Scorpions

This group gathers Arachnids subcategory members belonging to the order Scorpiones, the scorpions, an ancient arachnid lineage recognizable by a pair of pincer-like pedipalps at the front of the body and a long, segmented, upward-curving tail ending in a venomous stinger. Found across every continent except Antarctica and especially diverse in deserts and other arid regions, though also present in grasslands, forests and caves, scorpions are almost entirely nocturnal ambush predators, and their exoskeleton contains compounds that glow under ultraviolet light, a trait researchers use to survey wild populations at night with a handheld blacklight. While every scorpion species produces venom, the great majority pose no serious threat to a healthy adult human, and only a relatively small number of species, concentrated in a few families, carry a sting dangerous enough to require medical treatment. Female scorpions of most species give live birth rather than laying eggs, and the young typically ride on their mother's back for the first days or weeks of life before dispersing.