With their eight legs and defensive, hooked stinger, scorpions are the type of animal that leaves an impression. It can be easy to lump them all into one category, but there are over 2,500 scorpion species that have been identified. Scorpions can be found on every continent except Antarctica. While most species prefer plains and deserts, others have learned to adapt to colder and more mountainous regions. Their adaptability is a reflection of their generalist eating habits and the versatility of their hunting techniques.
From Africa’s large and luminescent emperor scorpion to North America’s ubiquitous bark scorpion, scorpions occupy a wide variety of habitats and express diversity in their diets and hunting methods. However, there are some notable similarities across the different scorpion species. Every species of scorpion is a strict carnivore, and they aren’t particularly picky. Any animal small enough to be immobilized can be potential prey for a scorpion. Keep reading to learn more about what scorpions eat and how they hunt for food.
The Scorpion Diet
Striped bark scorpions are found in the South and South-Central U.S. and parts of Mexico.
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While their regional diversification means that scorpion prey species are too abundant to list in full, most scorpions seek out similar foods. The bark scorpion can be found throughout the American desert and is North America’s most common scorpion species. The bulk of their diet is composed of invertebrates, with centipedes, spiders, and cockroaches ranking high on their list of preferred foods. As is commonly the case with scorpion species, bark scorpions sometimes cannibalize other bark scorpions or members of other scorpion species.
Larger species like the emperor scorpion sometimes target significantly larger prey. Measuring up to nine inches in length, they’re known to prey on lizards and even small mammals like mice. Regardless of their size, methodology, or habitat, most scorpions have a diverse menu to choose from. Desert sand scorpions, found in the American Southwest, have been documented preying on nearly a hundred different species. Nearly half of their diet is comprised of beetles, while other scorpions constitute 16% of their diet. Scorpions often even feast on traditionally dangerous insects like wasps.
Depending on their size and environment, scorpions may eat a diet that includes:
- Insects (grasshoppers, cockroaches, termites, beetles, flies, wasps)
- Arachnids (spiders, other scorpions)
- Other invertebrates (worms, mollusks, centipedes)
- Reptiles (snakes, lizards)
- Rodents (mice)
Hunting for Food
Emperor scorpions have venomous stingers on the tips of their tails. Yet, they normally rely on their large claws, called pedipalps, to capture prey.
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Most scorpions are ambush predators, but they’re capable of adapting their behaviors to match their habitats. Some will simply wait in their burrows and lash out when prey walks by. Others actively forage in pursuit of prey. Foraging habits seem to vary depending on not just the availability of prey but also the number of predators. There’s some evidence that greater numbers of predators lead to higher rates of cannibalism among scorpions. Some scorpions have even been observed setting up traps in the sand for prey to fall into.
Scorpions are nocturnal predators with poor eyesight. While their eyes can detect movement, they primarily rely on fine hairs and sensory structures known as pectines to detect prey, avoid predators, and navigate their environment. Once they find food, they use a combination of their powerful claws and venomous stingers to immobilize prey. Since producing venom can be an intensive process, adults will typically rely on their claws to rip apart smaller prey. They typically reserve their venom for predators and larger prey. Like spiders, scorpions have to dissolve their food to eat it.
How Often Do Scorpions Eat?
Scorpions have managed to spread throughout the entire world primarily because they’re opportunistic predators. They’ll eat any meat that they can find, and their hunting and defensive methods can adapt to practically any environment on Earth. The fact that there are a staggering 10 quintillion insects on the planet at any given time means that scorpions are rarely lacking for prey.
However, the survival of these arachnids is further bolstered by their ability to survive without food for long periods. Some species of scorpion can survive for a full year without a meal, but they usually average a meal every two to three weeks. They can also go for long periods without water, with some species reported to survive for over two years without it. Scorpions can survive practically anywhere, but most are territorial creatures that will remain in the same burrow for their entire lives. The primary exception is when males venture from their territory to mate.
What Do Baby Scorpions Eat?
Like other arachnids, mother scorpions carry their babies on their backs for the first few weeks.
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Baby scorpions spend their first few weeks of existence growing on their mother’s back. Mother scorpions tend to be fiercely protective of their babies, which spend this time getting nourishment from the yolk sac surrounding them.
After their first molt, during which they shed their soft exoskeletons, baby scorpions begin to eat the same types of food as adults. Some mother scorpions may bring a fresh kill to their newly molted babies. However, a hungry mother may also feed on baby scorpions if there’s no readily available prey.
