Fun Deathstalker Scorpion Facts For Kids

The deathstalker scorpion is a very interesting, nocturnal, and deadly species. The name Leiurus quinquestriatus, when literally translated to English, means 'five striped smooth tail'. This feature of 'five striped smooth tail' goes hand in hand with the appearance of the deathstalker scorpion. This species is also known by names such as Palestinian yellow scorpion, Omdurman scorpion, and also Naqab desert scorpion. They are given the name desert scorpion because they are found in North Africa and the Middle East. Similarly, Omdurman is a city in Sudan, which is in the Middle East. Hence the name Omdurman scorpion. Thus, it is evident that they reside in desert areas.

These scorpions belong to the family of Buthidae. In this article, you will get to learn interesting facts about the deathstalker scorpion habitat, nocturnal deathstalker scorpion adaptations, Israeli deathstalker scorpion, deathstalker scorpion pack, deathstalker scorpion location, the venom of deathstalker scorpion, deathstalker scorpion babies, deathstalker scorpion range, and other deathstalker scorpion facts. So keep reading!

For more similar content, take a look at bombardier beetle and darkling beetle.
 

What type of animal is a deathstalker scorpion?

The deathstalker scorpion is a type of scorpion.

What class of animal does a deathstalker scorpion belong to?

The deathstalker scorpion belongs to the class Arachnida.

How many deathstalker scorpions are there in the world?

Although the exact number of deathstalker scorpions in the world is not known, the deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) is known to be quite a rare species.

Where does a deathstalker scorpion live?

The deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) lives in hyper-arid and arid regions. They originate from the Palearctic regions as well as the West Asia and the Middle East. In Africa, they are found in places like Niger, Algeria, Somalia, Sudan, and the places which fall between these directional boundaries of the continent as well. Similarly, they are also found all across Middle Eastern countries such as Oman, Iran, Yemen, Turkey, and more. For the deathstalker scorpion, the Sahara Desert is also a location that they are commonly found in.

What is a deathstalker scorpion's habitat?

The deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) can be seen residing in old burrows of a different creature. They can also be seen dwelling under rocks. In case they build burrows for themselves, they also dig as deep as 8 in (20 cm) for the same.

Who do deathstalker scorpions live with?

The adult deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) is usually a solitary creature. However, they are known to never leave their territory in their lifetime.

How long does a deathstalker scorpion live?

The average lifespan of the Leiurus quinquestriatus can range anywhere between the vast range of 4-25 years. However, they have a high mortality rate.

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction process among deathstalker scorpions follows a complex pattern. After the male scorpion gets a hold of the female scorpion, they indulge in a prolonged dance move. At the end of this session, the male scorpion shoots a spermatophore at the female's substrate. Interestingly, male and female scorpions go their separate ways after the completion of this exchange. The deathstalker scorpion (Leiurus quinquestriatus) has a gestation period of 122-277 days, following which the female gives birth to 35-87 newborns.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of deathstalkers is Not Listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

What do deathstalker scorpions look like?

This species of scorpion has a very distinct look. They are yellowish in color, hence the name Palestine yellow scorpion. The Palestine yellow scorpion also has brown spots on it's body. This Palestine yellow scorpion also has lanky and thin legs, which makes them distinct from other scorpions. Their pincers are also larger than that of general scorpions, giving them a unique appearance.

How cute are they?

Deathstalkers look far from cute. They appear deadly looking and scary. Even though they are tiny insects, they have a dangerous look to them, with their stinger tails pointing up.

How do they communicate?

Deathstalker scorpions have terrible vision. So they are usually known to rely on their sense of touch for hunting and directional purposes. Other than the other sense organs of these deathstalkers, scorpions have something called pectines. Pectines are a sense organ that is situated in the appendage in a midventral location. These pectines direct deathstalkers towards food and possible mates. There is a small slit below the legs of deathstalker scorpions. This helps them to feel vibrations from the ground, which in turn becomes instrumental in assessing how far and in which way a predator is. Similarly, the slits again help them to sense the presence of a mate and leads these scorpions to behave in a more efficient way.

How big is a deathstalker scorpion?

The deathstalker scorpion measures about 3-4 in (8-11 cm) long. It is double the size of a cockroach.

How fast can a deathstalker scorpion move?

The deathstalker scorpion can move as fast as three mph (five km/h).

How much does a deathstalker scorpion weigh?

The dangerous deathstalker scorpion weighs approximately 0.03-0.08oz (1-2.5 g).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct and separate names for the two sexes of this dangerous species. They just go by the names male deathstalker scorpion and female deathstalker scorpion, respectively.

What would you call a baby deathstalker scorpion?

A baby deathstalker scorpion is called a scorpling.

What do they eat?

This species of scorpion eats spiders, small insects, earthworms, centipedes, and more. In fact, they consume other scorpions, too, and may also indulge in cannibalism, that is, consume another deathstalker scorpion, on facing scarcity of food. Courtesy of their excellent sense of touch and vibration-sensing abilities, this dangerous species can sense their prey from a distance. It is in dark places like under rocks, woods, barks, and more that they wait for their food to approach so that they can attack in time. This species of scorpion then use their dangerous claw-like pincers to demolish their prey and consume it.

Are they poisonous?

The deathstalker scorpion is extremely poisonous. Their venom is rich in neurotoxins, although it is not completely fatal. This means that a scorpion's sting will hurt but will not take your life if you are a healthy adult human. But the venom may affect people more severely if you are of an older age, infants, and also people with existing diseases or a weak immune system. But these days, antivenom is available. However, a victim requires a huge dose of antivenom for the antivenom to be effective. Much like snakes, scorpions need to envenomate their victim. Envenomation is the process of injecting venom to the affected, in this case by the deathstalker itself. This is used to effectively treat the effect of the venom. If not treated on time, fatality may occur between 2-7 hours.

Would they make a good pet?

It is not a good option to keep a species as deadly as the deathstalker scorpion as a pet. But if keeping pet scorpions interests you, you will be delighted to know that these scorpions are legal to purchase.

Did you know...

The deathstalker is actually the deadliest scorpion in the whole world.

To take care of a pet deathstalker, you should feed them live insects. But you should not feed them directly. Instead, place the prey in their container with a long object. They also need a bed which is 2-4 in (5-10 cm) thick. The said bed can be made up of crushed nuts, fibers from coconut shells. You can also accessorize its tank with rocks, hiding spots, dishes, and more.

There are a number of ideal conditions if you plan on keeping a deathstalker as a pet. A bed of sand would be the ideal choice. A five-gallon tank would be one of their ideal living conditions. To create the perfect habitat for them, you can keep them in darker places that are away from the light. They dislike light, hence a temperature of 68-99°F (20-37°C) would be an ideal condition for them.

A single deathstalker can produce approximately 0.000004 lb (2 mg) of venom at a given time.

How are a deathstalker scorpion's limbs different from other scorpions?

Scorpions are known to have limbs that are strong and thick. However, the deathstalker scorpion differs from other scorpions in this aspect as its legs are narrow and lean. Their legs are also much more agile than that of a regular scorpion. This, in turn, helps them to gain a higher speed during movements.

How do deathstalker scorpions catch their prey?

These scorpions, which are native to Africa and the Middle East, make use of their pincers to prey on animals smaller than them. Their pincers help them to crush their prey, thus killing them, which the scorpion then goes on to consume. As a rule of thumb, those deathstalkers that have bigger and more powerful pincers lack the punch in their venom. On the other hand, scorpions equipped with pincers that are weaker and smaller have a more deadly poison.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including scorpion, or Christmas beetle.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our deathstalker scorpion coloring pages.