Euscorpius flavicaudis
Encyclopedia
Euscorpius flavicaudis, or the European yellow-tailed scorpion, is a small black scorpion
with yellow-brown legs and tail (metasoma
). Adults measure about 35–45 mm (1.4–1.8 in) long. It is a fossorial
scorpion with relatively large, strong claws (pedipalp
s) and a short, thin tail.
, but it has also been introduced into Great Britain
and Uruguay
. It is the northernmost scorpion in the world and the only one in Great Britain. The main colony in Britain is in Sheerness
Dockyard, the Isle of Sheppey
, Kent
.
ous, harmless scorpion, which will rarely use its stinger
. The sting is like a bee sting
to humans.
A gravid female will look for a secluded humid place to give birth to live young, from a few to about thirty, which are white, soft and swollen. The mother will raise her forelegs to facilitate the release of the young, which will then climb onto her back, where they will remain until the first moult
(approximately six days). After that, the scorplings will start to wander around the surrounding area but will remain together close to the hiding place for a few days. The young scorpions will reach adulthood after one or two years.
predator, lying motionless at the entrance to its lair, but moving quickly to capture prey that wanders past. The main prey of E. flavicaudis are woodlice
, although most small insect
s are taken. Cannibalism
has been noted in colonies of E. flavicaudis. Scorpions may go for long periods of time without food.
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...
with yellow-brown legs and tail (metasoma
Metasoma
The metasoma is the posterior part of the body, or tagma, of arthropods whose body is composed of three parts, the other two being the prosoma and the mesosoma. In insects, it contains most of the digestive tract, respiratory system, and circulatory system, and the apical segments are typically...
). Adults measure about 35–45 mm (1.4–1.8 in) long. It is a fossorial
Fossorial
A fossorial organism is one that is adapted to digging and life underground such as the badger, the naked mole rat, and the mole salamanders Ambystomatidae...
scorpion with relatively large, strong claws (pedipalp
Pedipalp
Pedipalps , are the second pair of appendages of the prosoma in the subphylum Chelicerata. They are traditionally thought to be homologous with mandibles in Crustacea and insects, although more recent studies Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi), are the second pair of appendages of the...
s) and a short, thin tail.
Distribution
The native range of E. flavicaudis extends through Northwest Africa and Southern EuropeSouthern Europe
The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
, but it has also been introduced into Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. It is the northernmost scorpion in the world and the only one in Great Britain. The main colony in Britain is in Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
Dockyard, the Isle of Sheppey
Isle of Sheppey
The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England in the Thames Estuary, some to the east of London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the local government district of Swale...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
Habitat
Warm temperate climate. The species can be found in built up areas. In Great Britain, the scorpion occupies cracks and holes in walls where the mortar pointing has crumbled away.Venom
Mildly venomVenom
Venom is the general term referring to any variety of toxins used by certain types of animals that inject it into their victims by the means of a bite or a sting...
ous, harmless scorpion, which will rarely use its stinger
Stinger
-Biology:* Stinger, an organ or body part found in various animals that usually delivers some kind of venom.* Stinger , a minor neurological injury suffered by athletes.-Sports and entertainment:...
. The sting is like a bee sting
Bee sting
A bee sting is strictly a sting from a bee . In the vernacular it can mean a sting of a bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket. Some people may even call the bite of a horse-fly a bee sting...
to humans.
Reproduction
The gestation period is 10–14 months, depending on the availability of food and the prevalent climate.A gravid female will look for a secluded humid place to give birth to live young, from a few to about thirty, which are white, soft and swollen. The mother will raise her forelegs to facilitate the release of the young, which will then climb onto her back, where they will remain until the first moult
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
(approximately six days). After that, the scorplings will start to wander around the surrounding area but will remain together close to the hiding place for a few days. The young scorpions will reach adulthood after one or two years.
Feeding
Euscorpius flavicaudis is an ambushAmbush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
predator, lying motionless at the entrance to its lair, but moving quickly to capture prey that wanders past. The main prey of E. flavicaudis are woodlice
Woodlouse
A woodlouse is a crustacean with a rigid, segmented, long exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs...
, although most small insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s are taken. Cannibalism
Cannibalism (zoology)
In zoology, cannibalism is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded for more than 1500 species...
has been noted in colonies of E. flavicaudis. Scorpions may go for long periods of time without food.