''Heterometrus spinifer'', the Asian forest scorpion, giant blue scorpion, or giant forest scorpion, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always end ...
s belonging to the family
Scorpionidae
The Scorpionidae (burrowing scorpions or pale-legged scorpions) make up the Taxonomic rank, superfamily Scorpionoidea. The family was established by Pierre André Latreille, 1802.
Genera
Scorpionidae contains the following genera:
* ''Aops'' V ...
.
Description
''H. spinifer'' can reach a length around .
[Exotic Pets]
/ref> 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.[WikiPets]
/ref> Its venom can cause severe pain, and mild numbness in the affected area, but it is not typically lethal to humans.[ These scorpions tend to be skittish and defensive, using their large ]pedipalp
Pedipalps (commonly shortened to palps or palpi) are the second pair of appendages of chelicerates – a group of arthropods including spiders, scorpions, horseshoe crabs, and sea spiders. The pedipalps are lateral to the chelicerae ("jaws") and ...
s (pincers) to attack, more than their tails.
Distribution and habitat
This species can be found in Southeast Asia,[ including ]Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
, Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, and other Southeast Asian countries .[ 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.][
]
Captivity
The Asian Forest Scorpion is commonly kept in the pet trade
Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...
due to its low venom toxicity
References
External links
NCBI
Animal World
Scorpionidae
Scorpions of Asia
Fauna of Southeast Asia
Animals described in 1828
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