Hottentotta rugiscutis is a species of scorpion which is endemic to India.[1] [2]
Hottentotta rugiscutis measures 30–60 mm long. Males have twisted pedipalp fingers and wider manus. The chelicerae are yellow to green with a reticulate pattern. The color is consistently yellow to reddish brown with sparse body hair. Their pedipalps have 5 carinae on the femur, lacking carinae on the chela. The metasoma is densely granulated, with the first and second segments wider than long.
Hottentotta rugiscutis is endemic to India. From there it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Studies indicate that the venom of Hottentotta rugiscutis contains 0.79 mg/mg of protein. The LD50 value of its venom is approximately 4.2 mg/kg via the intraperitoneal route and 3.02 mg/kg via the subcutaneous route. Symptoms observed in animals injected with H. rugiscutis venom include agitation, hyper-excitability, sweating, paralysis, salivation, squeaking, hunched back movements, convulsions, weakness, and death.[3]