| Androctonus australis | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Scorpiones |
| Family: | Buthidae |
| Genus: | Androctonus |
| Species: | A. australis |
| Binomial name | |
| Androctonus australis | |
Androctonus australis, the yellow fat-tailed scorpion, is a hardy desert scorpion from North Africa, Somaliland, the Middle East, Pakistan and India.
Unlike most other animals that live in deserts, Androctonus does not dig burrows to protect itself from a sandstorm. Instead, it can withstand sandstorms powerful enough to strip paint off steel, without any apparent damage. The resistance of Androctonus to sandstorms is suspected to be due to its unusual exoskeleton surface texture. Its armor is covered with dome-shaped granules that are 10 μm (0.0004 in) high and 25–80 μm (0.0010–0.0031 in) across. When this surface texture is translated into other materials it protects them to a certain degree as well, which has led to the possibility of the applicability of imitation surfaces in such objects as aeroplanes and helicopters. [2]
The name Androctonus australis is derived from the Greek word Androctonus (roughly translated as "man-killer") and the Latin word australis (translated as "south") which together translate as "southern man-killer".
Androctonus australis is a medium-sized scorpion which can grow up to 10 centimeters in length. It has a very thick and powerful tail, [3] and stripes on the sides of its dome for better vision while attacking another animal or for the use of self-defense. It is an animal of nocturnal habit, during the day it hides in humid and dark places, while the night goes out to hunt, it feeds on insects, small lizards and even small mammals. Cannibalism has been reported in this species. It is found mainly in deserts and arid places. [4]
Androctonus australis has very potent venom [5] and is one of the world's most dangerous scorpions due to its relative toxicity and temperament. It claims several lives each year. [3] It has the most potent venom of its kind, it is mainly composed of neurotoxins, cardiotoxins and myotoxins and additional hemotoxins, deaths in humans usually occur by heart and respiratory failure, sometimes by cerebral hemorrhage, organ dysfunction and shock. [4] The LD50 for this species is 0.32 mg / kg subcutaneously. [6]
The AaTX1 toxin was originally found in the venom of Androctonus australis.
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always ending with a stinger. The evolutionary history of scorpions goes back 435 million years. They mainly live in deserts but have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions, and can be found on all continents except Antarctica. There are over 2,500 described species, with 22 extant (living) families recognized to date. Their taxonomy is being revised to account for 21st-century genomic studies.
The emperor scorpion(Pandinus imperator) is a species of scorpion native to rainforests and savannas in West Africa. It is one of the largest scorpions in the world and lives for 6–8 years. Its body is black, but like other scorpions it glows pastel green or blue under ultraviolet light. It is a popular species in the pet trade, and is protected by CITES to prevent over-collecting that might affect the species' survival.
Fattail scorpion or fat-tailed scorpion is the common name given to scorpions of the genus Androctonus, one of the most dangerous groups of scorpion species in the world. The genus was first described in 1828 by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg.
Hadrurus arizonensis, the giant desert hairy scorpion, giant hairy scorpion, or Arizona Desert hairy scorpion is a large scorpion found in North America.
Venomous snakes are species of the suborder Serpentes that are capable of producing venom, which they use for killing prey, for defense, and to assist with digestion of their prey. The venom is typically delivered by injection using hollow or grooved fangs, although some venomous snakes lack well-developed fangs. Common venomous snakes include the families Elapidae, Viperidae, Atractaspididae, and some of the Colubridae. The toxicity of venom is mainly indicated by murine LD50, while multiple factors are considered to judge the potential danger to humans. Other important factors for risk assessment include the likelihood that a snake will bite, the quantity of venom delivered with the bite, the efficiency of the delivery mechanism, and the location of a bite on the body of the victim. Snake venom may have both neurotoxic and hemotoxic properties. There are about 600 venomous snake species in the world.
Delta atracotoxin is a low-molecular-weight neurotoxic polypeptide found in the venom of the Sydney funnel-web spider.
