Paul Wells photographed an Arabian fat-tailed
scorpion Androctonus crassicauda in
Dharan recently and kindly sent me his photos and allowed me to use them on my
website. I have personally only seen this species once but they are probably
quite common if you look after dark with an ultra violet light. The Arabian
fat-tailed scorpion is a medium sized scorpion measuring about 10 centimetres
in length and is a formidable nocturnal predator, foraging opportunistically
for small insects, spiders and various other prey items that come within easy
reach. It has a thick, powerful tail that is equipped with a sting capable of
injecting potentially lethal venom and is one of the three most poisonous
species of scorpion in the world. The venom, which is injected by the sting, is
a powerful neurotoxin, which affects the function of nerve cells and the
nervous system and is poisonous to a wide range of animals, including humans
and other mammals as well as birds. The body is divided into many segments and
has several pairs of modified appendages, including characteristic, claw-like
pedipalps which are used in defence and for restraining as well as crushing
prey. The pedopalps and tail of the Arabian fat-tailed scorpion have many
spiny, sensory hairs, called ‘setae’, while hairs and bristles also cover the
soles of the feet. They are usually reddish-brown in colour but can vary
between brown & black, with dark, raised keels on several parts of the body
giving a rough and grainy appearance. The Arabian fat-tailed scorpion is found
in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula, Iran,
Iraq, Israel and Turkey. It typically inhabits desert environments where it
shelters during the day in burrows excavated in the sand; however, it is also
often found hiding under wood, loose stones and rubble, in cracks between
bricks, and inside derelict houses. During the mating season, the male Arabian
fat-tailed scorpion will abandon its burrow in search of a mature female and
when it finds one it will grasp her by the pedipalps and leads a complex
courtship ritual. They give birth to live young with a littler size of 30 to 46
young, which climb onto the back of the female and remain there for several
days.
