You might think of scorpions as small, dangerous creatures with deadly venom — like in the movies. But that’s not the case for all species.
The emperor scorpion, one of the largest scorpions in the world, does have venom in its tail — but it’s very mild.
What you should really watch out for are its claws. The emperor scorpion uses them to hunt everything from insects to small lizards, and they can deliver a powerful pinch.
Shine a UV light on an emperor scorpion, and it glows with a striking blue-green color. No one knows exactly why this happens, but there are several theories.
Some believe they use the moon’s UV rays to find each other at night. Others think the glow may scare off predators — or perhaps it helps the scorpion detect where light hits its body so it can find better places to hide.
The emperor scorpion isn’t endangered, but it has become so popular as a pet that it is now protected by CITES — an international agreement that regulates trade in wild animals and plants. This protection helps ensure that too many scorpions aren’t taken from the wild.