About Heterometrus spinifer (Ehrenberg, 1828)
Heterometrus spinifer can reach a total length of 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 inches). Its body is shiny black with gray-green iridescent reflections, and it has highly developed pincers. In captivity, this species feeds primarily on insects, mainly cockroaches, crickets, and locusts. A sting from H. spinifer causes severe pain and mild numbness in the affected area, but its venom is not typically lethal to humans. The venom of this species is known to contain the toxin spinoxin. These scorpions are generally skittish and defensive, and they rely more on their large pedipalps (pincers) to attack than their stinging tails. This species is distributed across Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, and other neighboring Southeast Asian countries. These terrestrial scorpions inhabit moist forests, where they occupy dark undergrowth beneath logs or other debris. They burrow into the ground and remain hidden in their burrows during the day.
