Scorpions are not herbivores, which are animals that feed on plants. Instead, these arachnids are obligate predatory carnivores; their diet consists entirely of other animals. Their biology reflects their role as hunters in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem. Their anatomy and behavior are adapted for capturing, immobilizing, and consuming live prey.
Classification and Carnivorous Diet
Scorpions belong to the class Arachnida, which places them in the same group as spiders, mites, and ticks. As nocturnal and often ambush predators, their diet is broad and opportunistic, consisting of any small animal they can successfully subdue and eat. Their primary food sources are insects, such as crickets, grasshoppers, and beetles, along with other arthropods like spiders, woodlice, and even smaller scorpions.
Larger species of scorpions, such as the Emperor scorpion, are capable of preying on small vertebrates like lizards, small snakes, and rodents. Prey selection is often determined by the scorpion’s size and the strength of its venom and pincers. No known species consumes any form of plant matter.
Some species are considered sit-and-wait predators, remaining motionless at a burrow entrance until a suitable meal passes by, while others actively forage for food. They detect prey primarily through vibrations in the substrate, using specialized sensory hairs on their legs to map the direction and distance of a potential meal. This reliance on mechanical cues makes them highly efficient hunters in their often dark, subterranean environments.
Hunting Strategy and Feeding Mechanics
The scorpion’s predatory lifestyle is defined by the specialized functions of its appendages. The large, claw-like structures at the front of the body, called pedipalps, are used to grasp and secure the prey immediately upon capture. For smaller or weaker prey, the pedipalps are often strong enough to crush and subdue the victim without the need for venom.
If the prey is large, aggressive, or struggling, the scorpion will arch its segmented tail over its body to deliver venom through the telson, or stinger. The neurotoxic venom works to quickly paralyze or kill the animal, preventing injury to the scorpion and ensuring a successful meal. Species with powerful pincers tend to have weaker venom, while species with slender pincers often compensate with more potent venom.
Scorpions do not chew; they use small, sharp, claw-like mouthparts known as chelicerae to tear the immobilized prey into tiny pieces. The scorpion then regurgitates digestive fluids onto the food externally, breaking down the tissues into a liquid broth. This liquefied meal is sucked into the digestive tract, leaving behind any indigestible solid material.