Pandinus imperator
The Emperor Scorpion is an animal belonging to the family Scorpionidae in the order Scorpiones. It is also known as the True Emperor Scorpion or the African Emperor Scorpion. It has a black body, powerful pedipalps (with prominent granular texture), and a telson. The telson of adults is reddish-brown, while that of juveniles is slender and white to yellowish. It is very similar in appearance to the Asian Rainforest Scorpion, but the Emperor Scorpion is larger, thicker, and rounder, with semi-circular pincers that are very rough and uneven, and a red stinger at the end of its tail. The Asian Rainforest Scorpion, on the other hand, is slender, with narrower, smoother pincers, and a black or gray stinger. It can live up to 20 years.
Emperor scorpions are mainly distributed in central and southern Africa, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Liberia, Guinea, and Gabon. They primarily inhabit hot, humid forests, hiding under logs or rocks, in burrows, and prefer to live in fallen leaves, forest debris, riverbanks, and termite nests. They are gregarious and can often be found in areas of human activity. They typically prey on termites and other insects and arthropods, and occasionally on small vertebrates. The breeding season is around March and April, with a gestation period of approximately 6 to 9 months.
The emperor scorpion is the largest scorpion in the world. Because of its enormous size, it is bought as a pet by many people, and some organizations use it as a bodyguard.
