Scorpions

Scorpions are small animals related to spiders. They have eight legs, two big claws, and a long tail. At the end of the tail is a sharp stinger. Scorpions live in deserts, forests, and other warm places. They have been on Earth for over 400 million years.

Hunting at Night

Scorpions come out at night to hunt. They eat bugs, spiders, and small animals. They grab their food with their claws. Then they use their stinger if needed. Scorpions can go a long time without eating.

A world map showing where scorpions live.
A world map showing where scorpions live. (BlankMap-World.jpg: The map was made by User:Vardion and adapted by User:E Pluribus Anthony for Wikipedia. derivative work: Doopy (talk) derivative work: B kimmel (talk) / Wikimedia Commons)

Glowing Bodies

Scorpions have a special trick. Under a UV light, they glow bright blue or green. Scientists do not fully know why this happens. It may help them find each other in the dark. Mother scorpions carry their babies on their backs until they grow bigger.

Fun Facts

  • There are about 2,000 kinds of scorpions in the world.
  • A scorpion can live for up to 25 years.
  • Only a few kinds of scorpions have stings strong enough to hurt people.

Did You Know?

Scorpions can survive being frozen, and some can even live after being underwater for a full day.