Scorpions are invertebrates, perhaps the most ancient of the class of arachnids. They live in Asia and Africa, America, the Crimea and the Caucasus, Southern Europe and Australia. They are found in tropical forests, deserts and savannas, in mountains and along the coasts of the seas. Surprisingly well tolerate any climate - even heat, even cold. There are about 1500 species.
Depending on the species, the body length is 1.5 - 20 cm. The color can be green, brown and even black. The scorpion has a small head, an elongated body divided into a cephalothorax and a jointed abdomen; 4 pairs of legs and two powerful claws. On gtin-breast with 4 to 12 eyes, but he does not see well. The skeleton is waterproof.
The tail of a scorpion consists of five rings. The poison is on the last ring in the vial. The body is covered with villi, with their help he receives information about the victim located near him. Having captured the prey, he stings it with his tail, and, injecting poison, paralyzes the victim.
They feed on worms, and invertebrates. They lead a solitary life. Late in the evening, it emerges to the surface in search of food. Some species can starve for a long time. With the help of a sting, he also successfully defends himself from enemies, and there are quite a few of them - lizards and snakes, hedgehogs and mongooses, large scorpions and owls. He himself often visits people. Its bite resembles that of a wasp. In almost all victims, the damaged area swells, severe pain is felt. For humans, about 20 species have a deadly poison.
They dig deep holes so that they can escape from the exhausting heat during the day. They also hide under stones in crevices and other shelters. Pincers and a tail are the formidable weapons of a scorpion. When the mating season begins, the male risks his life greatly, the fact is that the female can eat him. He dances a mating dance, luring and flirting with her, attracts attention. The female responds to the offer and the couple dances together. But their sting with such flirting is on alert, and the tail is held high. Then they can fight with claws, and the female tries to bite her partner, who deftly dodges and fights back. Apparently she likes his perseverance, ability to defend himself, and she gives the go-ahead for mating. Eggs develop in her body for about a year.
Cubs will be born alive in the hole, there may be 5 - 50 of them. She carefully protects them and even wears them on her back for ten days. He gets food and divides for everyone, strictly monitors the order. With her, they do not eat each other, but left without care, a strong kid will easily devour his brother. Then they crawl off their mother and scatter. Everyone starts their own independent life. During the growth period, small biters molt several times.
Briefly about the detachment of scorpions. Image is clickable and can be enlarged
Scorpions are sometimes called land crayfish because of their resemblance to crayfish. Indeed, the body of a scorpion is covered with chitin. Two large forelimbs end in impressive claws. Four pairs of running legs are attached to a wide anterior belly, and a long metabelly, popularly called a tail, ends in a round formation with a needle-sharp spike at its end. It is in it that the poisonous gland of the animal is hidden. Scorpions have a pair of large and up to five pairs of small lateral eyes at the front end of the body.
The structure of scorpions. Image is clickable and can be enlarged
The sizes of scorpions are different - from 2-3 cm to 15-25 cm. Their color is also different. Often there are species of scorpions that have a yellow or yellow-green color. For example, in southern Europe lives yellow green scorpion. In small animals, the body sometimes appears translucent, in others it has thicker tones, even with a brownish tinge. For example, it is known motley scorpion, and black or fat-tailed. Large tropical scorpions are dangerous to humans.
Black, or fat-tailed scorpion (Androctonus). It has poor eyesight, however, this does not prevent it from hunting and eating large insects and small vertebrates.
The well-known domestic scientist, academician Evgeny Nikanorovich Pavlovsky, talking about scorpions, said thoughtfully: “It is interesting why over the millennia, when geographical conditions have changed, entire classes, orders of animals died out, and scorpions not only remained similar to distant ancestors, but also kept the way of life the same. To this day, it remains a mystery."
Indeed, many terrestrial creatures have undergone significant metamorphosis, and scorpions have retained their original appearance. Why? Only one answer is possible: apparently, nature created them so perfect, endowing them with a sufficient margin of safety, that changing environmental conditions did not bring anything to their external and internal structure. By the way, in this regard, one can also recall such animals as crocodiles and turtles, the appearance of which also remained practically unchanged compared to their ancient ancestors.
