Scorpion, << SKAWR pee uhn, >> is a small animal with a potentially dangerous sting in its tail. The scorpion belongs to a class of animals called arachnids. Spiders, mites, and ticks also belong to this class. Scorpions live around the world, mainly in warm regions.
A scorpion’s body has two parts. Its short and thick forward part, the cephalothorax, consists of its head and thorax (chest), which are joined together. The hind part is the long segmented abdomen. Its last six segments form a slender tail. Most scorpions are black or yellowish and grow 1/2 to 8 inches (1.3 to 20 centimeters) long.
The scorpion has six pairs of jointed appendages. The first pair consists of tiny pincers. The second pair, with large claws, is used to seize and crush prey. The last four pairs are legs. Scorpions possess 6 to 12 eyes, depending on the species. Breathing pores on the abdomen open into a primitive lung, called a book lung.
Loading the player...Scorpion running along rocks
All mother scorpions bear live young, which cling to their mothers for several days after birth. Scorpions eat insects and spiders, and are most active at night. Scorpions are fluorescent when exposed to ultraviolet light. The scorpion’s sting is a curved organ at the end of its tail. Two glands at the base give out a venom (poison) that flows from two pores. A scorpion wound is painful but rarely causes death.
Loading the player...Striped scorpion
