Trivia question for May-21-2011

By now everyone knows Olivia likes invertebrates so here we go again:  This is one of 50 scorpions that are a danger to humans; venom can kill by paralyzing heart muscles. They use their stinger in its tail to paralyze struggling prey as well as for defense against predators.

This particular scorpion belongs to one of the most dangerous groups of scorpions species in the world.

So here are Olivia’s questions: Tell us what kind of scorpion this is and where they can be found.  Also, there are two mammal species in particular that prey on this type of scorpion.  These agile mammals render the scorpion harmless by severing its stinger with a swift blow or bite before devouring it.  Tell us what species is able to do that and also tell us how long scorpions have existed (almost unchanged) on earth?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations to Marie for providing us with such detailed answers.  The Scorpion we featured is the Fat-Tailed Scorpion.  Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus Androctonus, which is one of the most dangerous groups of scorpions species in the world. They are found throughout the semi-arid and arid regions of the Middle-East and Africa. They are a moderate sized scorpion, attaining lengths of just under 4 in. Their name is derived from their distinctly fat metasoma, or tail.

The two types of mammals that love eating these scorpions and which are skilled at removing the stinger are the Baboons and the Mongoose.  East African Hedgehogs and Meerkats like to eat the South African version of these scorpions which is also known as “Dark Scorpion”.

The oldest known scorpions lived around 430 million years ago. Here is more on these deadly invertebrates: Fat-Tailed scorpion

Thanks for playing along 😉