Scorpions are an interesting member of the Arachnida class. There are about 2000 species of scorpions. They are found distributed south of 49° N, except New Zealand and Antarctica. Scorpions have a wide variety of habitats from hot dry deserts to lush rain forest and everywhere in between.
Scorpions are nocturnal hunters, feeding mainly on insects such as crickets, beetles, cockroaches, spiders, centipedes and millipedes. Being nocturnal some hide under bark, rocks, or leaf litter durring the day while others dig burrows and lie in them waiting to go hunting until the dark of night. All scorpions are venomous. Scorpions use their venom to kill or paralyze their prey so that it can be eaten. They inject venom by striking prey with their barbed tail. The effects of the sting can be from mild localized pain to quite severe in humans.
The exact lifespan of many species of scorpions is not know but dependent on species they can live from 4 to 20 years. Their size varies just as much from .5 inches as a full grown adult to 8 inches.
Tarantulas are the largest spiders on earth. You will find them in all types of environments, from the deserts of Africa to the tropical rain forests of the Amazon. They belong to the family Theraphosidae which is made up of over 850 species. Tarantulas can reach sizes of over 10 inches and weight over 8 grams. Female tarantulas can live up to 30 years dependent on the species. Male tarantulas usually have a lifespan half as long as Female tarantulas.
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