Scorpions are interesting animals that are related to spiders and ticks. They generally inhabit desert, tropical and subtropical zones, but thanks to their excellent adaptability strategies, they can also inhabit some temperate zones. Studies have shown that these arthropods have been on planet for millions of years, which is why they are considered prehistoric animals.
On the other hand, they are quite elusive, however, they are usually very efficient and active when it comes to catching their prey to feed on. Most of the time they spend hidden, an aspect that they also use as a strategy to optimize their hunting. On our site, we want you to know more about these attractive animals and in this article we will offer you specific information about what scorpions or scorpions eat
Are scorpions carnivores or herbivores?
One of the characteristics of scorpions is that they are nocturnal animals, so their feeding generally occurs at night and they feed mainly on insects In this sense, scorpions are carnivorous and are excellent hunters, as they have great sensory sensitivity in their claws and legs, through which they can perceive the waves emitted by their prey when they pass through the vicinity where they take refuge, especially in sandy areas where they bury themselves. Likewise, in a few movements they can very effectively capture the animal that will be their food.
Feeding the scorpions
Whether you've rescued an injured scorpion and don't know how to care for a scorpion, or just wonder what scorpions eat, here are some of their favorite prey:
- Cockroaches.
- Crickets.
- Worms.
- Centipede.
- Flies.
- Cochineals.
- Termites.
- Crickets.
- Beetles.
- Snails.
- Butterflies.
- Ants.
- Spiders.
- Mollusks.
- Mice.
- Lizards.
Scorpions do not feed directly on their prey, since They are not able to consume solid pieces, but liquids, and To do this, they first capture their prey with tweezers to immobilize them, then use the stinger that is located at the end of the tail and with which they inoculate the poison. Once the animal is immobilized, they break it up with their mouthparts or chelicerae, and with the help of digestive enzymes, the prey internally changes state, so that the scorpion can suck or absorb, this is how scorpions or scorpions eat. The feeding process of the scorpions is not fast, but on the contrary, it requires time, in which it is necessary to consider their preference for hunting live prey and then the transformation of these to be consumed.
Generally the scorpions shelter between rocks, under wood or in the sand, so they often stay hidden, except when they need to hunt, when they come out of their burrows. They also tend to leave these shelters if there is a threat from which they cannot take shelter.
Is there cannibalism in scorpions or scorpions?
Scorpions are animals that can be very aggressive In addition to being quite territorial, there is cannibalism in this group When there is a shortage of food, a scorpion can attack and kill individuals of its own group to finally devour it.
This also occurs when a male wants to displace others to avoid competition when mating with a female. On the other hand, in some cases, the females are able to kill the male after mating in order to use him as food, as occurs with the praying mantis. The most vulnerable scorpions are newborns, because due to their small size, they are more exposed to adult individuals.
How long can a scorpion go without eating?
As we mentioned, these animals are true survivors on the planet due to their survival strategies, and one of these is the possibility of being able to spend long periods of time, even a year, without feeding or drinking water, which they mainly consume when digesting their prey.
In order to carry out this surprising action, the scorpions have the possibility of slowing down or considerably reducing their metabolism, so the consumption of energy and oxygen is drastically reduced to make the most of your body's reserves.
A curiosity about scorpions is that, despite spending time without feeding and being in slowed down states, when presented with the opportunity to hunt, they manage to activate quicklyto get the food.
Scorpions or scorpions are animals that have fascinated human beings from different cultures through time due to their striking appearance. However, some types of scorpions are highly dangerous to humans due to the level of toxicity of their venom, so it is important to maintain certain care in the areas where they live in order to avoid fatal accidents. To find out what they are, we recommend you read this other article on our site about The 15 most poisonous scorpions in the world.
