayfish: a body divided into segments, 2 claws, 6 limbs. You can recognize a dangerous creature by a thickened upward curved tail with a sharp sting. Most of the life, the duration of which is about 5 years, the insect spends in places inaccessible to the human eye (small gorges, spaces under stones, burrows in sandy soil 15-25 cm deep). It is active mainly at night. A person can be attacked only because of fear or in the process of protection.

The venom of some representatives of the species is very dangerous, so a timely recognized scorpion sting can save human life. It is believed that individuals with large claws are less poisonous.

Scorpion sting: symptoms

With a scorpion sting, resembling a rather painful injection, the following symptoms are observed:

• Sharp, burning pain, proportional in its intensity to the degree of poisonousness of the scorpion. According to pain, it resembles a severe burn and can last for several hours, then intensifying, then subsiding.

• Redness at the site of injury with a dark puncture point in the middle. The occurrence of edema, rapidly spreading with a potent poison.
• Strong itching.
• Feeling of numbness at the site of injury.
• The formation of bubbles filled with a clear liquid.
• Attacks of nausea, periodic vomiting, pain in the abdomen.
• Dizziness, headache, sometimes sore throat.
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes.
• Active salivation, confirming intoxication of the body.
• Swelling of the tongue, discharge from the eyes of a purulent consistency - with severe lesions.

• Tachycardia and loss of consciousness in especially difficult cases.
• Unstable body temperature.
• General restlessness is the result of overexcitation of the nervous system.

Scorpion sting: first aid and treatment

It is very important to respond in a timely manner to the bite of a malicious insect, because passivity in such cases can cause serious consequences. What to do with a scorpion sting? In the first minutes, actions should be taken to prevent and slow down the penetration of the poison into the body.

• Try to squeeze out the poison or make a small incision at the bite site and suck out the toxic substance. Fluid should be spit out periodically. After completing the procedure, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water. It is very important that there are no wounds in the oral cavity. The method is effective in the first 10 minutes from the moment of injury.
• Treat the affected area with an alcohol solution and apply an antiseptic bandage. This will protect against getting inside the microbes that the scorpion could carry on its sting.
• Apply ice or apply a tight bandage to relieve swelling and reduce pain. This slows down the spread of the poisonous substance throughout the body.

• Place the victim horizontally, ensuring complete immobility of the bitten limb.
• Make an injection of adrenaline or novocaine at the site of the bite, which will temporarily block the absorption of the poison.
• Apply antiallergic drugs. The action on nerve cells will exclude the injection of "Atropine".

• Urgently deliver the victim to the nearest medical facility for professional assistance and further treatment.

How to avoid a scorpion sting

• for an overnight stay in nature, where there is a high probability of the presence of scorpions, choose flat surfaces, be sure to clean them of foreign objects: dry branches, stones, etc .;
• tightly curtain the entrance to the tent;
• before going to bed, conduct a scrupulous inspection of tents, sleeping bags;
• shake out clothes and shoes in the morning;
• do not wander at night along rocky slopes, do not collect firewood;
• do not walk without shoes on sandy beaches and deserted places, as scorpions like to burrow into the sand to a shallow depth;
• when meeting with a dangerous insect, you should not tease him, try to touch his tail.

It is worth understanding what danger the venom of a scorpion carries for the body. Representing a neurotoxic polypeptide, this substance is characterized by the ability to cause allergic reactions, stimulate the release of stress hormones and negatively affect brain tissue and nerve cells.

Treatment

When bitten by a non-poisonous scorpion, treatment consists in treating the wound and relieving pain with cold or painkillers. In more difficult cases, the victim is required to ensure peace; in the presence of high blood pressure and muscle spasms, appropriate drugs and antitoxin serum are prescribed, which destroys the poison. In the first 12 hours after the bite, the patient is forbidden to take any food. In severe cases of scorpionism (as a scorpion sting is called in medical terminology), the patient is provided with blood circulation and airway patency with the parallel use of drugs whose action is aimed at eliminating shock and dehydration.

Phenobarbital, Diazepam, adrenoreceptors are prescribed - drugs that block symptoms that arise due to the action of the poison.

It is noteworthy that the deadly venom of a scorpion does not pose any danger to the latter, while in humans it can cause paralysis and swelling of the brain.