The fact that scorpions have not changed under the influence of the environment for thousands of years is evidenced by the imprints of the bodies of ancient scorpions on stones. They are not much different from modern representatives. This ancient order of arthropods, oddly enough, has been little studied.
Currently, 77 genera and up to 700 species are known from scorpion families, and in Russia and neighboring countries, 7 genera and only 12 species of these arachnids are distinguished from 2 families. Famous Caucasian species of scorpions are yellow, fat-tailed (or black), kolkhaz, and Abkhazian. In the Caucasus, there are 5 species of scorpions, of which in Azerbaijan - 3 species belonging to the same genus. Over 80 species of scorpions live in India.
The Leiurus quinquestriatus scorpion is the most venomous member of the order. The color of the animal may vary depending on the habitat.
You can meet scorpions at the foot of the mountains and high in the mountains - at an altitude of up to 2 thousand meters above sea level, as well as in hollows, gorges, deserts, often stony, where there are more insects and other food items. Often they can be found in the most unusual places for them, especially in tropical regions.
In less warm areas, with the onset of cold weather, scorpions hibernate. Winter hibernation in scorpions takes place in deep, sometimes up to 4 m, rock crevices, under stones, and sometimes even in human housing.
Scorpions are distributed mainly in areas with a hot and warm climate. Most cases of poisoning of people with the poison of these animals were recorded in South and Central America, in Mexico, North and South Africa, and in the Middle East. In Brazil, for example, 0.8 to 1.4% of affected adults die from scorpion stings, 3-5% of those bitten among schoolchildren, and among young children, mortality from stings reaches 15-20%. These are pretty high numbers.
Currently, the venom of scorpions, like that of spiders, is used in biochemistry, molecular biology, neurophysiology and other branches of science.
A little about the types of scorpions
Scorpion speed
Despite this seemingly clumsy body structure, scorpions are very fast and dodgy. One of the biologists-araneologists describes in an interesting way hunting for scorpions in Central Asia. Finding three scorpions at once, the size of which were the size of a matchbox and one of which was yellow-black, A. Nedyalkov directed the tweezers at one of them, but he quickly slid under the stone and was like that, followed by the second scorpion, then the third. Turning over a few stones, they found several more scorpions. One of them was captured and put in a box. When they put the other one in, the first one managed to jump out and ran along the sleeve of the araneolog's shirt in the direction of the head. The biologist dropped the box and began to beat on the sleeve with tweezers, trying to throw off the rushing scorpion. The movements of the araneolog resembled the dance of a Papuan. Despite the critical situation, his comrades burst into laughter. Finally, the scorpion deftly jumped from the sleeve to the ground and was like that. His second relative also escaped from the opened box, and all this happened in a matter of minutes.
Reproduction and care of offspring
Scorpions are in most cases viviparous, but there are also ovoviviparous, i.e. those in which the cubs hatch immediately after the female lays her eggs. The number of embryos is usually from 10 to 30. Having been born, the babies deftly climb onto the mother's back, clinging to the irregularities of the chitinous cover, and calmly move during the first days, sitting on her back.
At this time, the female scorpion leads her usual way of life. After a few days (from 7 to 10), the juveniles leave their mother after the first molt and begin to lead an independent lifestyle. In the first three months, scorpions molt three times, that is, once a month, and then only once a year.
Scorpions reach puberty after a few years, during which they grow, shedding the old and acquiring a new chitinous cover. They live for about five years, and most species can do without water for a long time.
To this day, more than 1,400 species of scorpions have been known and described. Their size varies from 13 mm to 20 cm. One of the largest scorpions is a stone or flat-bodied species - Hadogenes, reaching a length of 20-21 cm. It lives in Botswana, Mozambique and some other countries of South Africa.
Scorpions (Scorpiones) belong to the order of arachnids (arachnids)
The same size (20-23 cm) reaches the imperial scorpion (Pandinus imperator) - a species of scorpion that lives in the tropical forests of Africa (Congo Basin, Ghana, Nigeria). The scorpion emperor rarely uses his venomous sting and mostly uses his massive claws.
Scorpions are characterized by a large sting located on the last segment of the abdomen. Contrary to popular belief, they are not usually aggressive and do not attack without good reason, especially on creatures larger than themselves. However, they can be deadly to humans. The venom of some species can kill within minutes.
