| Range: |
Southwestern United States |
| Habitat: |
Deserts |
| Conservation Status: |
Not listed by IUCN |
| Scientific Name: |
Hadrurus arizonensis |
When is a leg not a leg? This animal's two front claws are not arms or legs: they are part of its mouth! They're called pincers and the scorpion uses them to grab food. After it catches its prey -- usually insects or spiders -- the scorpion uses its pincers to crush or tear the unfortunate victim to pieces. The desert hairy scorpion also has a long tail with a venomous stinger. It uses this stinger for defense and to subdue struggling prey.
The scorpion's eight legs qualify it not as an insect, but as an arachnid, a cousin of the spider.
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