# Sting itself to death?



## Bearo (Jan 21, 2005)

Hi..
in a swedish forum we are talking about if scorpions really kill themself..

I have heard  that if you put a scorpion in a ring of fire it will sting itself in the neck because it knows that it will never come out of it alive...

is this true?
thanks


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## errit (Jan 21, 2005)

I also heard a guy in mexico say this, but i really think that it is a myth. The only animal that commits suicide on this planet is homo sapiens


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## Fince (Jan 21, 2005)

Bearo said:
			
		

> Hi..
> in a swedish forum we are talking about if scorpions really kill themself..
> 
> I have heard  that if you put a scorpion in a ring of fire it will sting itself in the neck because it knows that it will never come out of it alive...
> ...


It's a legend but not true


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## chulopiscinas (Jan 21, 2005)

i think it,s a legend also


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## Ythier (Jan 21, 2005)

with the heat some cuticle parts shrink, as tergites, and you can think the scorpion is stinging itself.


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## RaZeDaHeLL666 (Jan 21, 2005)

The scorpion probobly goes nuts and starts running around, making it seem as if it was stinging itself. That is a really stupid thing to say because its like saying.......if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL


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## Wade (Jan 21, 2005)

Ythier said:
			
		

> with the heat some cuticle parts shrink, as tergites, and you can think the scorpion is stinging itself.



Yes, the contortions the dying scorpion goes through makes it look like it's stinging itelf, but it's not deliberate.

You can actually see it happen in the film "The Wild Bunch" from director Sam Peckinpah (OK, that spelling off for sure). During the opening credits there's a sequence of children doing this to some live scorpions. Rough to watch if you like scorpions!

Wade


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## errit (Jan 21, 2005)

RaZeDaHeLL666 said:
			
		

> if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL


That would be more likely


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## Kugellager (Jan 21, 2005)

For some reason I keep thinking Johnny Cash.  LOL!

http://www.johnnycash.com/songclips/ringoffire.mov

John
];')


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## Longbord1 (Jan 21, 2005)

i also read that putting alchohol on a scorpion will make it sting itself.

this was in an isreali new paper


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## Kaos (Jan 21, 2005)

Kugellager said:
			
		

> For some reason I keep thinking Johnny Cash.  LOL!
> 
> http://www.johnnycash.com/songclips/ringoffire.mov
> 
> ...


LOL! Me to

That myth is really hard to kill.....


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## NoS (Jan 21, 2005)

errit said:
			
		

> The only animal that commits suicide on this planet is homo sapiens


Are you sure about that?
I am not disputing you, but I am almost positive that I have heard of other animals that can and will kill themselves. Maybe not for the same reasons that a human would kill themselves but you know.


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## fusion121 (Jan 21, 2005)

Hi I think the myth derives from the fact that, scorpions are ectotherms and so are particulary susceptable to extremes of temperature. When exposed to heat (such as a ring of fire) their body chemistry goes hay wire, resulting in muscle spams, these spasm make it look very much like the scorpion is stinging itself, hence the origin of the myth. If you'd like to see this effect simply up your vivarium thermostats to observe identical behaviour  .


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## G. Carnell (Jan 21, 2005)

NoS said:
			
		

> Are you sure about that?
> I am not disputing you, but I am almost positive that I have heard of other animals that can and will kill themselves. Maybe not for the same reasons that a human would kill themselves but you know.


Once my dad went on a Hunt when he was just a lad, they were chasing a huge stag for a while with a pack of 40 or so hounds, and when the stag was cornered on a cliff edge (small cliff!) overlooking a river, it threw itself into the river, rather than getting ripped to death by the dogs,
the stag died of course, 
but it really shows you how evil hunting is


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## skinheaddave (Jan 21, 2005)

RaZeDaHeLL666 said:
			
		

> That is a really stupid thing to say because its like saying.......if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL


Well, you've certainly  come a long way in a short time.

Cheers,
Dave


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## Ythier (Jan 21, 2005)

... :clap:


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## Kugellager (Jan 21, 2005)

:clap:  :worship:   :worship: :clap: 

John
];')


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## errit (Jan 21, 2005)

:}   

Well it would only be natural for only humans to commit suicide because we differentiate ourselves from animals, we can reflect on ourselves and others. conscience.
I don't recall hearing from animals killing themselves, if it would be true than this is probably due to a higher goal, like sacrificing them for their offspring.