Scorpions are very fond of warm places, mainly tropical and subtropical zones. Desert areas are most attractive to scorpions. During the day, scorpions can hide under tree trunks, crawl under stones or even small holes, which sometimes dig themselves. At night, the hunt for spiders begins. But the scorpion will not disdain other insects either ..
During the hunt, the scorpion catches the victim with claws, and the sting that digs into the caught insect completes the case. Poison is released from the sting, immobilizing and killing. After that, the victim can no longer provide worthy resistance.
Scorpions can hide almost anywhere: under the carpet in the apartment, in bed or shoes, so they can be dangerous to humans. The venom of some species can be fatal to humans.
A person who has just been bitten by a large African scorpion or a scorpion from the American continent begins to sweat profusely and loses consciousness. In the venom of a scorpion there are enzymes - phospholipases, which are the cause of the destruction of the cell membranes of red blood cells. As a result, a person develops shortness of breath, muscle paralysis, tachycardia, or even paralysis of the central nervous system may occur. In addition, after a scorpion sting, blindness can occur, and the nervous system is fully restored for at least one more week. Scorpion venom is most dangerous for children and requires immediate hospitalization and administration of antivenom. If the injection is not given in time, the person usually dies.
Scorpions lead a reclusive life, when they meet, they can come to grips with a deadly end.
Scorpions are viviparous
Scorpions are viviparous. During the first week of a baby scorpion's life, it attaches itself to its mother's back and moves with its mother. They do not receive food from their mother, and after a week the babies begin an independent life.
Scorpions are sometimes confused with false scorpions (Pseudoscorpionida), which are a predatory arachnid. This insect has a size of 1 to 8 mm in length. False scorpions do not have venom, but they do have pincers. They feed mainly on moth larvae and other household pests. Their presence in the house does not pose a threat and is very useful.
Do you know that.
Scorpions are the oldest detachment not only among arachnids, but also among terrestrial arthropods in general. As noted, they represent the descendants of the Paleozoic eurypterids, and this is a rare example among arthropods, where the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life is quite fully traced from paleontological materials. Among the Silurian eurypterids, forms were found that are very similar to scorpions, but lived in water and breathed with the help of abdominal gill legs. In land scorpions, the latter have turned into lungs. The structure of walking legs has also changed. In aquatic forms, they ended in a pointed segment ( pointed-legged group- Apoxipodes), the terrestrial legs lengthened and their end parts turned into jointed paws adapted to walking on land ( two-claw group- Dionychopodes). Terrestrial forms, in general similar to modern scorpions, are already present in the deposits of the Carboniferous period.
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Scorpions are medium-sized or large forms, usually 5-10 cm, some up to 20. In appearance, large pedipalps with claws and a jointed flexible metasoma (“tail”) with a poisonous apparatus at the end are most characteristic. In structure, scorpions are closest to the prototype of chelicerae. Three parts of the body - pro-, meso- and metasoma - are well expressed, each consists of 6 segments. The cephalothoracic shield is entire, it has a pair of larger median eyes and up to 5 pairs of small lateral ones. Chelicerae are small, claw-shaped, pedipalps are very large with massive claws. The coxae of the pedipalps and the two front pairs of legs have chewing processes directed towards the mouth. The abdomen adjoins the cephalothorax with a wide base, the pregenital (7th) segment is atrophied. The anterior part of the abdomen (mesosoma) is wider, its segments have isolated tergites and sternites; modified abdominal limbs are represented by a complete set: genital opercula on the eighth segment, ridge-like organs on the ninth, lung sacs on the tenth to thirteenth. The segments of the posterior section (metasoma) are narrow cylindrical; the tergite and sternite of each segment are fused into a single sclerite ring; the first metasomal segment is conical. The metasoma ends with a swollen caudal segment; a poisonous gland is placed in it, the duct of which opens at the end of a curved sharp sting. The scutes of the trunk and segments of the extremities are formed by a very hard cuticle, often with a ribbed or tuberculate sculpture.
