Stinging Scorpions: A Shoe-Squatting Species

by Alexis Zubia-Torres, age 11

It is always important to check your shoes before you put them on--you never know when a scorpion might crawl into one for a quick nap!

Scorpions do not want to eat us. In fact, they only want to eat spiders, insects, and small vertebrates (animals with spines). Scorpions prefer to sleep in warmer places, like shoes. If they happen to crawl into a shoe without the owner's notice, the scorpion might get scared when they see a large object approaching, such as a foot. This fear may cause them to go into defense mode and use their stinger.

All scorpions have stingers and poison glands that are connected by a hollow tube. When scorpions sting, they use their muscle to squeeze poison down from their glands into the victim. Smaller scorpions use their poison to paralyze their victims because their pincers are too weak. Then, they eat their victims. Not every scorpion's venom is deadly, but they are all still dangerous, especially to young children.

Scorpions often get a bad reputation due to their tough exterior and their ability to sting and pinch. But they do not want to hurt us, they only want to defend themselves. Scorpions, as creepy as they may seem, are truly fascinating.

[Source: Dangerous Animals ]