# Scorpion killed itself with his own poison. Possible?



## kelvintheiah (Apr 23, 2012)

is this possible? http://digfrenzy.com/video/234


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## Michiel (Apr 24, 2012)

No this is a fairy tale, urban legend.....


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## 8leggedloverlassie (Apr 24, 2012)

that was traumatizing D:


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## Keister (Apr 24, 2012)

If you watch there are bubbles around the rim of that countainer, leading me to believe they have some sort of poison or somthing in with it that cause this. Watch for the bubbles, they move and pop.


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## myrmecophile (Apr 24, 2012)

Vinegar and baking soda maybe, death by Co2 poisoning. But there is no doubt something that killed/incapacitated that scorpion other than it's own sting.


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## axle37 (Apr 24, 2012)

Keister said:


> If you watch there are bubbles around the rim of that countainer, leading me to believe they have some sort of poison or somthing in with it that cause this. Watch for the bubbles, they move and pop.


yeah saw that too. thats gotta be it. aren't scorps immune to their own toxins?


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## Yoxigan (Apr 24, 2012)

They are immune to it. They manufacture it themselves, they have to be immune to it.


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## 2nscorpx (Apr 24, 2012)

That was distasteful! The scorpion was poisoned and then was said to have killed itself by its own venom...I see no honor in that!

Scorpions are immune to their own venom, but I believe an envenomation directly in the "bloodstream" is fatal...I am not certain though.


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## Hornets inverts (Apr 24, 2012)

2nscorpx said:


> That was distasteful! The scorpion was poisoned and then was said to have killed itself by its own venom...I see no honor in that!
> 
> Scorpions are immune to their own venom, but I believe an envenomation directly in the "bloodstream" is fatal...I am not certain though.


I'm not sure about their own venom but venom from the same species is certainly fatal


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## 2nscorpx (Apr 24, 2012)

Hornets inverts said:


> I'm not sure about their own venom but venom from the same species is certainly fatal


Their own venom shouldn't harm them. I think that this could make an interesting discussion...


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## Keister (Apr 24, 2012)

I believe they are immune to their own venom even if they get a direct invenomation, but it would make sence if they aren't too since they have no need to be. Scorpions just don't go around stinging themselves for kicks and giggles.


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## Michiel (Apr 25, 2012)

Most scorpions are immune to their own venom (think about sexual stings in i.e. Euscorpius, Hadogenes, where the males often sting the females between the chela and the patella during mating), BUT:
- if injected directly into a nerve ganglium it can be fatal. If have seen this in Neochactas cf. granosus, where the females (3) without exception killed the males (3) by multiple stings during a couple of days. The males wiggled around a couple of days and then died.

Scorpions have no vains, so there is no bloodstream, like we have...

you can read this in several (popular) books.....A couple of years ago I commented on this and provided references------> search function

Reactions: Like 3


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## kelvintheiah (Apr 25, 2012)

i saw that too but the scorpions seems to sting his back when he wiggles on the video. lets just make this thread decent and informative. thanks guys.


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## Michiel (Apr 25, 2012)

You are misinterpreting what you are seeing. Only humans are troubled enough to harm themselves. Healthy animals will never harm themselves on purpose, they are set for survival 

Cheers, Michiel

Reactions: Like 1


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## The Snark (Apr 25, 2012)

Can we slow down for a few moments?

First and foremost, that video is reprehensible. Simply put, some of those viewing the death are enjoying the spectacle: necrophilia. 

Second, as pointed out, there is a chemical reaction going on that may have caused the animal discomfort or worse, and could have caused it's death.

Third, scorpion venom varies from species to species and is not fully understood. Blanket statements regarding it cannot apply to all species. Self envenomation resulting in death is certainly possible as scorpions carry two venoms; a neurotoxin and a channel blocker. Peptides blockers as a rule are non specific while the neurotoxins vary widely and only a few are prey specific.

All scorpion toxins are proteins which ordinarily break down in the digestive system thus presenting no hazard from self envenomation through ingestion. This applies to nearly all venomous animals as the reason they don't present a hazard to themselves from eating an envenomed victim.

We need to regard the facts and separate them from the sensationalism of the video.


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## Michiel (Apr 26, 2012)

Let's stick to the original question: can a scorpion kill itself by their own venom? No, because they don't sting themselves.......


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## The Snark (Apr 26, 2012)

Michiel said:


> Let's stick to the original question: can a scorpion kill itself by their own venom? No, because they don't sting themselves.......


Could you please post links to or quotes from actual laboratory tests that have proven a scorpion never stings itself? That would go a long way to clarifying and resolving this apparently millenniums old debate. I've searched and got nothing but great gobs of goo about this. IE, are they entirely incapable, usually incapable, cannot or won't under normal circumstances, can if unusual circumstances are in effect, can during mating rituals, etc etc etc.
PS Me and the AB search engine do not get along at all well.


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## Michiel (Apr 27, 2012)

Pfffff, are you always like this?  Theoretically anything is possible my friend...under normal circumstances a scorpion will not deliberatly sting itself to death....What function would serve that? It has never been reported in scientific magazines. But on the other hand, I can't prove it never happened, that's the so called confirmation paradox (all crows are considered black untill you find a white one)....something is not  a priori unpossible, just because there are no reports of an event in scientific magazines.  In sciences, not everthing is rockhard sure because of the questions we ask in research, influence the outcome......

another urban myth is that scorpions wwould sting themselves to death, committing suicide, when placed inside a ring of fire...same thing....Their are several books in which these things are told. The biology of scorpions has a section dedicated to scorpion folklore and myths and other popular books....don't have time to provide links


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