Scorpions live in countries with a warm or hot climate, and are found in a wide variety of habitats, from humid forests and littoral sea coasts to barren rocky areas and sandy deserts. Some species are found in the mountains at an altitude of 3 - 4 thousand meters above sea level. It is customary to distinguish between hygrophilous scorpion species living in humid areas and xerophilic scorpion species found in dry areas. But this division is largely arbitrary, since they are all active at night, and during the day they hide in shelters, under stones, under loose bark, in the burrows of other animals, or burrow into the soil, so that even in dry regions they find places where the air is sufficiently humid. Differences in relation to temperature are more distinct. Most species are thermophilic, but some, living high in the mountains, as well as at the northern and southern borders of the scorpion range, tolerate cold winters well when inactive. Some species are found in caves, but they are random aliens here. Scorpions are frequent visitors to the dwelling of a person, but there are no real roommates of a person (synanthropes) among them.
The way of life of scorpions was studied by a number of researchers, we owe valuable information to Fabre. When kept in a perch, the habits of scorpions are distorted, and, as some authors note, there is no more freedom-loving creature than a scorpion.
Scorpions in captivity need a sufficient variety of conditions and the possibility of their free choice: a large cage area, different moisture content of soil or sand in its different parts, the presence of shelters, periodic changes in illumination and temperature, etc. At the same time, the behavior of scorpions is close to natural, in particular, the daily rhythm of activity is clearly expressed.
The scorpion comes out hunting at night and is especially active in hot weather. It walks slowly with its “tail” raised, with half-bent pedipalps forward with open claws. He moves by touch, the main role is played by protruding tactile hairs (trichobothria) of the pedipalps. The scorpion is very sensitive to touching a moving object and either grabs it if it is a suitable prey, or retreats, taking a threatening posture: it abruptly bends the “tail” over the cephalothorax and swings it from side to side. The prey is seized by the claws of the pedipalps and brought to the chelicerae. If it is small, then it is immediately kneaded by chelicerae and the contents are absorbed. If the prey resists, the scorpion stings it one or more times, immobilizing and killing with poison. Scorpions feed on live prey, the objects of hunting are very diverse: spiders, haymakers, centipedes, various insects and their larvae, cases of eating small lizards and even mice are known. Scorpions can starve for a very long time, they can be kept without food for several months, there are cases of starvation up to a year and a half. Most species probably go their entire lives without water, but some tropical rainforest dwellers drink water. When kept together in small cages, a scorpion often eats a fellow.
The biology of reproduction is peculiar. Mating is preceded by a "nuptial walk". Male and female grapple with claws and, raising their “tails” vertically, walk together for many hours and even days. Usually the male, backing away, entails a more passive female. Then copulation takes place. At the same time, individuals hide in some kind of shelter, which the male, without releasing the female, quickly clears with the help of his legs and “tail”. Fertilization is spermatophoric. Individuals come into contact with the ventral sides of the anterior abdomen, and the male introduces packages with spermatozoa into the female's genital tract, and then secretes a special secret, which seals the female's genital opening. It is believed that when mating, scallops, the modified limbs of the ninth segment, play some role. They are equipped with numerous sense organs. At rest, the scallops are pressed to the abdomen; when mating, they protrude and oscillate. But they also bulge when the scorpion moves, and they are also credited with the role of organs of balance and some other functions.
Scorpions are mostly viviparous, some species lay eggs in which the embryos are already developed, so that juveniles soon hatch. This phenomenon is called ovoviviparity. The development of embryos in the mother's body is long; from a few months to a year or more. In some species, the eggs are rich in yolk and the embryos develop in the egg membranes, in others there is almost no yolk and the embryos soon emerge into the lumen of the ovary. As they grow, numerous swellings of the ovary are formed, in which the embryos are placed. They feed on the secretions of special glandular appendages of the ovary.
Embryos can be from 5-6 to several dozen, less often about a hundred. Baby scorpions are born wrapped in an embryonic membrane that sheds shortly after. They climb onto the mother's body and usually stay on it for 7-10 days. Scorpions of the first age do not actively feed, they are whitish, with a smooth cover and sparse hairs, the paws are devoid of claws and have suction cups at the end. Remaining on the body of the female, they molt, and after a while they leave the mother and begin to search for food on their own. After molting, the integuments harden and stain, claws appear on the paws. A scorpion becomes an adult a year and a half after birth, making 7 molts during this time. Life expectancy has not been precisely established, but it is usually at least several years. There are interesting cases of anomalies that occur in the embryonic development of scorpions, for example, the doubling of the “tail”, and the individuals are viable and grow to an adult state (“two-tailed scorpion” is mentioned by the already famous Roman scientist Pliny the Elder in his “Natural History”, 1st century AD).
