Stats

Lifespan

6-8 yrs

Size

Huge

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

West Africa

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Venom

Status

Rare

About

One of the largest scorpion species in the world, the emperor scorpion can exceed 20 cm in length yet has remarkably mild venom — it relies on its massive pincers, not its sting, to subdue prey.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   juvenile

   Born live, a pale scorpling rides on its mother's back until its first molt, then sets off on its own.
2. 2.
   subadult

   A near-adult scorpion molts through several instars, hardening and darkening toward mature coloration.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown after its final molt.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Arachnida

Order

Scorpiones

Family

Scorpionidae

Genus

Pandinus

Species

Pandinus imperator