Do you know that the Flat Rock Scorpion is supposedly the longest scorpion in the world? Well, get ready to have a spine-tingling moment. The Flat Rock Scorpion is founded in rocky areas and its’ body form is shaped to fit into the cracks and crevices of almost any size rock. The purpose of my essay is to educate students about this type of animal.

 

Flat Rock Scorpions are a general sight in captive collections such as in a Zoo or Museums all over the world. The Flat Rock Scorpion ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 inches and grows at a slow rate. There are many different color variations of the Flat Rock Scorpions like dark brown with light brown or an all black with brown. Its’ features consist of having a wide flat head and a segmented body with big flattened claws. The unique personality of a Flat Rock Scorpion is that it almost never stings any living thing but will not hesitate to pinch and is semi-aggressive and very nervous. They are harmless animals unless they are provoked.

 

The Flat Rock Scorpion was founded by a gentleman named Peter around 1861. These types of scorpions are endemic to Africa or in other words, are native.  They are found all across a very wide range of Southern Africa. There are eighteen Hadogenes species of Ischnuridae counting the Flat Rock Scorpion. These scorpions are being imported in large numbers from Africa; unfortunately, there have been very few captive breeding of these types of species. The native scorpions’ numbers are dropping in Africa placing them in a very vulnerable state. 

 

The Flat Rock Scorpion eats different kinds of foods depending on their aging from babies to adults. The baby scorpions eat pinhead crickets and other types of small insects. As the adults, they feed on crickets, large insects, and maybe, an occasional pinkie mouse.  The Flat Rock Scorpion’s role is that it minimizes the cricket’s population and/or rodent population by consuming them. Their defensive mechanism is that it can easily hide between flat rocks and crevices. The predators of this scorpion are hawks and snakes. Even though the Flat Rock Scorpion is small to a hawk, the hawk will have a hard time trying to fit in a tiny rock gap.

 

The significance of my animal is that it is not easily eaten by hawks. It is a native animal to Southern Africa. And it may be one of the longest scorpions in length of 5.5 to 8 inches. My final thoughts about the Flat Rock Scorpions are that they are known world wide to people all over the world because of their features.  Their ability to hide in the smallest cracks in rocks secures their survival in the world.  They look intimidating yet very harmless. I find this fascinating.

 

Author: Christian A

Published: 02/2013

 

Sources:http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/scorpions/FlatRockScorpion.php

http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/H-troglodytes.html