Emperor Scorpion
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Scorpiones Family: Scorpionidae Genus: Pandinus Species: P. Arthropods are Animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek ἄρθρον arthron, " Joint " Arachnids are a class ( Arachnida) of joint-legged Invertebrate Animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. imperator
Binomial name
Pandinus imperator (Koch, 1841)

The emperor scorpion or imperial scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is a species of scorpion native to Africa. Carl Ludwig Koch ( September 21, 1778 - August 23, 1857) was a German Entomologist, specializing in Arachnology. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. The emperor is one of the largest species of scorpion in the world, with adults averaging about 8 inches (20 cm) in length. However, some species of forest scorpions are its equal and one scorpion, Heterometrus swammerdami, holds the record for being the world's largest scorpion at 9 inches (23 cm) in length. Heterometrus swammerdami is one of the largest Scorpion Species in the world ^[1] Their life span usually ranges from 5-8 years when held in captivity,^[2] but is likely shorter in the wild. The emperor's size, relatively low toxicity, and life span make it the most popular scorpion in the pet trade, which has led to such over-collecting in the wild that it is now a CITES listed animal, meaning it is threatened with extinction if exportation and other threats, such as development, are not regulated. Scorpions are eight-legged Carnivorous Arthropods They are members of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion

Contents 1 Prey and predator 2 Reproduction 3 Commercial use 4 Peculiar response to UV light 5 See also 6 Citations and footnotes 7 References 8 External links

Prey and predator

In the wild, emperor scorpions are reported to feed primarily on termites. The termites are a group of Social Insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy In captivity they readily feed on crickets, cockroaches, and mealworms. Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets" are Insects somewhat related to Grasshoppers and more closely related to katydids Cockroaches (or simply "roaches" are Insects of the order Blattaria. Mealworms are the Larval form of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, a species of darkling Beetle. Emperor scorpions are also known to eat small mice. Emperors are burrowing scorpions, digging with the first or first two pairs of legs. A burrow may be little more than a hollow under a rock or may twist and turn more than six feet into the earth. In the wild, emperors are said to burrow into termite mounds and make their homes there. The termites are a group of Social Insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy

Emperor scorpions are preyed upon by a huge number of animals, including other scorpions, spiders, parasitic wasps and flies; birds, reptiles and amphibians; mammals such as monkeys, mongooses, various rodents, and even humans. Spiders are Predatory Invertebrate Animals that have two body segments, eight legs no chewing mouth parts and no wings Parasitism is a type of symbiotic relationship between Organisms of different Species. A wasp is any Insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a Bee nor Ant. True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being A mongoose (plural mongooses) is a member of the family Herpestidae (although also used for some members of Eupleridae) a family of small Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Human beings, humans or man (Origin 1590–1600 L homō man OL hemō the earthly one (see Humus

The emperor scorpion, like most scorpions, is timid and reclusive. If given a choice they will spend the vast majority of their time hiding in a burrow, only venturing out to hunt. When frightened the emperor scorpion will run if possible, but if it feels cornered it will enter a 'threat posture'. When threat posturing, the scorpion turns to face its enemy while holding the claws up and open, and arching the tail and stinger over its back. If harassment continues at this point the scorpion is likely to sting, but may also pinch with its claws. The pinch is surprisingly powerful (capable of breaking a pencil in half) and the sting, although toxic, has varying affects on humans; some report no problems while others suffer severe pain. A pencil is a Writing or Drawing instrument consisting of a thin stick of Pigment (usually Graphite, but can also be coloured pigment or The sting feels some what like a bee sting.

Reproduction

Emperors, like all scorpions, give live birth to their young. A live birth occurs when a Fetus, whatever its Gestational age, exits the Maternal body and subsequently shows any sign of life such as voluntary Gestation can last 9 to 18 months depending on temperature and food availability, when an average of 12 young are born. Gestation is the carrying of an Embryo or Fetus inside a Female Viviparous Animal. Baby scorpions, called scorplings, are born very vulnerable and unable to fend for themselves. The mother emperor cares for her babies in a number of ways, such as fiercely defending them and killing prey for them. Like all scorpions, the young emperors ride on the mother's back when very small. As they molt and grow, they will begin to venture off their mothers back, explore the world and attempt to catch prey. For a few months the scorplings will return to their mothers back when frightened, until eventually the scorplings make burrows of their own and become independent.

Commercial use

Because of its docile nature and mild venom, the emperor has been used in movies such as 1999's The Mummy and The Scorpion King from 2002. The year 1999 in film involved some significant events and was arguably the most successful year for films released in the 1990s The Mummy is a 1999 American Adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel The Scorpion King is a 2002 film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kelly Hu, Steven Brand The year 2002 in film involved some significant events The first significant releases of sequels took place between Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, As there are currently no laws in the United States protecting invertebrates from abuse or death, their use in the film industry can involve alleged mistreatment, as shown in The Great White Hype, released in 1996. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An invertebrate is an Animal lacking a Vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal Species — all animals except those in the Chordate Cruelty to animals refers to the infliction of unnecessary Suffering or Harm to animals

In their native land of Africa, emperors are used for food by some native tribes. A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use They are also captured for sale into the pet trade, killed for use in the tourist industry, tribal rituals, and homeopathic remedies both in and outside of Africa. A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions This article has been the subject of edit wars and has been placed on probation

The 2008 movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is one of the few feature films to accurately portray P. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common In the Film industry, a feature film is a Film made for initial distribution in theaters and being the "main attraction" of the screening imperator as having a mild sting; one of the characters is stung, and, after expressing concern about the consequences of a P. imperator sting, is told "When it comes to scorpions, the bigger the better. Small one bites ya, don’t keep it to yourself. "

Peculiar response to UV light

Despite being near-black in colour, the emperor glows a bluish-green when exposed to ultra-violent light^[3]. Only the adults exhibit this phenomenon; the juvenile scorpions lack the florescent mineral in their outer shell. Fluorescence is a Luminescence that is mostly found as an Wild scorpions are often poached by collectors using hand-held mineral lights to detect them. A Black light or UV Light is a lamp emitting Electromagnetic radiation that is almost exclusively in the soft near ultraviolet range and emits

See also

• Scorpion
• Arachnids
• List of scorpion common names
• List of false scorpions

Citations and footnotes

References

• Rubio, Manny (2000), Scorpions: A Complete Pet Owner's Manual, Barron's Educational Series, ISBN 0764112244

External links

• Caring for Your Emperor Scorpion
• An example of an Emperor scorpion being handled - site has also information on housing an Emperor scorpion.
• More information about scorpions and pictures of Emperor scorpions with young on the back (scroll down)
• Scorpions of the Genus Pandinus (forum)
• Photos of Emperor scorpion - Pandinus imperator and other scorpions.

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