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## Div1nE (Jan 21, 2005)

Bearo said:
			
		

> Hi..
> in a swedish forum we are talking about if scorpions really kill themself..
> 
> I have heard  that if you put a scorpion in a ring of fire it will sting itself in the neck because *it knows that it will never come out of it alive...*
> ...


1) i dont think scorpions have that kind of intelligence.

2) wouldnt mother nature give the scorps a natural ability to resist their own venom? 

example: snake's venom wouldnt do much good for snakes if they couldnt eat the prey because they'd die from their own venom.

get my drift?


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## errit (Jan 21, 2005)

Div1nE said:
			
		

> 1)
> 
> 
> example: snake's venom wouldnt do much good for snakes if they couldnt eat the prey because they'd die from their own venom.
> ...


You can drink snake venom and live, it is only deadly when injected, not when taken in orally.


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## SpaceHawk (Jan 21, 2005)

*Suicide by pigeon....*

There is a pigeon called a Roller that twists and rolls in the air when flying.  When they do this they fall a short distance and then regain.  Some pigeons seem to like it way to much and keep going until they hit the ground.  Some that are in my flock have done this.  Its pretty common with Rollers.  Its not funny,  but its hard not to laugh when you see a pigeon 100 feet up start to roll and not stop.  No one knows why they don't stop, except that it may give them a certain amount adreneline.  Weird huh?     They'll bounce 6 feet in the air after they hit if they are that high.


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## RaZeDaHeLL666 (Jan 21, 2005)

skinheaddave said:
			
		

> Well, you've certainly  come a long way in a short time.
> 
> Cheers,
> Dave


Okay, and the point was proven! Am I not suppost to learn from a mistake?


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## skinheaddave (Jan 21, 2005)

RaZeDaHeLL666 said:
			
		

> Okay, and the point was proven! Am I not suppost to learn from a mistake?


Yes, and you seem to be doing just that.  Learning is fun!

Cheers,
Dave


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## SurfinJB (Jan 22, 2005)

Spraying one with bug spray i've seen them appear to sting themselfs.


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## G. Carnell (Jan 22, 2005)

total idiot.. in the fullest sense of the word


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## NoS (Jan 22, 2005)

SpaceHawk said:
			
		

> There is a pigeon called a Roller that twists and rolls in the air when flying.  When they do this they fall a short distance and then regain.  Some pigeons seem to like it way to much and keep going until they hit the ground.  Some that are in my flock have done this.  Its pretty common with Rollers.  Its not funny,  but its hard not to laugh when you see a pigeon 100 feet up start to roll and not stop.  No one knows why they don't stop, except that it may give them a certain amount adreneline.  Weird huh?     They'll bounce 6 feet in the air after they hit if they are that high.



Clarice Starling, Are you a deep roller or a shallow roller?

lol


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## fusion121 (Jan 22, 2005)

skinheaddave said:
			
		

> Yes, and you seem to be doing just that.  Learning is fun!
> 
> Cheers,
> Dave


   That gets my vote as most patronising quote of the year.


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## Bearo (Jan 24, 2005)

oopps, sorry.. forgot that I started this thread   



			
				Div1nE said:
			
		

> 1) i dont think scorpions have that kind of intelligence.
> 
> 2) wouldnt mother nature give the scorps a natural ability to resist their own venom?
> 
> ...


I'm not saying that they are that intelegent, i'm repeating what I heard (someone thought that it would be a logical argument maby? and it seems that way to.. it would be so easy that way hehe )

So your saying that it has never happend that a venomous snake has bitten itself (or got bitten by another snake from the same species) and died? because it has happend many times you know...




			
				SpaceHawk said:
			
		

> There is a pigeon called a Roller that twists and rolls in the air when flying. When they do this they fall a short distance and then regain. Some pigeons seem to like it way to much and keep going until they hit the ground. Some that are in my flock have done this. Its pretty common with Rollers. Its not funny, but its hard not to laugh when you see a pigeon 100 feet up start to roll and not stop. No one knows why they don't stop, except that it may give them a certain amount adreneline. Weird huh?  They'll bounce 6 feet in the air after they hit if they are that high.


isnt it just that they loose track of how much they fall... who knows, they might be dumb hehe 


Thanks for all the replies btw


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