Arachnids · Scorpiones · Diplocentridae

Jericho Scorpion

Nebo hierichonticus

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

A large, heavily built scorpion of the deserts of Israel, Jordan and the Arabian Peninsula, dark brown, with enormous pincers and a relatively slender tail. By day it shelters under stones and in crevices, and at night it hunts insects and other arthropods, which it holds with the strength of its pincers rather than with venom.

Size

6 cm – 10 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

DesertCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Desert Arachnid

17countries 8parks

Fun facts

As in many scorpions, its outsized pincers make up for a weak venom: it grips and crushes its prey rather than injecting toxins.
It survives long periods without food, a common adaptation in desert scorpions, where prey turns up unpredictably.
It is one of the largest scorpions in the Near East, with robust pincers and a solidly built body.
Like the emperor scorpion, its morphology foretells its behaviour: large pincers and a relatively thin tail mean that it subdues prey by mechanical force and makes little use of venom.
Its sting is painful but is not considered of medical significance.
It lives in one of the oldest continuously inhabited deserts, and its name alludes to Jericho.
Like all scorpions, it withstands extremely long periods without eating: its extremely low metabolism allows it to go for months without food.