DOCSLIB.ORG

Emperor Scorpion Class: Arachnida

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Emperor Scorpion Class: Arachnida Pandinus imperator Emperor Scorpion Class: Arachnida. Order: Scorpiones. Family: Scorpionidae. Other names: Imperial Scorpion Physical Description: One of the largest of scorpions in the world, the emperor scorpion has a dark body ranging from dark blue/green through brown to black and reaches lengths up to 8”. The large pincers are blackish-red and have a granular texture. The front part of the body is made up of four sections, each with a pair of legs. Behind the fourth pair of legs are comb-like structures known as pectines, which are sensory appendages that brush the substrate as the scorpion walks. The pectines are paired and can are used to distinguish sexes, as the ventral appendages are longer in males than females. The tail is long and curves back over the body ending with a large receptacle containing the venom glands and tipped with the sharp, curved stinger. Sensory hairs cover the pincers and tail, enabling the scorpion to detect prey through air and ground vibrations. Diet in the Wild: Insects, arachnids, mice and small lizards Diet at the Zoo: Crickets Habitat & Range: The emperor scorpion is found in western Africa and Congo areas, typically in hot and humid forests. They reside in burrows and prefer to live under leaf litter, forest debris, rocks, stream banks, and also in termite mounds Life Span: 5 to 8 years in captivity. Lifespan is likely shorter in the wild. Perils in the wild: Bats, birds, small mammals, large spiders, centipedes, large lizards and other scorpions Physical Adaptations: Eyesight of emperor scorpions is very poor. Their other senses are well developed, with adaptations like the use of body hairs and pectines to detect their surroundings and prey. The pectines and body hairs detect the size and location of prey mainly through vibrations in the ground and in the air. Hungry scorpions move slowly forward, with open claws held out and tail raised forward over the body. Adult emperor scorpions use their powerful pincers to kill and manipulate prey, reserving the sting for larger prey or for use in self-defense. Juveniles, however, depend on their stingers to kill prey. Scorpions must predigest their food before consumption. Once the prey is subdued, they secrete digestive enzymes onto the prey, which liquefies the food and prepares it for intake with their chelicerae. Behavioral Adaptations: Nocturnal Emperor scorpions tend to live communally and are found in large numbers in regions of human habitation. 09/04/2012 The emperor scorpion shows a degree of social behavior, with burrows often inhabited by 15 or more individuals To conserve energy in times of famine, scorpions can slow down their metabolism. Certain scorpions can survive almost a year without food. Reproduction and Development: The emperor scorpion engages in an elaborate courtship dance in which the male holds on to the female’s pincers and moves around to find a suitable place on the ground to deposit his spermatophore. The pair engages in many behaviors including but not limited to sexual stinging and cheliceral "kissing" before depositing the sperm. Once deposited, he maneuvers the female over the area so she can receive the sperm. Like some other arthropods, female emperor scorpions may kill and consume the male after mating has occurred. When pregnant, the body of a female expands to expose the whitish membranes connecting the segments. The female gives birth to between 9 and 32 live young (about ½ inch in length) after a seven to nine month gestation period. The young are white when born, but darken with each molt, reaching sexual maturity at four months. Emperor scorpions are born defenseless and rely heavily on their mother for food and protection. Newborns are carried on their mother's back until they are old enough to be on their own. Females are generally more aggressive after giving birth. Additional Information: Males are territorial and will fight to the death. They spend much of their time looking for females with which to mate The emperor scorpion fluoresces when exposed to an ultraviolet light, due to fluorescent chemicals in the cuticle. The emperor scorpion is threatened by over-collection for the pet trade, and by continuing destruction of its habitat through deforestation The venom of emperor scorpions is also studied, as it is abundant in interesting peptides. A molecule called scorpine has been isolated from the venom of emperor scorpions. The scorpine molecule seems to have anti-malarial and anti-bacterial qualities. Scorpions do not need to drink water. They get all the water they need from their food and their feces consists