The Five-striped Smooth-tail
A Formal Scorpion (Form and Function)
What keeps the Deathstalker going?!
Leiurus quinquestriatus is suited for its desert environment in many different ways. It is more agile than most scorpions, possesses a deadly venom, benefits from its smaller size, and blends well with its environment.
Like all organisms in the class Arachnida they have eight legs, but unlike most other scorpions the deathstalker has thin, agile legs and pincers. These thin legs help the scorpion move along the desert floor much faster than most other organisms in the environment (Sousa et al. 2012). The scorpions need this advantage to catch their prey and protect themselves from predators. The small pincers of L. quinquestriatus are also instrumental in its ability to hunt. The smaller than average pincers are an indicator of how dangerous the venom of L. quinquestriatus is—smaller pincers can grab prey for less time, therefore a stronger venom is needed. Overall, the scorpion is built to catch their quick prey, such as crickets.
These scorpions are also smaller than the average scorpion. The males reach a length of 7cm on average and the females reach 10cm on average (Goyffon et al. 2012). The females are larger because of their expanded roles in reproductionhyper. The small size also helps them move quickly around the underground burrows they call home. L. quinquestriatus also spend a lot of time under rocks and their small size makes this behavior easier. The deathstalker’s traits again largely help it move quickly around its environment.
Although the small size of L. quinquestriatus helps them to blend into their environment, their main camouflage is their color. L. quinquestriatus have migrated to many different desert regions in the Middle East and Africa, and natural selection has helped the scorpion develop a wide range of colors depending on where it’s found(Sousa et al. 2012). The color of it ranges from an extremely pale yellow to a much richer yellow/green combo. This color obviously helps them stalk their prey and avoid any predators.
Learn how deathstalker choose mates and are born next on the Reproduction Page or head back to the Home Page.