Heterometrus spinifer

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Heterometrus spinifer
Asian Forest Scorpion.jpg
Asian Forest Scorpion at Goregaon Raigad
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Genus: Heterometrus
Species:
H. spinifer
Binomial name
Heterometrus spinifer
(Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828)
Synonyms
  • Buthus spinifer Ehrenberg in Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 [1]
  • Palamnaeus laevigatus Thorell, 1876
  • Palamnaeus oatesii Pocock, 1900

Heterometrus spinifer, the Asian forest scorpion, giant blue scorpion, or giant forest scorpion, is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. [2]

Contents

Description

H. spinifer can reach a length around 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in). [3] The body is shiny black with gray-green reflections. The pincers are highly developed. In captivity it feeds primarily on insects, mainly cockroaches, crickets, and locusts. [4] Its venom can cause severe pain, and mild numbness in the affected area, but it is not typically lethal to humans. [4] These scorpions tend to be skittish and defensive, using their large pedipalps (pincers) to attack, more than their tails.

Distribution and habitat

This species can be found in Southeast Asia, [3] including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, and other Southeast Asian countries . [4] Generally, these terrestrial scorpions live in moist forests in the dark undergrowth under logs or other debris, and they burrow into the ground where they hide during the day. [4]

Captivity

The Asian Forest Scorpion is commonly kept in the pet trade due to its low venom toxicity [5] and large size.

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emperor scorpion</span> Species of scorpion

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<i>Hadrurus arizonensis</i> Species of scorpion

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hefutoxin</span>

Kappa- Hefutoxin 1 and 2 are toxins from the venom of the Asian forest black scorpion Heterometrus fulvipes with a unique structure. It blocks the potassium channels Kv1.2 and Kv1.3 and slows the activation of Kv1.3.

<i>Gigantometrus swammerdami</i> Species of arachnid

Gigantometrus swammerdami, commonly called the giant forest scorpion, is a scorpion belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is native to India and is the world's largest scorpion species at 23 cm in length, and weighs 56 g (2.0 oz).

<i>Hadogenes troglodytes</i> Species of scorpion

Hadogenes troglodytes is a species of scorpion from southern Africa. It is commonly known as the flat rock scorpion and commonly sold on the exotic pet market. It was once regarded as having the longest recorded body length of any scorpion, reaching up to 20 cm; however Heterometrus swammerdami currently holds the record for being the world's largest scorpion at 9 inches (23 cm) in length. May be confused with Hadogenes bicolor.

<i>Centruroides bicolor</i> Species of scorpion

Centruroides bicolor is a species of bark scorpion from Central America. Its specific name "bicolor" is from the Latin meaning "two colored" and refers to the markings of this species.

<i>Heterometrus</i> Genus of scorpions

Heterometrus, whose members are also known by the collective vernacular name Asian Forest Scorpion, is a genus of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is distributed widely across tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia, including Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and China (Hainan). It is notable for containing some of the largest living species of scorpions.

<i>Pandinus</i> Genus of scorpions

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<i>Heterometrus laoticus</i> Species of scorpion

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Heteroscopine (HS-1) is the main component of the venom of Heterometrus laoticus. It belongs to the Scorpine toxin family. It is a polypeptide consisting of a defensin-like component on its N-terminal end and a putative potassium channel blocking component on its C-terminal end. It has antimicrobial effect on some bacteria, but not on fungi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpionidae</span> Family of arachnids

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<i>Heterometrus longimanus</i> Species of scorpion

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<i>Srilankametrus indus</i> Species of scorpion

Srilankametrus indus, commonly known as the giant forest scorpion, is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is native to India and Sri Lanka.

HsTx1 is a toxin from the venom of the scorpion Heterometrus spinifer. HsTx1 is a very potent inhibitor of the rat Kv1.3 voltage-gated potassium channel.

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<i>Deccanometrus bengalensis</i> Species of scoprion

Deccanometrus bengalensis, the Indian black scorpion, is a species of scorpions belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It was discovered by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1841.

Srilankametrus yaleensis is a species of scorpion in the family Scorpionidae endemic to Sri Lanka.

References

  1. Biolib
  2. Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 : Zoologica II. Arachnoidea. Symbolae physicae seu icones et descriptiones animalium evertebratorum sepositis insectis quae ex itinere per Africam borealem et Asiam occidentalem. Berolini: Officina Academica.
  3. 1 2 Exotic Pets
  4. 1 2 3 4 WikiPets
  5. Lebrun, Bruno; Romi-Lebrun, Régine; Martin-Eauclaire, Marie-France; Yasuda, Akikazu; Ishiguro, Masaji; Oyama, Yoshiaki; Pongs, Olaf; Nakajima, Terumi (1997). "A four-disulphide-bridged toxin, with high affinity towards voltage-gated K+ channels, isolated from Heterometrus spinnifer (Scorpionidae) venom". Biochemical Journal. 328 (Pt 1): 321–327. doi:10.1042/bj3280321. PMC   1218924 . PMID   9359871.