of a dry powder-like substance. Even though they are cold-blooded, scorpions can be cooled to below freezing, or endure the blistering heat of the desert. Scorpions are ancient arachnids, having been on Earth for over 400 million years. Conservation Connection: Arachnids Arachnids are a numerous and diverse group, with over 50,000 species described so far. They include spiders, scorpions, vinegaroons, whip spiders and their relatives. The arachnids are largely predators, truly as deadly as they appear, but usually only creatures on their own scale, mainly insects. By filling the ecological niche of a diminutive predator, arachnids of all types are important in maintaining the balance of nature by keeping insect populations in check. Arachnids, like their insect relatives, are Arthropods, the evolutionary decedents of creatures called trilobites. In fact the first land animals were scorpions which appeared some 400 million years ago. In the 09/04/2012 eons since, the diversity of arachnids has allowed them to flourish in every place on Earth that can support life, from tropical forests to scorching deserts to our own backyards. Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN. The emperor scorpion is collected in Africa for the pet trade. Consequently, they are listed on the CITES Appendix II list to monitor wild populations Conservation Efforts: N/A Glossary: List of definitions of the most important recurrent technical terms used in the text. cheliceral – Referring to one a pair of the most anterior head appendages on the members of the subphylum Chelicerata. pectines – Located behind the fourth pair of legs are comb-like structures which are sensory appendages that brush the substrate as the scorpion walks. scorpine - A molecule isolated from the venom of Emperor scorpines. The scorpine molecule seems to have anti-malarial and anti-bacterial qualities. Sources: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens http://www.pest-control.com/images/Emperor_Scorpion_5325334.jpg http://www.thebigzoo.com/Animals/Emperor_Scorpion.asp http://www.arkive.org/emperor-scorpion/pandinus-imperator/#range http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Pandinus_imperator/ http://eol.org/pages/5010047/overview http://www.zoo.org/page.aspx?pid=1917#.ULTaYYYggdU http://animals.jrank.org/pages/2276/Spiders-Scorpions-Mites-Ticks-Arachnida-EMPEROR- SCORPION-Pandinus-imperator-SPECIES-ACCOUNTS.html http://rosamondgiffordzoo.org/assets/uploads/animals/pdf/EmperorBlackScorpion.pdf Barnes, R.D. 1974. Invertebrate Zoology Hickman, C.P. Roberts, L.S. 1994. Biology of Animals 09/04/2012 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Introduction to Arthropod Groups What Is Entomology?
    Entomology 340 Introduction to Arthropod Groups What is Entomology? The study of insects (and their near relatives). Species Diversity PLANTS INSECTS OTHER ANIMALS OTHER ARTHROPODS How many kinds of insects are there in the world? • 1,000,0001,000,000 speciesspecies knownknown Possibly 3,000,000 unidentified species Insects & Relatives 100,000 species in N America 1,000 in a typical backyard Mostly beneficial or harmless Pollination Food for birds and fish Produce honey, wax, shellac, silk Less than 3% are pests Destroy food crops, ornamentals Attack humans and pets Transmit disease Classification of Japanese Beetle Kingdom Animalia Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Family Scarabaeidae Genus Popillia Species japonica Arthropoda (jointed foot) Arachnida -Spiders, Ticks, Mites, Scorpions Xiphosura -Horseshoe crabs Crustacea -Sowbugs, Pillbugs, Crabs, Shrimp Diplopoda - Millipedes Chilopoda - Centipedes Symphyla - Symphylans Insecta - Insects Shared Characteristics of Phylum Arthropoda - Segmented bodies are arranged into regions, called tagmata (in insects = head, thorax, abdomen). - Paired appendages (e.g., legs, antennae) are jointed. - Posess chitinous exoskeletion that must be shed during growth. - Have bilateral symmetry. - Nervous system is ventral (belly) and the circulatory system is open and dorsal (back). Arthropod Groups Mouthpart characteristics are divided arthropods into two large groups •Chelicerates (Scissors-like) •Mandibulates (Pliers-like) Arthropod Groups Chelicerate Arachnida -Spiders,
    [Show full text]
  • Living Environment Glossary
