Heterometrus spinifer
Asian Forest Scorpion at Goregaon Raigad
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Genus: Heterometrus
Species:
H. spinifer
Binomial name
Heterometrus spinifer
(Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828)
Synonyms
  • Buthus spinifer Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828[1]
  • Palamnaeus laevigatus Thorell, 1876
  • Palamnaeus oatesii Pocock, 1900

Heterometrus spinifer, the Asian forest scorpion, giant blue scorpion, or giant forest scorpion, is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae.[2]

Description

H. spinifer can reach a length around 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in).[3] The body is shiny black with gray-green reflections. The pincers are highly developed. In captivity it feeds primarily on insects, mainly cockroaches, crickets, and locusts.[4] Its venom can cause severe pain, and mild numbness in the affected area, but it is not typically lethal to humans.[4] These scorpions tend to be skittish and defensive, using their large pedipalps (pincers) to attack, more than their tails.

Distribution and habitat

This species can be found in Southeast Asia,[3] including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, and other Southeast Asian countries .[4] Generally, these terrestrial scorpions live in moist forests in the dark undergrowth under logs or other debris, and they burrow into the ground where they hide during the day.[4]

Captivity

The Asian Forest Scorpion is commonly kept in the pet trade due to its low venom toxicity [5] and large size.

References

  1. ↑ Biolib
  2. ↑ Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 : Zoologica II. Arachnoidea. Symbolae physicae seu icones et descriptiones animalium evertebratorum sepositis insectis quae ex itinere per Africam borealem et Asiam occidentalem. Berolini: Officina Academica.
  3. 1 2 Exotic Pets
  4. 1 2 3 4 WikiPets
  5. ↑ Lebrun, Bruno; Romi-Lebrun, Régine; Martin-Eauclaire, Marie-France; Yasuda, Akikazu; Ishiguro, Masaji; Oyama, Yoshiaki; Pongs, Olaf; Nakajima, Terumi (1997). "A four-disulphide-bridged toxin, with high affinity towards voltage-gated K+ channels, isolated from Heterometrus spinnifer (Scorpionidae) venom". Biochemical Journal. 328 (Pt 1): 321–327. doi:10.1042/bj3280321. PMC 1218924. PMID 9359871.


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