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Scorpions in Israel: A glimpse into the fascinating world of reptiles in the desert - Walla! Tourism

2022-05-19T20:39:53.406Z


They have been living on Earth for over 437 million years, and despite the negative image attached to them, scorpions are of great ecological importance, even to humans. Details at Walla! Tourism


Scorpions in Israel: A glimpse into the fascinating world of reptiles in the desert

They have been living on Earth for over 437 million years, and despite the negative image attached to them, scorpions are of great ecological importance, even to humans.

Here are some of the species you will find on pleasant summer nights in the desert

Walla!

Tourism

20/05/2022

Friday, 20 May 2022, 00:02

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Scorpion dance from the yellow stinging species (Photo: Ohad Yahalomi, RTG)

Many Israelis travel around the country and abroad and meet the invertebrate on their way, but very few are aware that despite the negative image attached to it, the scorpion is one of the most important animals in preserving the natural ecosystems in nature, due to the fact that it is a predator And even a food source itself for other species.



"Scorpions are in a very critical link in the food web and are of great importance both as predators and prey - especially in the desert system. We are excited to see wolves, deer and hyenas and usually do not treat small lizards, but the system could not exist without these small creatures," explains And the gardens.



Over the years, 21 species of scorpions from three different families have been discovered in Israel over the years, and about half of them live in the desert.

It is a very common animal that occurs in almost every natural habitat from Eilat to Mount Hermon, and although it is not a protected animal, its future is in danger because some of its natural habitats are on the verge of disappearing.

Other threats she faces are poisoning and being picked up by scorpion lovers for the purposes of illegal trade.

More on Walla!

Horror in the sky: A woman was stung by a scorpion on a flight

To the full article

In Israel there are 21 species of scorpions from three different families.

Nevo Jericho (Photo: Nature and Parks Authority, Noam Shalev)

The scorpions remained unchanged for millions of years

Scorpions also make an important contribution to the system's services for human well-being, especially in the development of drugs derived from the toxins found in their venom blisters.

These drugs are used to treat various types of cancer, produce painkillers, treat arthritis, diabetes and more, and even produce environmentally friendly insecticides.



Archaeological excavations indicate that the scorpions have been on Earth for over 437 million years, and compared to humans who underwent such and other evolutionary changes during their lives on the planet, there are fossils of scorpions that prove that the scorpions remained unchanged and have survived the globe ever since.

One of the reasons for this may be their shape, which is very ideal for living in nature.

The fact that they are small and flat helps them to enter easily at intervals almost anywhere in nature, they can dig and be protected from cold and heat.



Another interesting fact is that scorpions have a very high survival rate.

After a good meal they can fast for weeks and even months, they are able to get the fluids they need from food or through other methods.

Their life time however is not so great - Scorpio in the wild lives a few years and is active at nights, mostly hot and dark.

Most scorpion bites are not life-threatening (Photo: Walla !, Photo: Ziv Reinstein)

"Scorpion Dance"

In Israel and in the desert in particular, there are different scorpions with different sizes of pliers.

According to popular belief, the larger the scorpion, the less venomous it is because the size of the placements helps it to obtain prey.

In addition, although they have more than one pair of eyes, their biggest advantage is that they are very sensitive to movements, and through sensory hairs they are able to feel the ground.



Another advantage that scorpion pliers have is during the famous "scorpion dance", during which the male scorpion leaves on the ground a sperm vagina that the female needs to fertilize.

Due to the fear that she will interpret his courtship and targeting the sperm vagina as an attack and sting it, the male grabs the female's pliers and at the same time directs her to the sperm sac.

This is how the two look as if they are dancing a double dance, reminiscent of a dance of human mates.



So for those who come to the desert on pleasant summer nights, they will be able to find, especially with the help of ultraviolet light, some of the common scorpions that live in the south.

Here are the sellers where.

Yellow stinging scorpion (Photo: ShutterStock)

Yellow sting

The most dangerous and most common scorpion in the country and is found in almost all regions of the country, but mainly in the desert.

Its pliers are thin, its color is light yellow, it is fast in movement and bite and climbs well.

It lives under flat stones and stone fences, and penetrates human dwellings.

Its spawning occurs in June-August, and 15-12 offspring emerge in it.

Two yellow stinging scorpions glow in ultraviolet light (Photo: Nature and Parks Authority, Ohad Yahalomi)

workable

The desert number is common and south to Eilat.

He lives in burrows that he digs with his thick pliers and at the entrance he lurks for prey.

His character is relatively calm and his sting is not considered dangerous to man.

Yellow Abid Scorpio (Photo: Nature and Parks Authority, Ohad Yahalomi)

Negev scorpion

The Negev scorpion is a subspecies of a desert scorpion and is one of the smallest scorpions in the Land of Israel and is the only representative in the Land of Israel of the desert scorpion species.

The distribution of the Negev scorpion is from Jericho south through the Dead Sea Valley and the Arava, in the Judean Desert, in the Negev, in the Sinai and to North Africa.

Negbi Scorpion (Photo: Nature and Parks Authority, Alon Fran)

Nebo Jericho

The largest scorpion in Israel.

Feeds on insects and large arthropods.

During the day he hides in caves and under stones and at night he goes hunting.

The researcher who documented it, found this scorpion for the first time on Mount Nebo, located in the Jericho area and hence its name.

Nebo Jericho's bite is not life threatening or painful.

This scorpion has a not very hot temper.

Scorpio Nevo Jericho (Photo: Nature and Parks Authority, Ariel Kedem)

Why do scorpions glow in ultraviolet light?

Not really clear

Although it is very common and many of us have seen it and are aware of its venom, it is important to know that it is still an animal that we are not stung much by and most bites are not life threatening, so it is possible and desirable to put all fears of scorpions into proportion.



To avoid fear, it is advisable to remember that an animal will usually sting a smaller prey from it for food, or an animal larger than it for protection.

For any animal to sting is to expend a lot of energy, and they try to avoid it as much as possible.

However, of course it all depends on the physical condition of the person, the size, the condition of the scorpion and how much venom he has chosen to inject and therefore always the recommendation to go to a hospital for supervision.



"All the scorpions glow in ultraviolet light and to this day science does not understand one hundred percent why this happens, but it is very easy to look for them and it also makes it possible to do outreach activities and look for them at night," says Alon Fran from the Ramon Training Center.

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