    High School Level Living Environment Glossary y English | Punjabi Translation of Living Environment terms based on the Coursework for Living Environment Grades 9 to 12. Glossar This glossary is to PROVIDE PERMITTED TESTING ACCOMMODATIONS of ELL/MLL students. It should also be used for INSTRUCTION during the school year. The glossary may be downloaded, printed and disseminated to educators, parents and ELLs/MLLs. Please click here for the New York State Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages Webpage on "Assessment and Testing Accommodations" THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Updated: October 2018 GLOSSARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ENGLISH ‐ SPANISH THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 P‐16 Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education and Office of Higher Education Office of Bilingual Education and Foreign Language Studies http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/biling/ THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of the University BETTY A. ROSA, Chancellor, B.A., M.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed., M.Ed., Ed.D. ............ Bronx T. ANDREW BROWN, Vice Chancellor, B.A., J.D. ………………......................................... Syracuse NAN EILEEN MEAD, B.A. ………….................................................................................. Manhattan JOSEPHINE VICTORIA FINN, B.A., J.D. ……………………................................................... Albany BEVERLY L. OUDERKIRK, B.S., M.S. ............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Homeowner Guide to Scorpions and Their Relatives
    HOMEOWNER Guide to by Edward John Bechinski, Dennis J. Schotzko, and Craig R. Baird CIS 1168 Scorpions and their relatives “Arachnid” is the scientific classification category for all eight-legged relatives of insects. Spiders are the biggest group of arachnids, with nearly 3800 species known from the U.S and Canada. But the arachnid category includes other types of eight-legged creatures that sometime cause concern. Some of Idaho’s non-spider arachnids – such as scorpions -- pose potential threats to human health. Two related non-spider arachnids – sun scorpions and pseudoscorpions – look fearsome but are entirely harmless. This publication will help you identify these three groups and understand the threats they pose. All three of these groups almost always are seen as lone individuals that do not require any control. Scorpions IDENTIFICATION AND BIOLOGY FLUORESCENT SCORPIONS Scorpions are easily identified by their claw-like pincers at the The bodies of some scorpions – normally pale tan to darker red-brown – front of the head and their thin, many-segmented abdomen that glow yellow-green when exposed to ultraviolet light. Even fossils millions ends in an enlarged bulb with a curved sting at the tip (figure 1). of years old fluoresce under ultraviolet light. Sun spiders similarly glow yel- Five species ranging in size from 2 to 7 inches long occur in low-green under UV light. Idaho. Scorpions primarily occur in the sagebrush desert of the southern half of Idaho, but one species – the northern scorpion (Paruroctonus boreus)– occurs as far north as Lewiston, along the Snake River canyon of north-central Idaho.
    [Show full text]
  • Phylogenomic Resolution of Sea Spider Diversification Through Integration Of
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.31.929612; this version posted February 2, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Phylogenomic resolution of sea spider diversification through integration of multiple data classes 1Jesús A. Ballesteros†, 1Emily V.W. Setton†, 1Carlos E. Santibáñez López†, 2Claudia P. Arango, 3Georg Brenneis, 4Saskia Brix, 5Esperanza Cano-Sánchez, 6Merai Dandouch, 6Geoffrey F. Dilly, 7Marc P. Eleaume, 1Guilherme Gainett, 8Cyril Gallut, 6Sean McAtee, 6Lauren McIntyre, 9Amy L. Moran, 6Randy Moran, 5Pablo J. López-González, 10Gerhard Scholtz, 6Clay Williamson, 11H. Arthur Woods, 12Ward C. Wheeler, 1Prashant P. Sharma* 1 Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, USA 2 Queensland Museum, Biodiversity Program, Brisbane, Australia 3 Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Cytologie und Evolutionsbiologie, Universität Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany 4 Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), c/o Biocenter Grindel (CeNak), Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, Hamburg, Germany 5 Biodiversidad y Ecología Acuática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain 6 Department of Biology, California State University-Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA, USA 7 Départment Milieux et Peuplements Aquatiques, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France 8 Institut de Systématique, Emvolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Concarneau, France 9 Department of Biology, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA Page 1 of 31 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.31.929612; this version posted February 2, 2020. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder.
