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.
Thelyphonida is an arachnid order comprising invertebrates commonly known as whip scorpions or vinegaroons. They are often called uropygids in the scientific community based on an alternative name for the order, Uropygi. The name "whip scorpion" refers to their resemblance to true scorpions and possession of a whiplike tail, and "vinegaroon" refers to their ability when attacked to discharge an offensive, vinegar-smelling liquid, which contains acetic acid.
The Buthidae are the largest family of scorpions, containing about 96 genera and over 1230 species as of 2021. A few very large genera are known, but a high number of species-poor or monotypic ones also exist. New taxa are being described at a rate of several new species per year. They occur in the warmer parts of every major landmass on Earth, except Antarctica and New Zealand. Together with four other families, the Buthidae make up the superfamily Buthoidea. The family was established by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1837.
Hottentotta is a genus of scorpions of the family Buthidae. It is distributed widely across Africa, except for most of the Sahara desert. Species in the genus also occur in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula, southeastern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Cape Verde Islands, and Sri Lanka (introduced).
Hottentotta tamulus, the Indian red scorpion, also known as the eastern Indian scorpion, is a species of scorpion of the family Buthidae. It occurs in most of India, eastern Pakistan and the eastern lowlands of Nepal, and recently from Sri Lanka.
Heterometrus, whose members are also known by the collective vernacular name giant forest scorpions, is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is distributed widely across tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and China (Tibet). It is notable for containing some of the largest living species of scorpions.
Pandinus is a genus of large scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It contains one of the most popular pet scorpions, the emperor scorpion . The genus is distributed widely across tropical Africa and the southeastern Arabian Peninsula.
Mesobuthus eupeus is a polymorphic scorpion species belonging to the well-known family Buthidae. Commonly known as the lesser Asian scorpion or the mottled scorpion. It is thought to be the most widely dispersed species of the genus Mesobuthus, perhaps even of the family Buthidae.
Chaerilus is a genus of scorpions in the family Chaerilidae. They live in tropical parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. A fossil genus Electrochaerilus is known from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) aged Burmese amber.
Isometrus is a genus of scorpion belonging and being eponymous to the family Buthidae. Some species are currently assigned to the genus Reddyanus.
Chaerilus ceylonensis is a species of scorpion in Chaerilidae family. It is endemic to Sri Lanka.
Scorpiops langxian is a species of scorpion in the family Euscorpiidae, first found in Tibet, China.
Scorpiops luridus is a species of scorpion in the Euscorpiidae family, first found in Tibet and Yunnan, China.
Scorpiops pococki is a species of scorpion in the Euscorpiidae family, first found in Tibet and Yunnan, China.
Euscorpiops vachoni is a species of scorpion in the Euscorpiidae family, first found in Tibet and Yunnan, China.
Euscorpiops karschi is a species of scorpion in the Euscorpiidae family, first found in Tibet and Yunnan, China.
Chaerilus tessellatus is a species of scorpion in the Chaerilidae family, first found in Tibet and Yunnan, China.
Thelyphonus is the type genus of whip scorpions or 'vinegaroons' in the subfamily Thelyphoninae, with species found in Southeast Asia.
Chaerilus philippinus is a species of scorpion native to the Philippines.