Hard covers and a poisonous apparatus do not always save scorpions from enemies. Large predatory centipedes, salpugs, some spiders, praying mantises, lizards, and birds cope with them. There are species of monkeys that feast on scorpions, carefully removing the "tail". But the worst enemy of scorpions is man. Since ancient times, the scorpion has been the subject of disgust and mystical horror, and, perhaps, there is no other arthropod that would give rise to so many tales and legends. Scorpio appears both in the ancient myths of the Egyptians and Greeks, and in the prescriptions of medieval alchemists as a magical attribute of the "transformation" of lead into gold, and in astrology, since the name of the scorpion is one of the zodiac constellations, and among Christians as a typical component of the "fauna" of the underworld. Curious are the assurances that scorpions can end their lives with “suicide”: if you surround a scorpion with burning coals, then in order to avoid a painful death, it seems to kill itself with a sting. This opinion is not true, but has a well-known basis. The fact is that the scorpion, like some other arthropods, under the influence of strong stimuli, can fall into a motionless state - a phenomenon of imaginary death (catalepsy, or thanatosis). Being surrounded by burning coals, the scorpion, of course, rushes about in search of a way out, assumes a threatening posture, waves its “tail”, and then suddenly becomes motionless. This picture is taken for "suicide". But after some time, such a scorpion "comes to life", unless it is baked from the heat. Equally unreasonable is the rather widespread belief that a scorpion specifically seeks out a sleeping person at night to sting him. Where there are many scorpions, on hot nights, making their hunting walks, they often visit dwellings and can even climb onto the bed. If a sleeping person crushes a scorpion or touches it, then the scorpion can strike with its “tail”, but, of course, there are no special searches for a person here.
A scorpion sting is a means of attack and defense. On small invertebrates, which usually serve as food for a scorpion, the poison acts almost instantly: the animal immediately stops moving. But the larger centipedes and insects do not die immediately and live for a day or two after the injection; there are also insects that, apparently, are generally insensitive to the venom of scorpions. For small mammals, scorpion venom is mostly fatal. The poisonousness of different types of scorpions is very different. For a person, a scorpion sting is usually not fatal, but a number of cases are known with very serious consequences, even fatal, especially in children and in hot climates. When injected, pain, swelling appear, then drowsiness, chills, and sometimes a temperature reaction occur. Usually after a day or two these phenomena pass, but they can be delayed. It all depends on which scorpion pricked, whom and where. In our country, most cases of scorpion stings are observed in Central Asia and Transcaucasia, where scorpions are common and numerous.
About 600 species of scorpions are known, belonging to about 70 genera and 6 families. The geographical distribution of scorpions is of great interest for zoogeography - the science of the patterns of distribution of animals. Being the oldest terrestrial arthropods, scorpions reflect in their distribution the geological and climatic changes and the change of plant and animal communities that have occurred many times in the history of the Earth. The limited ability of scorpions to settle makes this data particularly valuable: in most cases, certain forms are present where they have managed to survive from ancient times.
The works of a number of scientists are devoted to the development of classification and the study of the distribution of scorpions. Very valuable are the studies of A. A. Byalynitsky-Biruli, who in his work on the scorpions of the Caucasus (1917) made a remarkable analysis of materials on the distribution and evolution of scorpions in general. At present, the area of \u200b\u200bdistribution of scorpions encircles the globe between about 50 ° north and south latitude, but in past eras, up to the end of the Tertiary period, when the climate was warmer and humid forests extended to high latitudes, scorpions were found on most of the land.
According to morphological features, scorpions fall into two large groups: butoids represented by the Buthidae family (up to 300 species), and hacktoids(other families). It is believed that these groups separated in remote times, probably already in the Silurian period, and since then each has evolved in its own way, reflecting in its own way the phenomena that influenced the distribution of fauna (separation of the continents, climate change, etc.). The distribution of primitive representatives of these groups confirms the data of geology that the world's land for a long time (from the beginning of the Paleozoic until the first half of the Cenozoic era) was divided by seas into two sets of continents - northern and southern. So, the ancient subfamily of butoids - Isometrinae - is distributed mainly in Africa and South America, and for South America and at the same time Australia, a peculiar family Bothriuridae is characteristic. Ancient hacktoid scorpions of the families Chactidae and Vejovidae are confined to the subtropical zone of the northern hemisphere in the Old and New Worlds and are completely absent in Africa and Australia.