Consequences of meeting with a scorpion

The sting of a scorpion, if the latter is not poisonous, does not have serious consequences for the body, in mild cases it even looks like a bee. Remind of an unpleasant life moment can be small swelling at the site of the lesion, which will disappear in just a couple of days. In severe cases (for example, when bitten by a tree scorpion), the poison can enter the bloodstream, cause severe allergies, and even cause

A scorpion sting is very dangerous, the consequences of which can be simply unpredictable, for people with weakened immune systems, the elderly and children. It is worth knowing that the development of poisoning depends on the height of the lesion: the lower the bite site, the less likely it is that serious reactions will occur.

It will come in handy

Approximately 95% of deaths and 80% of severe poisonings are recorded after meetings with thick-tailed representatives of the species - androktonus (from ancient Greek "killing men") that live in the forests and deserts of North Africa. The sting of a scorpion, the treatment of which can sometimes turn into a huge problem, is insensitive due to the presence of strong neurotoxins in the poison, which have a toxic effect on the nervous system and heart. The poison of such an insect is fatal within 7 hours from the moment of defeat. A person has severe intoxication, the child has asthma attacks. In this case, only an antidote can save a life.

Water scorpion - scorpion?

The namesake of the scorpion - the water scorpion, which lives in reservoirs with sedentary water - can also cause trouble to a person. In fact, this is a bug that looks like its southern counterpart. It bites just as painfully, but is not dangerous. There is no need for special treatment; itching and discomfort can be relieved by applying cold to the bite site and treating it with an antiseptic.

The scorpion is an insect that always arouses increased interest. Mysterious and inaccessible, it carries a mortal danger to humans on its sharp sting. Therefore, when meeting with such a representative of the world of fauna, one should maintain composure and try to avoid a bite as much as possible.

If you think that all scorpions are deadly, then you are deeply mistaken. All scorpions are poisonous, but varying degrees. Not all scorpion stings are fatal. It is believed that the most poisonous scorpion that lives on our planet is the black scorpion. But this is also a misconception. It is the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus, which lives in a number of regions around the world, from North Africa to the Middle East, that is the most dangerous and poisonous on earth. The bite of these extremely aggressive creatures can lead to lethal outcome within a few seconds. Scorpions Leiurus quinquestriatus, depending on the area in which they live, have a different color. This family of arachnids has other names: yellow scorpion, thedeathstalcer scorpion, Omdurman scorpion or Israeli desert dweller scorpion.
The yellow scorpion lives on average 5 years and can grow up to 11.5 cm in length. The adults feed on large insects and crickets, while the young feed on crickets and small insects. The sting of a yellow scorpion is considered extremely dangerous. The venom secreted by the scorpion contains a strong mixture of neurotoxins that can cause intense and unbearable pain, leading to fever, coma, convulsions, paralysis, and death.
As a rule, the activity of the scorpion's venom depends on its claws. Scorpions with strong, large claws do not contain a high dose of toxins, while scorpions with small, weak claws need strong venom to overwhelm their prey. Analysts and researchers have proven that the venom of this species of scorpion, after certain processing, can be used as a medicine. Females are larger than males, which helps them perform their reproductive functions. The most poisonous scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus lives in forest areas and deserts, where it hides in small holes or under stones.

The fact that a scorpion sting is deadly is known to everyone since childhood. A menacing appearance evokes not the best associations, so people who love exotic animals very rarely keep these creatures at home. Many consider such a neighborhood unsafe. However, not all scorpions pose a threat. Of the 1500 species known to science, only 50 are dangerous to humans. There are those after the bite of which pain of low intensity is felt, but some species pose a mortal danger. As for which scorpion is the most poisonous, even among arachnologists there have been disputes for a long time, but it was possible to establish the truth thanks to experimental methods.

The complexities of science

When identifying the most dangerous species, one cannot rely on statistical data, since individual varieties of this family live in places with different population densities, so even the most poisonous representatives may simply have fewer contacts with a person.

For a long time, representatives of the black scorpion squad were considered the most poisonous. Most likely this was due to its outstanding size, since the length from head to tail is 23 cm. It is quite difficult not to notice such a monster, especially against the background of yellow sand. Representatives of this detachment really produce poison, and the pain syndrome when bitten is extremely high. Mortality is directly related to the weight of a person, so the child, most likely, will not make it to medical practice, but an adult will come to his senses after several hours of excruciating pain.

In fact, the most venomous species turned out to be more modest in size - the yellow or Israeli scorpion. In order to determine this, a large number of laboratory tests were carried out. In the early stages, a proportional amount of poison different types affected laboratory rodents: mice and rats. After receiving these data, the test subjects were changed to primates, in which the functions of the body are much closer to humans than to rodents. According to the results of these experiments, the palm is firmly entrenched in the yellow scorpion.

