Scorpio maurus
Encyclopedia
Scorpio maurus is a species of North Africa
n and Middle East
ern scorpion
, also known as the Large-clawed Scorpion or Israeli gold scorpion.
This is a small/medium sized scorpion (3 in) from the family Scorpionidae. There are many sub-species of this scorpion, 19 of which were described by Fet et al.
Although its venom contains a weak neurotoxin called Maurotoxin
, S.maurus is not a dangerous scorpion. There are no records of fatalities.
s in desert
s and occasionally sparse woodland
. Its habit of creating very deep burrows (up to 1 metre deep) means that in captivity this scorpion is often happiest with higher humidity
: sand that is deep will be moist, thereby creating a comparatively humid burrow.
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n and Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern scorpion
Scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
, also known as the Large-clawed Scorpion or Israeli gold scorpion.
This is a small/medium sized scorpion (3 in) from the family Scorpionidae. There are many sub-species of this scorpion, 19 of which were described by Fet et al.
Although its venom contains a weak neurotoxin called Maurotoxin
Maurotoxin
Maurotoxin is a peptide toxin from the venom of the Tunisian chactoid scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus, from which it was first isolated and from which the chemical gets its name...
, S.maurus is not a dangerous scorpion. There are no records of fatalities.
Habits
Found in very deep burrowBurrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
s in desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s and occasionally sparse woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
. Its habit of creating very deep burrows (up to 1 metre deep) means that in captivity this scorpion is often happiest with higher humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
: sand that is deep will be moist, thereby creating a comparatively humid burrow.