Androctonus bicolor

Androctonus is widespread in North and West Africa, the Middle East, but the wider family tolerates a wider range of habitats.[2] This relates to the fact that black fat-tailed scorpions are rather efficient when temperatures range from 85 °F-95 °F, as this temperature allows for productive growth.[3] Black fat–tailed scorpions are normally found in arid or semi-arid areas as well as margins of desert areas, typically areas with sandy soil.[4] They generally prefer warm and dry areas.[6]

The black fat-tailed scorpion belongs to the genus Androctonus, which can be translated into "man-killer".[7] The species name is bicolor which is translated into having two-colors,[8] which could be referring to their brown-black coloration.[5] Scorpions are under the class Arachnida, because they are arachnids that have eight legs.[6]

Fat-Tailed Scorpion in Iraq

Scorpions can eat many kinds of insects, spiders, lizards, small mammals such as mice, or even other scorpions.[9] Scorpions are able to go months without consuming food.[9] Prey is captured and crushed by its pincers, while their stingers are used to inject venom into their prey.[9] This paralyzes the prey, causing immobility and allowing the scorpion to consume it with ease.[9] Scorpions use their chelicerae (small claw-like structures attached to their mouths) to pull small parts off their prey, this is simple for them as chelicerae are quite sharp.[9] Scorpions are only able to ingest liquids, thus their chelicerae help them dispose of solid parts that cannot be consumed.[9]

Black fat–tailed scorpions use neurotoxic venom, which is fast acting and can be absorbed very quickly, because of the small molecular weight of the proteins that make up the venom.[10] These neurotoxins act on the central nervous system, causing paralysis in the nerves that are responsible for respiration, which ultimately causes death by respiratory failure.[10] The neurotoxins may also cause widespread neuronal excitation, symptoms of which can include pain, sweating, salivation, and tearing.[11] Severe envenomation is likely, as the rate of envenoming is 10-20%, making it potentially lethal.[5] Victims are likely to feel progressively weaker after envenoming.[10] Envenoming can result in death, which can occur between 5 and 15 hours, but it is also possible for death to occur within one hour.[10] Examples of common symptoms that occur after a sting are: drowsiness, drooping eyelids, paralysis of neck muscles, loss of muscle coordination, and abdominal pain.[10] A monovalent antivenom (an antivenom that heals stings of specific species [12]) called Anti-scorpionique is available to treat stings from a black fat-tailed scorpion.[5]