Gigantometrus swammerdami explained

Gigantometrus swammerdami, commonly called the giant forest scorpion, is a scorpion belonging to the family Scorpionidae. It is native to India^[1] and is the world's largest scorpion species at 23 cm (9 inch) in length,^[2] and weighs 56g.

Description

Their bodies have colors ranging from uniform reddish brown to reddish black. Juveniles are typically reddish with a yellow telson. They have 16 to 20 pectinal teeth. Its chela is strongly lobiform. Its manus is completely covered by large rounded granulae, but lacks true carinae. Its pedipalp patella lacks a pronounced internal tubercle. Its carapace has a smooth disc in which the margins and posterior portion are granulate. Telson bulbous, and the vesicle longer than aculeus.^[3]

The neurosecretions of the species are largely identified.^{[4] [5] [6] [7]}

Ecology

Its venom is not usually lethal to humans because it has arguably evolved to kill its prey by crushing it with its pincers and not by venom. This giant forest scorpion has often been seen around tropical rainforests and other types of moderately warm climates.

Specimens are collected from inside degraded or semi-degraded termite mounds, tree holes and abandoned rat or crab holes in the bunds of agricultural fields. Males are usually active during the summer season from April to July. Solitary individuals come out of their dens during that period.^[8]

Notes and References

1. Lorenzo . Prendini . Systematic revision of the Asian forest scorpions (Heterometrinae Simon, 1879), revised suprageneric classification of Scorpionidae Latreille, 1802, and revalidation of Rugodentidae Bastawade et al., 2005 . Loria . Stephanie . 2020 . Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History . 442 . 1–480 . 10.1206/0003-0090.442.1.1 . 0003-0090 . 1200233533 . 1. 222348199 .
2. Book: Manny Rubio . 2000 . Scorpions: Everything About Purchase, Care, Feeding, and Housing . . 978-0-7641-1224-9 . Commonly Available Scorpions . 26–27 . https://www.amazon.com/Scorpions-Everything-Purchase-Feeding-Complete/dp/B00E404CAQ/ . The Guinness Book of Records claims [...] Heterometrus swammerdami, to be the largest scorpion in the world [9 inches (23 cm)]. . registration .
3. Charles University . Kovařík . František . Lowe . Graeme . Monell Chemical Senses Center . Ranawana . Kithsiri B. . University of Peradeniya . Hoferek . David . Jayarathne . V. A. Sanjeewa . University of Peradeniya . 2016 . Scorpions of Sri Lanka (Scorpiones: Buthidae, Chaerilidae, Scorpionidae) with description of four new species of the genera Charmus Karsch, 1879 and Reddyanus Vachon, 1972, stat. n . 2021-08-29 . Euscorpius . 2016 . 220 . 1–133 . 10.18590/euscorpius.2016.vol2016.iss220.1. free .
4. Habibulla . Mohammad . 1970 . Neurosecretion in the scorpion Heterometrus swammerdami . 2021-08-31 . Journal of Morphology . 131 . 1 . 1–15 . en . 10.1002/jmor.1051310102. 4192902 . 39533502 .
5. 1971-10-01 . Neurosecretion in the brain of a scorpion Heterometrus swammerdami—a histochemical study . 2021-08-31 . General and Comparative Endocrinology . 253–255 . en . 10.1016/0016-6480(71)90133-X. Habibulla . Mohammad . 17 . 2 . 4328747 .
6. HABIBULLA . MOHAMMAD . 1961-12-01 . Secretory Structures associated with the Neurosecretory System of the Immature Scorpion, Heterometrus swammerdami . 2021-08-31 . Journal of Cell Science . 60 . 475–479 . 10.1242/jcs.s3-102.60.475.
7. Rao . Kandula Pampapathi . Habibulla . Mohammad . 1973-04-01 . Correlation between neurosecretion and some physiological functions of the scorpionHeterometrus swammerdami . 2021-08-31 . Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences . 77 . 4 . 148–155 . en . 10.1007/BF03045590. 82308398 .
8. Mating behavior and structural aspects of spermatophore of two Indian scorpion species of the genus Heterometrus(Scorpiones: Scorpionidae) . 2021-08-31 . Rec. Zool. Surv. India . 120 . 4 . 455–460 . 2020.