Scorpion

Scorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. The eight-legged arthropod is easily recognised due to its pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous sting. Though the scorpion has a fearsome reputation as poisonous, only 25 species worldwide have venom capable enough to kill a human being. Scorpions are an important motif in human culture and folklore. While a variety of physiological, morphological, biochemical and ecological adaptations have allowed the scorpions to flourish on earth from the Silurian period onwards, the basic shape of the scorpion has not changed much.All known scorpion species possess venom and use it primarily to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be eaten; in general it is fast-acting, allowing for effective prey capture. It is also used as a defense against predators. The venom is a mixture of compounds each not only causing a different effect, but possibly also targeting a specific animal. Each compound is made and stored in a pair of glandular sacs, and is released in a quantity regulated by the scorpion itself. Of the over thousand known species of scorpion, only 25 have venom that is dangerous to humans; all belong to the family Buthidae.