The animal world is fascinating and very diverse, being made up of millions of species that inhabit the planet. Precisely because of this diversity, we find that animals have developed different characteristics and strategies that facilitate their permanence. One of these mechanisms is the way in which they have their offspring. Therefore, on this occasion, from our site we want to talk to you about a very interesting topic, and that is how scorpions or scorpions are born, some attractive and striking arthropods that are considered large predators within this group.
Probably, at some point you have wondered if the scorpion is an insect, however, it is important that you keep in mind that it is not. Although they belong to the same phylum (arthropods), they are found in different subphyla and classes. While scorpions belong to the subphylum chelicerates (class arachnida), insects belong to the subphylum unirameous (class insecta).
How is a scorpion born?
Scorpions are viviparous animals, that is, embryonic development takes place inside the mother. Once the scorpions reproduce, the gestation process can last from several months to a year, an aspect that may depend on the species and the environmental conditions. Once the gestation process is complete, the female will expel the young one by one, as we can see in the video that we add below.
How many scorpions are born from a female?
In general, these arachnids can have several reproductive cycles, but in some cases, if the environmental conditions are very extreme, then they can reduce them. On average, females in this group can give birth from 2 to 100 scorpion pups, although this wide variation is currently poorly documented by the scientific community.
On the other hand, studies indicate that there is no consistent correlation between the size of females and that of their offspring.
Characteristics of baby scorpions
Scorpions at birth are a whitish color, their appearance is exactly the same as that of an adult, but they are smaller and lack of the exoskeleton that is characteristic of these animals and that provides them with protection. At birth, they still have embryonic tissue, from which they will gradually shed after being expelled by the mother to subsequently climb into her body. On the other hand, this tissue also serves as food, since by sucking it, it provides certain nutrients momentarily.
Scorpion pups depend on their mother to complete their growth or development, as they are unable to feed on their own, so they must do so by sucking on the body of their parent. In addition, they must develop their first external tissue or exoskeleton before getting off it and being able to be independent, since at birth their tissue is still soft, which it makes them much more sensitive.
Small scorpions are generally quite vulnerable to being preyed upon by other animals or members of their own group. In fact, reports indicate that it is quite common for scorpions to devour each other However, during gestation and maintenance of the young on their body, the females are usually quite aggressive to protect them.
How long does a scorpion live?
Scorpions will reach sexual maturity once they have completed all the molts of the exoskeleton, which can be a total of five, a process that can last between 1 and 3 years. These animals, as a group, are very old on the planet, having been present for millions of years, which is why they are considered prehistoric animals. However, individually, scorpions can live about 6 or 7 years, although some cases of much greater longevities have been found. This life time is high when compared to the group of other invertebrate animals.
Despite being aggressive animals and capable of injecting poison into their victims, scorpions in general have a high mortality rate, Not only because they can be eaten by other types of scorpions (even by their own species), but also because they are the prey of other animals.
Scorpions are animals that have variable reproductive cycles and their survival success could be related to the increase in their reproductive episodes. However, this aspect would not apply to those species that reproduce seasonally, although by investing more dedication to their young, they manage to make them reach the adult stage and, in this way, can also guarantee their effective reproduction.