    [Show full text]
  • Giant Whip Scorpion Mastigoproctus Giganteus Giganteus (Lucas, 1835) (Arachnida: Thelyphonida (=Uropygi): Thelyphonidae) 1 William H
    EENY493 Giant Whip Scorpion Mastigoproctus giganteus giganteus (Lucas, 1835) (Arachnida: Thelyphonida (=Uropygi): Thelyphonidae) 1 William H. Kern and Ralph E. Mitchell2 Introduction shrimp can deliver to an unsuspecting finger during sorting of the shrimp from the by-catch. The only whip scorpion found in the United States is the giant whip scorpion, Mastigoproctus giganteus giganteus (Lucas). The giant whip scorpion is also known as the ‘vinegaroon’ or ‘grampus’ in some local regions where they occur. To encounter a giant whip scorpion for the first time can be an alarming experience! What seems like a miniature monster from a horror movie is really a fairly benign creature. While called a scorpion, this arachnid has neither the venom-filled stinger found in scorpions nor the venomous bite found in some spiders. One very distinct and curious feature of whip scorpions is its long thin caudal appendage, which is directly related to their common name “whip-scorpion.” The common name ‘vinegaroon’ is related to their ability to give off a spray of concentrated (85%) acetic acid from the base of the whip-like tail. This produces that tell-tale vinegar-like scent. The common name ‘grampus’ may be related to the mantis shrimp, also called the grampus. The mantis shrimp Figure 1. The giant whip scorpion or ‘vingaroon’, Mastigoproctus is a marine crustacean that can deliver a painful wound giganteus giganteus (Lucas). Credits: R. Mitchell, UF/IFAS with its mantis-like, raptorial front legs. Often captured with shrimp during coastal trawling, shrimpers dislike this creature because of the lightning fast slashing cut mantis 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 2. Animals
    AC20 Doc. 8.5 Annex (English only/Seulement en anglais/Únicamente en inglés) REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT TRADE ANALYSIS OF TRADE TRENDS WITH NOTES ON THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF SELECTED SPECIES Volume 2. Animals Prepared for the CITES Animals Committee, CITES Secretariat by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre JANUARY 2004 AC20 Doc. 8.5 – p. 3 Prepared and produced by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE (UNEP-WCMC) www.unep-wcmc.org The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre is the biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. UNEP-WCMC aims to help decision-makers recognise the value of biodiversity to people everywhere, and to apply this knowledge to all that they do. The Centre’s challenge is to transform complex data into policy-relevant information, to build tools and systems for analysis and integration, and to support the needs of nations and the international community as they engage in joint programmes of action. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services that include ecosystem assessments, support for implementation of environmental agreements, regional and global biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and development of future scenarios for the living world. Prepared for: The CITES Secretariat, Geneva A contribution to UNEP - The United Nations Environment Programme Printed by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK © Copyright: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre/CITES Secretariat The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Scorpion Fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae)
    The Scorpion Fauna of Mona Island, Puerto Rico (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Scorpionidae) Rolando Teruel, Mel J. Rivera & Alejandro J. Sánchez August 2017 – No. 250 Euscorpius Occasional Publications in Scorpiology EDITOR: Victor Fet, Marshall University, ‘[email protected]’ ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael E. Soleglad, ‘[email protected]’ Euscorpius is the first research publication completely devoted to scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Euscorpius takes advantage of the rapidly evolving medium of quick online publication, at the same time maintaining high research standards for the burgeoning field of scorpion science (scorpiology). Euscorpius is an expedient and viable medium for the publication of serious papers in scorpiology, including (but not limited to): systematics, evolution, ecology, biogeography, and general biology of scorpions. Review papers, descriptions of new taxa, faunistic surveys, lists of museum collections, and book reviews are welcome. Derivatio Nominis The name Euscorpius Thorell, 1876 refers to the most common genus of scorpions in the Mediterranean region and southern Europe (family Euscorpiidae). Euscorpius is located at: http://www.science.marshall.edu/fet/Euscorpius (Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia 25755-2510, USA) ICZN COMPLIANCE OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS: Electronic (“e-only”) publications are fully compliant with ICZN (International Code of Zoological Nomenclature) (i.e. for the purposes of new names and new nomenclatural acts) when properly archived and registered. All Euscorpius issues starting from No. 156 (2013) are archived in two electronic archives: • Biotaxa, http://biotaxa.org/Euscorpius (ICZN-approved and ZooBank-enabled) • Marshall Digital Scholar, http://mds.marshall.edu/euscorpius/. (This website also archives all Euscorpius issues previously published on CD-ROMs.) Between 2000 and 2013, ICZN did not accept online texts as "published work" (Article 9.8).
