Unusual and very similar to crayfish creatures are called scorpions. Unlike other arachnids, they have a pair of claws and a tail, ending in the form of a sharp and sometimes poisonous sting. The traditional fighting pose of this spider - the tail raised and bent to the back and open claws - terrifies many representatives of the fauna. Seeing a scorpion, a man is scared.
Let's take a closer look at this representative of the animal kingdom and select the most interesting facts about scorpions.
Origin
Scorpions are the oldest of earthly creatures. Their current representatives belong to the Ground Arthropod Squad. But they appeared on the planet when even dinosaurs did not walk on it. Academician E.N. Pavlovsky believed that marine crustaceans euriperids, which can be considered the "progenitors" of scorpions, lived in the coastal waters of the seas even in the Silurian period of planet development (one of the Paleozoic periods).
Terrestrial species began to develop later, namely in the Devonian period, that is, more than 300 million years ago. Well, all the families of scorpions that are known to science today are even less divided - "only" about 100 million years ago.
Appearance
The front part of the scorpion is so reminiscent of crayfish that this spider is sometimes called "land cancer." A rather wide cephalothorax passes into the abdomen, narrower, giving the body the ability to bend, and therefore consisting of many joints - segments. The abdomen becomes the tail, which ends with the most terrifying scorpion weapon - a small pear-shaped segment-capsule.
The capsule contains glands that produce poison. His spider injects into the victim's body with a sharp needle - a sting.
In addition to claws, this arachnid has two rudimentary limbs located at the mouth itself and necessary for chopping food. These are jaw organs, in other words, stings. Four pairs of legs on the bottom of the abdomen provide the scorpion with a very decent speed. Moreover, it should be noted that most varieties of this arthropod order live in countries with hot and arid climatic conditions, the scorpion often passes along unfavorable ground paths - hot and unsteady sands or between stones in the mountains.
Color and size
Different types of scorpions have different sizes - from 2 to 25 cm. Their color can also vary. In Europe, there are spiders of the "traditional" yellow-gray color.
In Africa, scorpions are more saturated, black-brown shades. Other species may be white or translucent. There are greenish or yellow, there are even "motley" varieties that have transverse brownish stripes.
Eyes
Different types of scorpions can have up to 8 eyes. Only one pair of them - the middle eyes - is located in the very center of the head, the rest, called "lateral", are located on the sides of the head, but near the front edge.
But even with so many organs of vision, the scorpion sees poorly - it is more likely that it will distinguish light from shadow, than the details and appearance of the victim. At the same time, studies show that a scorpion is not at all able to distinguish, for example, red color or its shades.
Hunting
Hence the preferences that a scorpion follows in its lifestyle. This spider goes hunting at night, avoiding the light. During the day, he hides between and under the stones or completely bury himself in the sand. And on the hunt creeps out in the darkness.
To hunt a scorpion as follows: it simply crawls slowly, putting forward its open claws. The main role in this process is given to the sense of touch: the sensitive trichobotria hairs in arachnids are located precisely on the limbs. Scorpions have them most on claws. These hairs are sensitive to just touch, tremors of air in the surrounding space, tremors of the earth's surface.
Having stumbled upon a small prey - another spider, wood lice, worm, cockroach, and if you are lucky it will be a small lizard or mouse, the scorpion simply closes the fishing gear one or more times, but if the maneuver is unsuccessful and the victim escapes, her scorpion As a rule, does not pursue, continuing to hunt further. But if someone still finds himself in the pincers, a sting should be given, one or several times, until the seized person calms down. After that, the scorpion eats its prey immediately or drags, clamped in claws, in the shelter.
Where do they live
Listing briefly interesting facts about scorpions, it is worth mentioning that you can meet a scorpion, not only wandering in the desert or in the mountains. This species of arachnids is quite common in warm regions in general - for example, in the Crimea and the Caucasus, in the countries of the Middle East and Central Asia, in the southern part of Europe (Spain, Italy), as well as in the southern and some northern states of America.
If this is a species whose range is represented by woodland, then a scorpion can be found by sprouting old leaves or destroying rotten stump. In the sandy soil, a spider will dig a hole for itself. Some species of scorpions live even on the coast or high in the mountains - there they can overcome a height of 4000 meters above sea level.
And in the dwelling of man
There have been cases when scorpions have been visiting human homes, especially adhering to adobe buildings. But in the Caucasus region, there were cases when they were met in modern high-rises. Sometimes they managed to rise right up to the fourth floor.
The farewell wanderings are well known: the first thing a newly awakened person should do is to shake his bed, clothes and shoes in the most thorough way. There were times when these dangerous creatures climbed even under the seat of cars.
How and why do they sting?
The scorpion sting means a lot. This is the first assistant during the hunt and a reliable tool to immobilize the victim. After all, even being clamped by claws, it does not stop moving and resisting, which does not give the winner the opportunity to enjoy a meal. The poison, which is in the sting, helps the scorpion to paralyze, and sometimes to hit the victim, slightly larger than the most predatory spider in size. However, the scorpion is able to control its poisonous weapons - it can sting, and without releasing poison.
A poisonous sting is invaluable in self-defense of a scorpion. Straying away from other spiders, a scorpion most often stings them with an aimed bite between the middle eyes.
And here is one of the species of these spiders (Parabuthus transvaalicus), which is even able to shoot its poison at an enemy at a distance of about a meter.
And here are some more interesting facts about scorpions as animals. As the arachnologists (arachnid specialists) found out, the scorpion needs a sting during the mating season - it serves as a kind of identification mark by which the female "identifies" her partner. The fact is that in the process of evolution, the male’s body extended and the tail with the sting became quite long - longer than that of the female.
Is a scorpion dangerous - how to find out?
Representatives of this order of arthropods are quite numerous. Today, more than 1700 species of scorpions are known, and only about 50 of them can be dangerous to humans.
When you meet a scorpion, first look at its claws. There is a common symptom: the more powerful and frightening these limbs look, the more developed they are, the less developed the sting. That is, poisonous scorpions, as a rule, have small claws.
Such, for example, is the Tailed Scorpion, whose bite is considered the most highly toxic among the representatives of the scorpion fauna. It lives in Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and others. The body size is about 10 cm.
The bite of scorpions with massive claws is not more dangerous for a person than a wasp sting. Usually their poison is able to paralyze only small invertebrates.