The general picture of the modern distribution of scorpions is the result of a complex stratification of faunistic elements of different eras and, on the whole, confirms the division of land into zoogeographic regions, established on the basis of the distribution of animals in general. In the Buthidae family, subfamilies, and often even genera, are strictly confined to certain zoogeographic regions, i.e., they have a high degree of endemism. Thus, the subfamilies Centrurinae and Tityinae inhabit the North and Central American regions of the Neotropical region. The genera Parabuthus and Babycurus from the subfamily Buthinae are characteristic of the Ethiopian region of Africa (south of the Sahara); the genus Grosphus is found only in Madagascar. Many genera live along the borders of deserts from the Atlantic Ocean to India, representing Sahara-Indian faunal elements. The genera Isometrus and Isometroides are characteristic of the Australian fauna. Among hacktoid scorpions, lodfamilies and entire families have a high degree of endemism. The family Scorpionidae is mainly represented by Ethiopian forms, the Madagascar genus Heteroscorpius, and the Indo-Malayan Heterometrus. In the family Chactidae, as mentioned, there are no Ethiopian species, the subfamily Chactinae is neotropical, Cherilinae is Indo-Malayan, Scorpioninae is Mediterranean. The distribution of subfamilies of the family Vejovidae is similar. The family Bothriuridae is mainly South American, but there are species living in Australia and Sumatra. The fauna of India is especially rich in scorpions, where there are over 80 species. There are about 100 species in the fauna of the Palearctic, of which about 15 are found in the USSR.
In Transcaucasia, the Lower Volga region and throughout Central Asia, it is common motley scorpion(Buthus eupeus), forming a number of subspecies. It is brown-yellow with dark spots and longitudinal stripes on the back, up to 6.5 mm long. In Crimea, especially on the southern coast, it is not rare Crimean scorpion(Euscorpius tauricus), characteristic only of the Crimea. It is light yellow, claws are narrow, brownish, 35-40 mm long. Common in Western Transcaucasia mingrelian scorpion(E. mingjelicus), reddish brown, lighter below, up to 40 mm long. On the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus still lives italian scorpion(E. italicus), red-brown or almost black, up to 55 mm long.
Animal life: in 6 volumes. - M.: Enlightenment. Edited by professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev. 1970 .
An inquisitive schoolboy who is attentive to the fates of biology will surely tell a lot about these creatures without much difficulty. But the knowledge of many adults is limited to meager information that scorpions live in the desert, have a deadly sting on their tails and are good at hunting. Of course, many of the knowledge gained in school is forgotten over time, but those who do not want to be considered ignorant strive to learn something new, useful and exciting all their lives.
If you are interested in wildlife and the life of the inhabitants of our planet, the article will certainly be useful to you. In it, we will try to answer a number of questions in detail. So, is a scorpion an animal or an insect? What class do these creatures belong to? How do they live in their natural environment, and is it possible to breed these formidable predators at home? Let's take a look at everything in detail.
Common misconception
Many people are convinced that any crawling creature with many legs and antennae is an insect. According to this logic, the scorpion is also considered to be such. Such statements are fundamentally wrong!
Even the very question of whether a scorpion is an animal or an insect sounds strange to anyone who is passionate about biology. The fact is that insects belong to the Animal Kingdom, so if we are talking about some beetle, both statements are true. But in the case of a scorpion, it is impossible to say so without trampling on the truth.
By the way, the scorpion is far from alone. Many of its relatives are mistakenly attributed to insects.
Reasons for confusion
Why do such misconceptions arise? Let's highlight a few reasons:
- All insects are animals.
- Scorpions are commensurate with insects, have a similar external structure, color.
- Near scorpions, many species of insects live.
- Similar diet.
- Belonging to the type of arthropods.
That is why many find it difficult to answer the question of whether a scorpion is an insect or an animal. At first glance, there are indeed many similarities. But it is worth digging deeper, as a huge number of differences will be revealed.
