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Animal profile

Deathstalker Scorpion

Leiurus quinquestriatus

ArachnidaArid and semi-arid desert and scrubland, sheltering under stones and in burrows

Field profile

The deathstalker is a small, pale yellow scorpion of North African and Middle Eastern deserts, rarely exceeding about ten centimetres. It has slender pincers and a thick tail, the classic build of a venom-reliant hunter. It is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous scorpions to humans.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2023-01-05

Deathstalker Scorpion

Deathstalker venom is being mined for medicine

The venom that makes this desert scorpion dangerous is a chemical library of small peptides. One of them, chlorotoxin, binds preferentially to certain tumour tissue and has been developed into an experimental imaging agent that makes tumour margins glow during surgery.

Read with evidence →

Deathstalker Scorpion | Daily Animal Facts