Poison Parameters

A person who has met this arthropod in the wild has absolutely no time to conduct analyzes. For such cases, scientists have a proven recipe to determine whether the poison threatens health and life or not.

The fact is that nature has equipped non-poisonous species with large claws that allow you to defend yourself from natural enemies or engage in battles with competitors. More poisonous species do not need such protection, so their claws are much more modest, but the tail and capsule in which the dangerous substance is produced are enlarged. By evaluating the parameters of the tail and claws, one can understand whether a given specimen poses a threat or not. The smaller the claws look compared to the tail, the greater the level of danger.

Of course, such a method cannot be considered reliable, because “fear has big eyes”: even when describing a species after a person unexpectedly met with its representative, it often turned out that such large arthropods appear in stories that simply do not exist in nature.

brutal killer

The yellow scorpion is a predator not exceeding 11 cm in length. Its diet consists of insects, which can sometimes outnumber it. Females are slightly larger than males, at one time they give birth to 30-87 cubs. These babies climb onto their mother's back and sit there until they grow up and get stronger under her reliable protection.

The life span of representatives of this species is five years, but they become sexually mature only a year after birth. One female in a lifetime is capable of giving life to an average of 400 individuals, but no more than 50 of them survive to a sexually mature state, since many birds and reptiles successfully hunt them at a young age.

Fortunately, these arthropods live only in the deserts and dry regions of the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. They are nocturnal, crawling out of shelters after dusk, and in extreme heat they escape from the scorching sun under stones, snags and in minks. Due to the nocturnal lifestyle, meetings with people are rare.

In what cases do they bite

Yellow scorpions do not attack people for no reason: such a large prey is not suitable for them, so they tend to bypass a huge animal compared to themselves. The bite occurs only when you have to protect your life or housing. Most attacks are recorded when the arthropod gets into shoes or clothes. After a person begins to dress or put on shoes, the awakened animal understands that someone has encroached on his home and life, so he resorts to drastic measures - protection with poison.

There are no official statistics regarding yellow scorpion attacks on people, because many bites remain unrecorded in medical facilities, but experts believe that they account for only 0.2% of total number stung, which is 2.4 thousand per year. Not all of them end in death, but the mortality rate is the highest among all arachnids, since death occurs in every second case.

The bite of this arthropod in science is called scorpionism. The most poisonous of the whole family stings a person with almost no pain, since the tip of the tail, on which the needle is located, is quite thin. This process is accompanied only by a slight sensation of a prick. The pain is not associated with a violation of the integrity of the skin, but with the effect of the poison on the nerve endings.

Scientists have long studied what explains the high mortality after a person is bitten by a representative of this species. As it turned out, not only the composition of the poison is responsible for this, as it would be logical to assume, but also the method of its entry into the skin of the victim.

In order to capture this process, the laboratory used several high-speed cameras that were able to slow down the footage taken, and scientists, in turn, were able to examine in detail the trajectory of the tail strike at the time of the attack. It turned out that the tail moves faster than in any other species, namely, at a speed of 130 cm / sec. In this case, the poison enters the deep layers of the skin with lightning speed, therefore it spreads throughout the body faster than after being hit by a sting of other species. After a blow that fell clearly from top to bottom, pain and swelling immediately appear.

How dangerous is poison

The toxic substance accumulates in a special hollow organ, which is located at the end of the caudal segments, and has an exit to the needle bent upwards. The main active ingredient of the poison is a mixture of neurotoxic substances that act on the body almost instantly. In different representatives of the species, the concentration of the deadly substance in the secret is different: the stronger the claws, the less poisonous the secret, and nature gives the smallest individuals the most dangerous poison to protect themselves.

The condition of a bitten person worsens in the first seconds: the poison acts on the muscles of the heart, brain neurons and pectoral muscles. In addition to severe pain, there is difficulty in breathing and all signs of intoxication. Doctors state that the cause of death is most often two reasons: pulmonary edema or anaphylactic shock. With the onset of pulmonary edema, death occurs within a few hours, and sometimes - several days. In such cases, there is a chance to save a person in a hospital setting. With anaphylactic shock, death occurs instantly, within seconds or minutes, and there is practically no chance of salvation.

