European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Parents researchers who follow the creatures out in the Field have Learned that some species Are among the most aggressively cannibalistic of All creatures deriving 25 percent of their Ert Ergy by consuming their neighbors their mates even their own Young. In areas where More than one species of scorpion compete for resources the creatures engage in elaborate inter species feasting that would make the borgias look Fike the cleavers with the elder members of the smaller species eating the offspring of the bigger species the bigger species in turn devouring the More diminutive adult scorpions and two adults of similar sizes clashing for the right to remain however fleetingly on top of the food Chain. Researchers have gained new insights into a scorpion mating among the Nastiest affairs in nature. Males and females engage in lengthy and violent Waltzes moving to and fro to and fro front legs gripping front legs mouthparts locked together and tails whipping Forward As the male repeatedly stings the female and the female thrashes about seemingly furious at being dragged around. V a a a a a a sometimes after copulation is completed the female which is almost always heavier than her mate will exact revenge for the ordeal by consuming her partner. Or. A / a a a a scientists Are deciphering the chemical signals that control the scorpions behaviour at each step of the intricate mating ritual. They have also gathered evidence that the reason for the extended dance is to allow the female to assess the mares genetic Worth before accepting his biologists Are beginning to appreciate the scorpion s brain which offers them a rare combination of simplicity and complexity. A unlike other arachnids and insects which have their nerve cells disseminated up and Down their body a scorpion has a Cluster of neurons in its head just As a mammal does. But a scorpion s brain has far fewer nerve cells than a mammals making it easier to study. It is not Only scientists who Are interested in scorpions As a result of the current persian Gulf crisis and the stationing of american soldiers in saudi Arabia the Pentagon is too. A a a a a a a a a the defense department recently asked polls and other scorpion experts to travel to the Middle East to study several of the potentially deadly species found i there. Polis is considering accepting the Pentagon a offer but he and his colleagues doubt that the scorpion threat to american troops is . They say excellent anti venom medications Are available to prevent death or even serious illness. Pain however is another matter. Quot for soldiers in the Mideast it s rather important to make sure every miming that no scorpions have crawled into their shorts or pants Quot said or. Dean d. Watt a biochemist at the Creighton University school of Medicine in Omaha neb. Quot the scrotal area is highly vascular Zed so if you happen to get Slung in that area it May not kill you but it will Hurt a lot worse than it would on the Finger quo the Pelvic network of blood vessels he explained permits the excruciating pain from the venom to spread across the legs and Torso. Naturalists from Aristotle on have been mesmerized by scorpions but Only within the last two decades have researchers had the wherewithal to extensively study the animals in the Field. The invention that has revolutionized scorpion a biology is the portable ultraviolet Light. Another of the \ scorpions exceptional features is its ability to glow j under ultraviolet Light like a psychedelic poster. The exoskeleton of the scorpion is made of a Tough layer of tissue that feels like Fingernail but is in fact chitin a Type of cuticle protein the coat reflects Back the ultraviolet rays from Moonlight and other Light sources so brightly that even a Black scorpion glows a fluorescent Shade of Green or Pink. Fossilized scorpions from 300 million years ago still gleam brilliantly under ultraviolet Light. A. Quot scientists Are not sure Why scorpions fluoresce although some suggest that the glow evolved to attract insects which Are drawn to ultraviolet Light. Whatever the reason the unmistakable Shine visible from 20 feet away makes it easy to spot scorpions in the dark when they emerge to eat mate fight and otherwise carry with us Light we can locate them capture them Mark them let them go and recapture them Quot said or. Neil Hadley a zoologist at Arizona state University in Tempe. A we can study their metabolic rate their oxygen consumption anything we please us Light has really changed the Way we study scorpions Quot through the use of ultraviolet lamps and other a technologies researchers have Learned that scorpions have changed Little since the silurian epoch 400 million years ago when they were among the first animals to crawl from sea to land. Scorpions Are commonly associated with the desert but in fact the t ,500 known species Are every possible setting deserts rain forests Savannah grasslands temperate forests. around caves half a mile underground tiny ones Burrow in the cracks of pineapples Slout ones cling to the slopes of the Himalayas 14,000 feet above sea level. Scientist believe that 500 to 1,000 other species remain to be discovered. \ Quot if you go someplace where few other scientists have been there a a Good Chance you la find a new scorpion Quot said or. W. David Sissom a biologist at Eton College in North Carolina. All known species Are predatory and Are equipped with venomous stingers although Only 25 species pack enough toxin to kill a human being. F the venom is carried in a gland on the Back of the Tail and the animal can whip its stinger Forward in a fraction of a second to Jab a victim sometimes repeatedly. Chemists have determined that the venom is a brew of up to 30 Neur toxins each designed to fell a different Type of prey. Some of the Neur toxins have been found to be most effective against insects while others Are Best at paralysing frogs and other Small vertebrates. A once a prey has been knocked out the scorpion begins the lengthy business of liquefying its victim. Like spiders scorpions digest their food before consuming it spitting out enzymes to dissolve the prey into a Broth that the scorpion can suck into its Mouth. Scorpions have More in common with spiders than a digestive style when they live in the same neighbourhood the two arachnids compete for the same resources the insects. A but scorpions have a distinct advantage Over their competitors that is a taste for them. And Given their usually Superior size they can often turn their competitors into prey with Little fear of reprisal. In areas where scorpions abound spider populations Are generally kept in Check. 1 but a scorpion is by no Means immune to predation. Although it can Thyvaert some potential attackers with its venom it is so meaty that owls Bals snakes and other animals will enc Fure the sting for the Sake of a Hearty meal. A a a a. A. A a a a Are a seasonal Way to Send a message to some very special individuals in your Community who deserve a note of thanks for a Job Well done to family and friends stationed throughput the european command and the persian Gulf and to the loved ones waiting Back Home. Holiday greetings will appear in a special four Page insert on sat., december 22 for. Germany and the Benelux countries and mon., december 2for All other areas. To place a greeting write your message of 25 words or less. You May use a Plain piece of paper or use our easy to use order form found in the classified pages of stripes Magazine and to plus Magazine. The Price for messages received from adults is $6,50 from children under 16 is $3.25. Add m per line for a longer messages. An optional headline costs $5 extra make the Check or Money order do not Send Cash please payable in . Dollars to stars amp stripes fund ecn-874. Mail your messaged and payment Tot stars # stripes attn Holiday greetings a Bax 266, Apo 09211-4211. T the deadline Fer Mett Aget to he received. At Star and str pet it Friday december i a monday december 10. 1090 the stars and stripes a a a 17
