With eight legs and a protective hooked sting, scorpions are the type of animal that makes an impression. But while it’s easy to group them all into one category, over 2,500 species of scorpions have been identified. From the large and glowing emperor scorpion in Africa to the ubiquitous crustal scorpion in North America, these creatures inhabit a wide variety of habitats and show variety in their diet, hunting habits and predators. But there are some notable similarities that are found in different types of scorpions.
Scorpions can be found on all continents except Antarctica. While most species prefer plains and deserts, others have learned to adapt to colder, more mountainous regions. Their adaptability reflects their versatile feeding habits and the wide adaptability of their hunting methods. All types of scorpions are strict predators, and they are not particularly picky. Any animal small enough to be immobilized can be a potential prey for a scorpion.
While their regional diversification means that there are too many prey species to list in full, most scorpions seek out such food. For example, the coral scorpion is found throughout the American desert and is the most common scorpion in North America. Invertebrates make up the bulk of their diet, with centipedes, spiders, and cathidids at the top of their list of available foods. As is usually the case with scorpions, crustal scorpions sometimes eat other crustal scorpions or other species of scorpions. This is usually an attempt to control the population.
Larger species, such as the emperor scorpion, sometimes target significantly larger prey. At up to nine inches long, they are known to hunt lizards and even small mammals such as mice. Regardless of their size, methodology, or habitat, most scorpions have a varied menu to choose from. Desert sand scorpions can be found in the American Southwest, and researchers have discovered about a hundred different prey species in their habitat. Beetles make up almost half of their appetite, while other scorpions make up 16% of their diet. Scorpions often even feed on traditionally dangerous insects such as wasps.
What do scorpions eat vs scorpions in the wild?
Emperor scorpions are considered one of the most popular pets. While they can hunt reptiles and even mammals in the wild, their feeding habits in captivity tend to be narrower due to practical requirements. Spiders, crickets, and grasshoppers are popular feeding options, but moths and centipedes often feed domestic scorpions as well.
Depending on their size and environment, scorpions can eat a diet that includes:
- Insects (grasshoppers, termites, beetles, flies, wasps)
- Arachnids (spiders, other centipedes)
- Other invertebrates (worms, molluscs)
- Squamates (snakes, lizards)
- Rodents (mice)
How do scorpions hunt for food?
Scorpions have managed to spread throughout the world primarily because they are opportunistic predators. They will eat any meat they can find, and their hunting and defense methods can adapt to almost any environment on Earth. The fact that the planet is home to a staggering 10 quintillion insects at any given time means that scorpions are rarely short on prey. But the survival of these arachnids is facilitated by their ability to be selective. Many scorpion species can survive for a year without food, but on average they eat every two to three weeks. They are more likely to die from lack of water. Scorpions can survive almost anywhere, but most are territorial creatures that remain in the same burrow for life. The main exception is when males venture out of their territory to mate.
Most scorpions are ambush predators, but they are able to adapt their behavior to suit their habitat. Some just wait in their burrows and lash out when the prey passes by. Others actively forage in pursuit of prey. It seems that food gathering habits depend not only on the availability of prey, but also on the number of predators. There is some evidence that more predators lead to higher levels of cannibalism among scorpions. Some scorpions even used ant-lion-like tactics to set traps in the sand so that the victim could fall into them.
Scorpions are nocturnal predators that are virtually blind. Their eyes can be used to detect movement, but they mainly rely on fine hairs and sensory structures known as pectins to detect prey and predators and navigate their environment. Once they find food, they use a combination of their powerful claws and a venomous sting to immobilize their prey. Because venom production can be intensive, adults usually rely on their claws to tear apart smaller prey and store their venom for predators and larger prey. Like spiders, scorpions have to dissolve food in order to eat it.
Small scorpions spend the first few days of their existence growing on the back of their mother. Scorpion mothers tend to be fiercely protective of their young, which are fed by the surrounding yolk sac at this time. After the first molt, the baby scorpion will go on the same diet as the adult. Some mothers may bring fresh prey to their newly hatched cubs, but a hungry mother can also eat scorpion cubs if there is no prey available.
What animals eat scorpions?
Scorpions can be opportunistic predators, but they also fall prey to any number of larger and opportunistic species. The massive claws and venomous bite of a scorpion are often not enough to scare off larger animals – and scorpions in most ecosystems will be prey to various birds, mammals and other arthropods.
In some cases, predators have even developed evolutionary immunity to scorpion venom. Bats and mongooses are immune or highly resistant to the toxins produced by scorpions. The southern grasshopper has developed a particularly innovative protection. Although the southern grasshopper mouse is not immune to the poison, it produces a protein that blocks the pain receptor from entering the brain. Other predators, such as the meerkat and the shrew, have developed special hunting methods that allow them to incapacitate scorpions without being stung. Some of the larger birds, such as owls and hornbills, are simply too large and strong for scorpions to be a threat. Some scorpion predators are even poisonous in their own right – the giant Amazonian centipede of South America and tarantulas stand out as two of the most famous venomous predators.
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