Scorpions are ancient arachnids that have roamed Earth for over 430 million years. These nocturnal creatures are skilled generalist predators.
Primary Food Sources
Scorpions are carnivores, primarily feeding on insects and other invertebrates. Their typical diet includes common insects like crickets, beetles, grasshoppers, cockroaches, termites, and wasps. They also prey on various arachnids, such as spiders and other scorpions.
The size and species of the scorpion often influence their specific prey choices. For example, smaller scorpions, like the bark scorpion, primarily target smaller insects and other arachnids. Larger species, such as the Emperor Scorpion, have the capacity to overpower and consume bigger prey.
Hunting and Digestion
Scorpions employ diverse strategies to acquire food, including both ambush tactics and active pursuit. Many species are sit-and-wait predators, remaining motionless until prey comes within striking distance, often near their burrows. Other scorpions actively forage at night, seeking out prey across their habitat. Their poor eyesight means they rely on other senses for hunting.
They detect prey primarily through vibrations using sensory hairs on their bodies and specialized organs on their legs. Once prey is detected, the scorpion uses its powerful pincers, called pedipalps, to grasp and hold it. For smaller prey, the pedipalps alone may be enough to crush and kill. If the prey is larger or more aggressive, the scorpion will arch its tail and use its stinger (telson) to inject venom, which paralyzes or kills the victim.
Scorpions cannot chew solid food; therefore, they utilize a unique external digestion process. After subduing prey, they use small, claw-like mouthparts called chelicerae to tear off small pieces. Digestive fluids containing enzymes are then expelled onto the prey, liquefying its tissues. The scorpion then sucks up the resulting liquid, leaving behind any indigestible solid matter.
Water and Dietary Variations
Scorpions obtain the water they need primarily from the fluids within their prey. They can also absorb moisture from dew or damp ground.
Scorpions have a remarkably low metabolic rate and can survive for extended periods without food, sometimes for several months, or even up to a year. While their diet mainly consists of invertebrates, some larger scorpion species occasionally consume small vertebrates like lizards, small snakes, or rodents. Cannibalism also occurs among scorpions, particularly when food is scarce or during territorial disputes. Females may also consume males after mating, or even their own offspring if severely food-deprived.