What do Scorpions Eat
Scorpions are arthropods (invertebrate with an external skeleton) with 8 legs and are best known for their grasping claws and long tail with a venomous stinger. There are over 1,700 species of scorpions and at least one species can be found on every continent of Earth, apart from Antarctica. The scorpion is often feared by humans because they are venomous, but in reality only about 25 species have venom capable of causing death. Let’s take a look at the common diet of this interesting animal.
What do scorpions eat?
Scorpions are predators that feed opportunistically, which means their diet is based on the food sources available to them. Most species of scorpions eat insects and other small arthropods. Larger species of scorpions have been known to eat small lizards, rodents and birds. There are some species of scorpions that will eat other smaller scorpions!
Did you know?
Scorpions have sensitive hairs on their gripping claws which alerts them to close them to catch their prey. They will then inject it with venom to paralyze it or crush the prey so they can eat it.
Interestingly, scorpions can only eat liquid food. They have an intricate system of external digestion, including a pre-oral cavity where digestive juices are discharged onto the food to turn it into liquid. Any food that can’t be turned into liquid is trapped and then ejected.
Some scorpions can survive up to a year without food. One of the reasons they can do this is that they are capable of eating a large amount in one meal.
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