Does everyone die

Death does not always occur: approximately half of those stung have a chance of salvation even without medical assistance. Firstly, it depends on the concentration of poisonous substances in the yellow scorpion (females are usually less poisonous because they are larger), and secondly, on the condition of the person. For children, people with low weight, the elderly, patients weakened by the disease, the poison affects more. It is especially dangerous if you stung a person who suffers from heart disease. Strong people with good immunity have the highest chances of salvation.

Another parameter that affects the outcome: what part of the body the poison got into. Laboratory data on this matter confirm the statistics: the lower the bite of a deadly arthropod, the easier the consequences, and the higher it falls, the more difficult it is to deal with it. The fastest death occurs when the neck is affected.

There is a small percentage of people who are not affected by the poisonous secret. There are especially many such representatives among the population of regions where the yellow scorpion is found. Scientists suggest that this is due to the adaptation of the body due to living in the neighborhood with these poisonous arthropods for many generations in a row.

What can save

The chances of a victim also depend on whether first aid is provided correctly. Immediately after getting a toxic toxin under the skin, a hot match must be applied to the wound. The fact is that poison toxins quickly denature when exposed to high temperatures and do not disperse throughout the body. Further rescue actions must be performed by doctors.

The bitten place is chipped from all sides with a novocaine solution, and atropine, dihydroergotoxin, etc. are injected intravenously. This is followed by several days, during which the patient is given droppers with medicine to remove toxins.

In France and Germany, a special serum is produced that is very effective after such a bite, but in remote deserts in first-aid posts or even small hospitals it can not always be found. Scientists who study the life and physiology of representatives of this species in the wild prefer to bring such a serum with them just in case.

The pathological fear of this family is united in one group with the fear of spiders and is called arachnophobia. Due to the fact that an ordinary city dweller cannot meet this arthropod in real life, it has long been believed that most people do not experience a panic fear of him. But 12 years ago, a detailed study was conducted at the University of Wisconsin, during which it turned out that the fear of spiders is much weaker compared to the fear of scorpions.

The study group consisted of 800 students, half of whom lived in Arizona, where scorpions are found in the natural environment, and the other half lived in Wisconsin, where they are not. The results surprised psychologists: the percentage of scorpion arachnophobia was the same in both groups, although only students from Wisconsin had a chance to actually encounter poisonous arthropods.

Biologists do not see anything surprising in these results: after spider bites, the chances of survival are much higher than after scorpion venom. In the course of evolution, our ancestors encountered them repeatedly, so they knew how such meetings ended. The prehistoric relatives of the modern killer were up to 70 cm in size, so it can be assumed that death from the bites of such monsters occurred more often.

True, images of a black scorpion, and not a yellow - the most poisonous - scorpion, are more terrifying to people. This is given several explanations at once: firstly, yellow, most likely, appeared much later than black, and secondly, black is initially perceived by a person as a symbol of death and danger.

Death or life

Even the most dangerous substance secreted from the sting of a yellow scorpion can benefit humanity. There is a famous saying: “What does not kill us makes us stronger”. In this case wise saying captures the essence as closely as possible.

Doctors have made an extract from the secret of the most dangerous scorpion on earth in the form of a substance called chlorotoxin. They found that it is able to deliver anti-cancer genes to brain cancers, which are very aggressive and lead to rapid death of the patient. With the help of chlorotoxin, drugs are delivered to the target faster and more accurately than with all existing methods, which increases the effectiveness of treatment several times.

In addition, recent studies prove that the components of this poison are effective in the treatment of diabetes and the regulation of insulin levels in the blood. Therefore, it is likely that in the near future the extraction of this substance will become commercially profitable, and the first scorpion farms will appear.

If you suddenly meet a real scorpion, look at the size of its claws and tail. In poisonous ones, the sting is always larger in relation to the “tentacles“.

Experts recommend not walking where scorpions are found. And if this arthropod itself decided to visit you, gently “turn on the back”, or even immediately do your feet. Especially if you have one of the following “heroes” in front of you.

Parabuthus transvaalicus

Belongs to the genus of African desert scorpions. Uses a huge black tail to spray poison up to a meter away. Although the venom is not fatal, it causes burning pain and blindness if it enters the eyes.

Source: wikipedia.org

Uroplectes lineatus

Representative of the family of small fat-tailed scorpions of Southeast Africa. First of all, he is known for his impressive appearance. Its stings are extremely painful and can cause symptoms of a fever, but often resolve without serious consequences.

Source: allscorpionarchives.com

Buthus occitanus

Popularly known as the "common yellow scorpion". Found in the Middle East, Africa, partly in Europe. Unlike most scorpions, this one is a vegetarian, feeding on leaves and tree bark. It rarely stings humans, but when it does, its venom can cause breathing difficulties, vomiting, and dizziness.

