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I am sure we have all heard that you should never take your work home with you. One day last week I had a late presentation and took the animals I used home with me to spend the night. The next morning, as is my routine, I stopped in at my local Exon Mobil for my, almost daily, cup ‘o decaf. The store clerk, Azmeraw, is from Africa and as it happened, I had an animal in my truck from the same country. I thought it might be fun for an introduction.
I carried in a seven inch black Emperor scorpion. This dangerous looking arachnid is native to the tropical jungles of West Africa. Emperor scorpions are found in the hot, humid rainforest, nestled in their own burrows, which they dig in the soil. Emperors also dig under rocks, logs or tree roots. The sting of most scorpions is only as harmful as a bee sting. Even though large, heavy and terrifying in appearance, the emperor’s sting is not lethal. Emperor Scorpions are often used in movies and television shows due to their docile nature, semi-social acceptance and relatively harmless toxin. In the wild they eat mostly ground dwelling insects and they will occasionally feed on small vertebrates such as baby lizards or mice. I feed them crickets. All scorpions have poor eyesight, good hearing and a good sense of touch. Body hairs are used to detect air and ground vibrations.
Well as it turns out, Azy is from east Africa and had never even seen an Emperor scorpion. He did real well for the photo with the animal on his hand. That changed when it was time to return it to the box. The scorpion hung on and Azy began a little fast step dance. When the last leg let go he skipped along behind the counter and through many cases of cigarettes.
I have read and have been told that in the areas of Africa where these animals are common, the native people gather, roast and eat scorpions. Although arachnids are high in protein I would never eat one. Those little legs are covered with small spines and if they get caught between your teeth, flossing would be difficult.
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