    [Show full text]
  • Africa-Adventure.Pdf
    Africa! Adventure At a glance Participants will explore the different habitats of the African continent and will learn about some of the animals that live there. Time requirement Goal(s) 1.5 hour program Insert general goals Group size and grade(s) Objective(s) 8-25 participants x Learn about the kinds of habitats Due to the family nature of this class, found in Africa participant ages will vary (infant to x Learn about African animals and grandparent age range) their adaptations Materials Theme Lion mask craft materials Animals that live on the African continent Hike Helper cards have special adaptations that let them Radio survive in the different habitats. Black first aid bag Maasai lion bracelet (for you to wear during Sub-themes the program – please put it back in the bag 1. Every habitat has its own food web. after the program for the next instructor) 2. Every continent has many different types of habitat. Africa! Adventure, July 2013 Page 1 of 13 Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Background there. Camouflaged coloration, stealthy Africa is made up of mostly 3 biomes: savanna, hunting styles, speed or cooperative hunting desert, and rainforest. Each is host to a unique strategies often lead to success when hunting variety of wildlife with adaptations especially individuals within the many herds of suited to the habitats found there. herbivores. Savanna One of the most well known African Savannas is The African Savanna biome is a tropical the Serengeti. This grassland boasts the largest grassland that can be found in the African diversity of hoofed animals in the world countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote including antelopes, wildebeest, buffalos, D'ivore, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, zebras, and rhinoceros.
    [Show full text]
  • Scorpion Venoms in Gastric Cancer (Review)
    ONCOLOGY LETTERS 12: 3683-3686, 2016 Scorpion venoms in gastric cancer (Review) XIAO-YING ZHANG1 and PEI-YING ZHANG2 1Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Information Institute, Nanjing; 2Department of Cardiology, Xuzhou Central Hospital, The Affiliated Xuzhou Hospital of Medical College of Southeast University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221009, P.R. China Received April 27, 2016; Accepted September 1, 2016 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2016.5134 Abstract. Venom secretions from snakes, scorpions, spiders anemones (1). The venoms could be secreted in teeth, stingers, and bees, have been widely applied in traditional medicine claws or even the skins of these animals, to paralyze and kill and current biopharmaceutical research. Possession of anti- the prey or to protect themselves from predation and other cancer potential is another novel discovery for animal venoms dangers. The signs and symptoms after exposure to venoms and toxins. An increasing number of studies have shown vary from mild allergic reactions including itch, pain, swelling the anticancer effects of venoms and toxins of snakes, and to respiratory arrest, paralysis, necrosis or even death (2). The scorpions in vitro and in vivo, which were achieved mainly utilization of animal venoms in folk medicine has been docu- through the inhibition of cancer growth, arrest of cell cycle, mented for a long time in some countries, such as China, India induction of apoptosis and suppression of cancer metastasis. and the Middle East. For example, Chan Su, the dried toad However, more evidence is needed to support this concept and venom from skin glands, first recorded in traditional Chinese the mechanisms of anticancer actions are not clearly under- medicine more than 1,000 years ago, has been long used as a stood.
    [Show full text]
  • Arachnides 76
    Arachnides, 2015, n°76 ARACHNIDES BULLETIN DE TERRARIOPHILIE ET DE RECHERCHES DE L’A.P.C.I. (Association Pour la Connaissance des Invertébrés) 76 2015 0 Arachnides, 2015, n°76 LES PREDATEURS DES SCORPIONS (ARACHNIDA : SCORPIONES) G. DUPRE Dans leur revue sur les prédateurs de scorpions, Polis, Sissom & Mac Cormick (1981) relèvent 150 espèces dont essentiellement des espèces adaptées au comportement nocturne de leur proie (chouettes, rongeurs, carnivores nocturnes) mais également des espèces diurnes (lézards, rongeurs, carnivores....) qui débusquent les scorpions sous les pierres ou dans leurs terriers. Dans une précédente note (Dupré, 2008) nous avions effectué un relevé afin d'actualiser cette étude de 1981. Sept ans après, de nouvelles données sont présentées dans cette synthèse. Voici un nouveau relevé des espèces prédatrices. Nous ne faisons pas mention des scorpions qui feront l'objet d'un futur article traité avec le cannibalisme. Explication des tableaux: La première colonne correspond aux prédateurs, la seconde aux régions concernées et la troisième aux références. Dans la mesure du possible, les noms scientifiques ont été rectifiés en fonction des synonymies ou des nouvelles combinaisons appliquées depuis les dates de publication d'origine. ARTHROPODA ARACHNIDA SOLIFUGAE Solifugae Afrique du Nord Millot & Vachon, 1949; Punzo, 1998; Cloudsley-Thompson, 1977 Eremobates sp. USA Bradley, 1983 ARACHNIDA ARANEAE Acanthoscurria atrox Brésil Lourenço, 1981 Aphonopelma sp. et autres Amérique centrale Mazzotti, 1964 Teraphosidae Phormictopus auratus Cuba Teruel & De Armas, 2012 Brachypelma vagans Mexique Dor et al., 2011 Epicadus heterogaster Brésil Lourenço et al. 2006 Latrodectus sp. USA Baerg, 1961 L. hesperus USA Polis et al., 1981 L. mactans Cuba Teruel, 1996; Teruel & De Armas, 2012 L.