Source: taxateca.com

Heterometrus swammerdami

A subspecies of the Asian forest scorpion. Its venom is very weak relative to the strength of its claws. But this is no reason not to be afraid of him: this is the largest scorpion in the world, up to 23 cm in size! If you are stung by such a monster, you will not die, but you will remember it for the rest of your life.

Source: arachnoboards.com

Centruroides vittatus

Striped tree scorpion, one of the most common arachnids in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Usually lives under the bark of trees, but also populates with pleasure and wooden houses. For an adult and healthy you, its bite will not particularly harm you, but it can be fatal for children and the elderly.

Source: thehibbitts.net

Tityus serrulatus

The most dangerous scorpion in Brazil, characterized by aggressive behavior and highly toxic poison. It is also famous for the parthenogenetic method of reproduction, in which only females are involved.

Source: www.afpmb.org

Androctonus crassicauda

"Arabian fat-tailed scorpion", a resident of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. The word "androctonus" is translated as "killer of people", which, as it were, hints. The venom of the Arabian fat-tailed scorpion contains the most powerful neurotoxins and poses a deadly threat to humans.

Source: buthidae.eu

Poison is one of the most common types of attack or defense in the animal kingdom, and probably everyone has heard of scorpion venom. True, scorpions are not as scary as they are said to be: out of 1750 species of scorpions, about 50 poison poses a threat to humans. What are the most dangerous scorpions?

One of the signs by which you can distinguish a poisonous scorpion is to compare the size of the claws and tail. Poisonous ones will have a significantly more prominent sting compared to relatively small pincers, and vice versa. True, not every person has the endurance to compare the sizes of claws and tail when looking at some of the arthropods presented in the rating.

Parabuthus transvaalicus belongs to the African desert scorpion genus. The scorpion uses a huge black tail to spray poison up to a meter away. Although the poison is not fatal, if it enters the eyes, it causes burning pain and blindness, sometimes permanent.



Uroplectes lineatus, from the family of small fat-tailed scorpions of southeast Africa. First of all, he is known for his impressive appearance. Its stings are extremely painful and can cause symptoms of fever, but often go away without serious consequences.

Buthus occitanus, given the inexpressive nickname "common yellow scorpion". Found in the Middle East, Africa, partly in Europe. Unlike most scorpions, they are vegetarian, feeding on leaves and tree bark. It rarely stings humans, but when it does, its venom can cause breathing difficulties, vomiting, and dizziness.

Heterometrus swammerdami, a subspecies of the Asian forest scorpion. Its poison is very weak (inversely proportional to the strength of the claws). On the other hand, it is the largest scorpion in the world, up to 23 cm in size! If you are stung by such a monster, you will not die, but remember this for the rest of your life.

Centruroides vittatus, the striped tree scorpion, is one of the most common arachnids in the southern United States and northern Mexico. Usually they live under the bark of trees, but they also inhabit wooden houses with pleasure. For healthy adults, their bite is not particularly harmful, but can be fatal to children and the elderly.

Tityus serrulatus, the most dangerous scorpion in Brazil, characterized by aggressive behavior and highly toxic poison. It is also famous for the parthenogenetic method of reproduction, in which only females are involved.

Androctonus crassicauda - "Arab fat-tailed scorpion", a resident of Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey. Its name speaks for itself, because the word "androctonus" is translated as "killer of people." The venom of the Arabian fat-tailed scorpion contains the most powerful neurotoxins and poses a deadly threat to a stung person.

Androctonus australis, also known as the "yellow fat-tailed scorpion", is another member of the genus Androctonus. It is found in the territories of northern Africa and southern Asia, known for its extraordinary endurance - able to withstand sandstorms that damage even concrete and steel buildings. Extremely venomous, its bite will kill a human within hours if not treated immediately.

Hottentotta Tamulus, "Indian red scorpion", thunderstorm of the Indian and Nepalese countryside. Like others tree scorpions, usually finds shelter under the bark of trees. Its neurotoxic venom kills 8 to 40% of its victims, mostly children.

Leiurus quinquestriatus, aka yellow scorpion, Israeli scorpion and "crouching killer" - one of the most poisonous scorpions on the planet, living in North Africa, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The lethality of the poison depends on the portion - a small dose will cause terrible pain, a large one is guaranteed to kill even an adult healthy person.