A scorpion sting is an injury caused by the stinger of a scorpion resulting in the medical condition known as scorpionism, which may vary in severity. The anatomical part of the scorpion that delivers the sting is called a "telson". In typical cases, scorpion stings usually result in pain, paresthesia, and variable swelling. In serious cases, scorpion stings may involve the envenomation of humans by toxic scorpions, which may result in extreme pain, serious illness, or even death depending on the toxicity of the venom.
Leiurus is a genus of scorpion of the family Buthidae. The most common species, L. quinquestriatus, is also known under the common name Deathstalker. It is distributed widely across North Africa and the Middle East, including the western and southern Arabian Peninsula and southeastern Turkey. At least one species occurs in West Africa.
Birtoxin is a neurotoxin from the venom of the South African Spitting scorpion. By changing sodium channel activation, the toxin promotes spontaneous and repetitive firing much like pyrethroid insecticides do
Androctonus crassicauda, the Arabian fat-tailed scorpion, is a species of extremely dangerous scorpion usually found in North Africa and the Middle East.
Androctonus bicolor, the black fat-tailed scorpion, is a scorpion species of the family Buthidae. It is black in color and can grow up to 8 cm. Black fat-tailed scorpions come from the family Buthidae, which is the largest of the scorpion family. They can be identified by their hefty physique. They tend to move very fast, and are of an aggressive nature. Black fat–tailed scorpions can live for up to 5 years. Adults can reach up to 40-60 millimeters, 80 millimeters being the maximum. These scorpions typically possess black and brown coloration. These scorpions enjoy making scrapes with wood and rocks, and are nocturnal, thus they hide in crevices or certain objects during the day. They stay in shade to retain moisture in their bodies, as they are susceptible to losing moisture due to their environmental preference.
Androctonus australis hector insect toxin also known as AaHIT is a scorpion toxin which affects voltage-gated sodium channels. Four different insect toxins, namely AaHIT1, AaHIT2, AaHIT4 and AaHIT5, can be distinguished. It targets insects, except AaHIT4, which is also toxic to crustaceans and mammals.
BotIT2 is a neurotoxin from the scorpion Buthus occitanus tunetanus, which modifies activation and slows down the deactivation of voltage gated sodium channels.
AmmTX3, produced by Androctonus mauretanicus, is a scorpion toxin of the α-KTX15 subfamily. The toxin is known for its ability to act as a specific Kv4 channel blocker, and thereby reducing the A-type potassium current through this channel.
Tityustoxin peptide 2 (TsPep2) is a peptide isolated from the venom of the Tityus serrulatus. It belongs to a class of short peptides, together with Tityustoxin peptide 1 and Tityustoxin peptide 3.
AaTX1 is a scorpion toxin of the α-KTx15 subfamily originally found in the venom of Androctonus australis. The toxin acts as a specific blocker on Kv4.3 voltage-gated potassium channel, thereby abolishing the A-type potassium currents.
Leiurus abdullahbayrami is a species of scorpion in the family Buthidae. Its venom is highly toxic to humans, but can be used in medical development.
Hemiscorpius lepturus is a species of scorpion in the family Hemiscorpiidae. It is found in deserts of the Middle East, especially in southern Iraq and Iran, where it is sometimes referred to as the "Gadim scorpion". These scorpions have long, thin tails and wide bodies and grow to 8 cm (3.1 in) in males and 5.5 cm (2.2 in) in females, allowing them to live in tight rock crevices. They are fairly solitary creatures. H. lepturus has mainly been studied to discover the components and effects of its venom, which is highly lethal and is responsible for most deaths due to scorpion sting in the Iran area. H. lepturus is the only scorpion not in the family Buthidae that is potentially lethal to humans; the Buthidae family is the largest and most abundant family of scorpions, containing many highly venomous species.
Media related to Androctonus australis at Wikimedia Commons