Quick Facts
- Type
- Other
- Size
- 15–20 cm long
- Weight
- About 30 g
- Habitat
- Rainforests and savannas of West Africa
- Diet
- Insects, spiders, and small vertebrates
- Active Time
- Mainly nocturnal
- Lifespan
- 6–8 years
Field Notes
- Like all scorpions, it glows blue-green under ultraviolet light.
- It mostly crushes prey with its large pincers; its sting is mild.
- Mothers carry their tiny white babies on their backs until they harden.
About the Emperor Scorpion
The emperor scorpion is one of the largest scorpions in the world, native to the rainforests and savannas of West Africa. Despite its intimidating glossy black body and large pincers, it is relatively docile and its venom is mild, comparable to a bee sting. It relies mainly on its powerful claws to crush prey rather than its stinger. Like all scorpions, it glows a blue-green under ultraviolet light. Emperor scorpions are social by scorpion standards, sometimes living in groups, and females carry their pale young on their backs.
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