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Scorpions are among the oldest living terrestrial organisms, first appearing on earth 440 million years ago. There are 1,200 species found worldwide from desert to tropical environments. In Thailand, the most common species are in the family Heterometrus, commonly known as Giant Scorpions, Asian Forest Scorpions or Black Scorpions.
Asian Forest Scorpions are shiny black and relatively large, about 9-12 centimeters in length. They have two powerful pincers or pedipalps to defend themselves and possess a venomous tail stinger. Their ability to see is very limited despite several pairs of eyes, but their gift for sensing vibration and movements through numerous hairs on the body enables them to precisely zero in on their target.
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The Asian Forest Scorpion is nocturnal, emerging from its hiding place to prey on crickets, worms and large insects only after dark. After a full meal, it can survive without food for as long as two weeks. The most curious and dramatic feature of scorpions is their "dance of death" mating style. The male and female hold claws and walk rhythmically around like ballroom dancers. But once they mate (sperms get passed to the female), the male becomes a delicious meal and a source of rich nutrients for the pregnant female.
The female scorpions need the nutrients as their typical pregnancy period lasts as long as a human's and they deliver not eggs but 7 to 28 fully developed scorpions. The mother then must carry the heavy burden of all the newborn offspring on its back, which can be as much as 40% of its own weight. This back-carry position lasts about a week until around the young's first molt.
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In addition to these known natural wonders, there remain some mysteries about Asian Forest Scorpions. Their shiny black bodies glow with a beautiful green tint when shone under ultraviolet light. The green glow is caused by an unknown substance in the shell and is maintained even after the scorpions are deep fried or pickled and served in a Thai Northeastern dish! To date, no one knows the significance of this beautiful, mysterious glow. And this is just one of many mysteries about scorpions waiting to be unlocked.
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