The place of the scorpion in the animal kingdom
Let's turn to the official classification to determine if a scorpion is an animal or an insect.
To what class these creatures belong is the most important question. We already know that scorpions belong to the Animal Kingdom and the phylum Arthropoda. Scientists attribute them to the subtype of chelicerae, the class of arachnids and the order of scorpions. Currently, the order includes about twenty families. Some of them are very numerous, may include up to 200 species. Some are represented by only one or two species.
Scorpions are one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet. The direct ancestors of these creatures - racoscorpions - are the largest arthropods that have ever lived on Earth (up to two meters in length).
Racoscorpions (merostome class), by the way, are also not insects. For modern scientists, scorpions are a very important subject of research. They help trace the transition from the underwater to the terrestrial way of life.
The main differences from insects
As you know, insects have 3 pairs of legs. All chelicerae have 4 pairs of walking legs, so you can even distinguish representatives from each other with the naked eye. There are no insects with more than six legs.
Another difference is the presence of chelicerae, and gave the name to this subtype. This word refers to the oral appendages designed to capture food.
But the claws, which in the language of science are called pedipalps, deserve the most attention. There is something similar in cancer, which also belongs to arthropods and is related to the scorpion. But none of the insects.
Count the limbs and everything will become clear. It is not so difficult to find the answer to the question of whether a scorpion is an animal or an insect.
The photo shows the structure of a scorpion. You can see:
- head with eyes and chelicerae;
- 4 pairs of walking limbs and a pair of pedipalps attached to cephalothorax segments;
- segmented abdomen;
- telson (anal part), over which the poisonous gland is also located.
close relatives
Let's talk about those whose generic affiliation also causes confusion. First of all, these are spiders and ticks. It is worth remembering that they also belong to the type of arthropods and the class of arachnids.
It is appropriate to mention some more unusual creatures that are mistakenly attributed to scorpions.
The name of the detachment was due to pedipalps ending in claws. As you can see from the photo, they do not have a tail with a poisonous sting. In fact, these creatures are spiders. False scorpions, like ordinary scorpions, are animals, not insects. They are very common on the planet, but lead a secretive lifestyle and have a modest size (up to 1.2 cm), so many people do not even know about their existence. But if you happen to pay attention to such a crumb, you will know that this is not a cub of a desert dweller, but an adult creature. It cannot sting, it does not pose any danger.
Squad description
These predators are most active at night. They have phenomenal vision thanks to multiple pairs of eyes. Scorpio has a 360 degree field of view.
Helps to survive and eat in time for another unique sense organ. Scorpions pick up vibrations in the air created by the wings of a moth, feel the vibrations of the sand along which the beetle runs. The hairs that cover their body are not at all for beauty, and certainly not for warmth - they are kind of antennas.
No scorpion will start a fight for the sake of a fight. By themselves they are not aggressive. Few people know, but even a predator, inferior in size, can defeat this rather large creature. For example, a fight with a praying mantis or a stag beetle, a scorpion, is likely to lose.
Human danger
Most scorpions are not dangerous to humans, for the simple reason that they do not consider anyone larger than themselves as food. These creatures can only sting in defense. Therefore, everyone who goes to Asia and Africa should carefully inspect shoes, bags, pockets, so as not to inadvertently frighten the creature lurking there.
The question of how dangerous a person is for a scorpion is relevant. Many species of these arthropods are listed in the Red Book. Volunteers and environmentalists around the world call for a careful attitude towards all living things, reminding that it is impossible to kill for the sake of entertainment or because of unreasonable fears of these unusual, in their own way beautiful and harmless animals.
Maybe you thought about such a pet? Is that why you are wondering who the scorpion is - is it an animal or an insect?
The description of these creatures has long allowed many breeders to decide to settle a scorpion at home. Many species are great for keeping in a terrarium. Such an amazing pet will certainly impress friends and glorify the owner as an extraordinary and courageous person.
Scorpions should not be overfed, they need food no more than once every 3 days. The diet should be similar to that which scorpions have in nature. The menu should include insects, spiders, worms, larvae. Forage rodents are also suitable for large species. You need free access to the drinker and moistening from the spray bottle. Scorpios are not too contact, but they get used to a good-natured and attentive owner rather quickly.
