Amazing insects - scorpions

An intimidating appearance, large claws, a poisonous tail raised upwards - and all this is a scorpion. An amazing insect that is known to the world for more than 400 million years. The image of the scorpion is inscribed on the Egyptian pyramids, many myths were written about him, he was worshiped as a deity, he was cursed and feared.

Lifestyle

Scorpio is an insect, the description of which can interest any person. The length of his body is 10-20 cm. He has two large claws and a poisonous gland located at the end of the tail. It grows slowly, nurtures eggs, gives birth to young, easily tolerates heat. Can live in adverse conditions, but at low temperatures dies. However, scorpions living in the highlands, with the onset of cold weather, hibernate before the onset of heat.

Scorpio is an insect of the nocturnal life. It is almost impossible to see him during the day, as he prefers to go out hunting only at night. Under the cover of darkness, he catches his prey with large claws. If she tries to escape, she paralyzes her with her poison.

The scorpion sees badly, but it has an excellent sense of touch. Thanks to the villi on the paws, he hears a fly that sits on the ground at a distance of 10 centimeters or more. With the help of these villi, the hunter accurately determines the distance to the victim, makes a sharp throw, and the extraction turns out to be in his claws.

In the daytime, insects - scorpions - hide under rocks, bark of trees, in mink of small animals. If nothing suitable is found, they dig into the sand. Even in places with dry and hot climates find a wet shelter.

Food

Scorpions never eat dead food, only live. In food they do not go through, they can eat a spider, a centipede, various larvae, small lizards. If you do not get anything edible, they can tolerate hunger for a week or two. In general, scorpions are able to do without food for more than a month - this ability is possessed by very few insects.

Scorpions are not very active in hunting. Usually their prey becomes a cockroach or mocritsa, which accidentally stumbled upon a hunter. Scorpio, with a sharp movement, grabs the victim of the claw and tears her to pieces. And after that it starts to suck the contents.

This process takes quite some time. Such food allows the hunter to do without food for a long time. A liquid, sucked from the prey, compensates for the lack of water.

Cannibalism among these insects is not uncommon. With a long absence of food, they attack each other. Females very often eat their suitors after the mating process. And thanks to such actions, the female has enough strength to bear eggs and give birth to strong offspring.

The poison that insects possesses

Scorpions are poisonous and not poisonous. The bite of the first of them, for example, kills a dog for a few minutes. And a person dies in a few hours, if he does not get an antidote. Scorpion venom paralyzes the work of the nervous and cardiac systems, as well as the pectoral muscles.

Non-poisonous insects are dangerous for invertebrates, which are chosen for food. A man will feel only a weak bite, like an aspen or a bee. But for small children, an elderly person or having poor health, a scorpion bite is fatal.

Described insects (scorpions) Never attack first, especially on people. In danger, they try to hide or run away. They are attacked only for the purpose of protection.

Offspring

The future offspring of the female bore for a long time. The process can last up to a year. The number of pups varies from 20 to 100, it all depends on the species. Scorpions are basically viviparous. But some species lay eggs (ovoviviparous), or the embryo develops in the egg shell.

If the offspring is numerous, the birth occurs in two sets, and at an interval of 24 hours, new insects appear. Scorpios give birth only at night, in a secluded and inaccessible place for predators. The posterity appears with a soft, colorless shell and is very weak.

Therefore, at first the kids are on their mother's back, in complete safety. But it does not last long, just a few days. Then the cubs moult, are covered with a hard shell and ready for independent life.

Arachnids are not very good mothers. But not scorpion-females, in which the instinct of motherhood is developed strongly. They protect their progeny gently and zealously protect.

Scorpio - who is he

A lot of people ask themselves: is a scorpion an insect or an animal? Despite its small size, hard shell, many legs it does not belong to insects. He is regarded as arachnids. However, it so happened that the scorpion is called an insect.

And, of course, scorpions have enemies. Whatever they are not invulnerable, they like to feast on monkeys. They gently tear off the tail with a sting, and delicious delicacy is ready!

But most of all scorpions are destroyed by a person, treating them with prejudice and killing, whenever possible. But, like all life on earth, the scorpion fulfills its useful mission. Reducing their numbers leads to a massive multiplication of harmful insects, which they feed on.