    [Show full text]
  • Scorpions." And
    Ask-a-Biologist Transcript – Vol 018 – (Guests: Conrad Storad, Michael Quinlan) Ask-a-Biologist Vol 018 (Guests: Conrad Storad, Michael Quinlan) Stinging Mystery - It's a mystery, at least until you try to guess what animal children book author Conrad Storad is describing at the beginning of this episode. Joining Conrad is physiologist Michael Quinlan. Together they give us all the gory details behind this desert dwelling animal. Transcript Dr. Biology: This is Ask-a-Biologist, a program about the living world, and I'm Dr. Biology. We have a special show today on an animal that will remain nameless until one of our two guests reads from a book he has written about the animal. In the studio, we have Conrad Storad, who's the editor of ASU Research Magazine and a great children's magazine called "Chain Reaction." He's also a well-known children's book author. Our other guest is researcher, Michael Quinlan, who's an adjunct professor in the School of Life Sciences, and also a professor of Physiology at Midwestern University in Glendale, Arizona. Thank you both for joining me today. Conrad Storad: Thank you, Dr. Biology. Michael Quinlan: Well, thanks for having us. Dr. Biology: To begin, I thought it'd be fun to have Conrad read from one of his books where he writes about the animal that's a mystery at the moment, and what I want everyone to do is to try and guess what animal he has written about. Now, we've modified this a little bit because otherwise, we would give away what the animal is.
    [Show full text]
  • Reanalysis of the Genus Scorpio Linnaeus 1758 in Sub-Saharan Africa and Description of One New Species from Cameroon
    ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Entomologische Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Museum Hamburg Jahr/Year: 2011 Band/Volume: 15 Autor(en)/Author(s): Lourenco Wilson R. Artikel/Article: Reanalysis of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus 1758 in sub-Saharan Africa and description of one new species from Cameroon (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae) 99-113 ©Zoologisches Museum Hamburg, www.zobodat.at Entomol. Mitt. zool. Mus. Hamburg15(181): 99-113Hamburg, 15. November 2009 ISSN 0044-5223 Reanalysis of the genus Scorpio Linnaeus 1758 in sub-Saharan Africa and description of one new species from Cameroon (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae) W ilson R. Lourenço (with 32 figures) Abstract For almost a century, Scorpio maurus L., 1758 (Scorpiones, Scorpionidae) has been considered to be no more than a widespread and presumably highly polymorphic species. Past classifications by Birula and Vachon have restricted the status of different populations to subspecific level. In the present paper, and in the light of new evidence, several African populations are now raised to the rank of species. One of these, Scorpio occidentalis Werner, 1936, is redescribed and a neotype proposed to stabilise the taxonomy of the group. A new species is also described from the savannah areas of Cameroon. This is the second to be recorded from regions outside the Sahara desert zone. Keywords: Scorpiones, Scorpionidae, Scorpio, new rank, new species, Africa, Cameroon. Introduction The genus Scorpio was created by Linnaeus in 1758 (in part), and has Scorpio maurus Linnaeus, 1758 as its type species, defined by subsequent designation (Karsch 1879; see also Fet 2000).
    [Show full text]