Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
10 Crazy Scorpion Facts
1. The word "scorpion" is from the Proto-Indo-European root *sker-, meaning "'to cut."
2. Scorpions can survive without food for up to a year if they have enough water. They can also survive nuclear fallout.
3. The largest scorpion in the world is the giant forest scorpion (Giagantometrus swammerdami), at 9.1 inches (23 cm). An adult weighs about as much as a tennis ball.
Image Credit: Nireekshit/Creative Commons
4. The smallest scorpion in the world, the Caribbean Microtityus fundorai, is just 12 mm (0.5 inches). Smaller than some ant species, these tiny scorpions often hide under bark, leaf litter, and soil.
5.The most venomous scorpion in the world is the deathstalker (Leiurus quinquestriatus). Its venom is one of the most expensive liquids in the world, with an estimated cost of $39 million per gallon. It has been used to treat cancer, malaria, and bacterial infections such as tuberculosis.
6. Though not the most venomous, the Indian red scorpion kills more people worldwide than any other scorpion.
7. Scorpions have between six and twelve eyes. Because their eyesight is typically poor, they rely on vibrations and touch to hunt.
8. A baby scorpion is called a "scorpling."
9. Some scorpions can survive underwater by slowing their metabolism and holding their breath.
10. Before they mate, scorpions perform a dance known as a promenade a deux, which is French for "walk for two."
For more amazing scorpion facts, check out our article here:
10 Crazy Scorpion Facts
1. The word "scorpion" is from the Proto-Indo-European root *sker-, meaning "'to cut."
2. Scorpions can survive without food for up to a year if they have enough water. They can also survive nuclear fallout.
3. The largest scorpion in the world is the giant forest scorpion (Giagantometrus swammerdami), at 9.1 inches (23 cm). An adult weighs about as much as a tennis ball.
Image Credit: Nireekshit/Creative Commons
4. The smallest scorpion in the world, the Caribbean Microtityus fundorai, is just 12 mm (0.5 inches). Smaller than some ant species, these tiny scorpions often hide under bark, leaf litter, and soil.
5.The most venomous scorpion in the world is the deathstalker (Leiurus quinquestriatus). Its venom is one of the most expensive liquids in the world, with an estimated cost of $39 million per gallon. It has been used to treat cancer, malaria, and bacterial infections such as tuberculosis.
6. Though not the most venomous, the Indian red scorpion kills more people worldwide than any other scorpion.
7. Scorpions have between six and twelve eyes. Because their eyesight is typically poor, they rely on vibrations and touch to hunt.
8. A baby scorpion is called a "scorpling."
9. Some scorpions can survive underwater by slowing their metabolism and holding their breath.
10. Before they mate, scorpions perform a dance known as a promenade a deux, which is French for "walk for two."
For more amazing scorpion facts, check out our article here:
