The Breakdown
Known by many names, including the Palestine yellow scorpion, Omdurman scorpion, and Naqab desert scorpion, it’s usually referred to by its scientific name, Leiurus quinquestriatus, to avoid confusion.
Delivers an extremely painful sting that can cause paralysis
The sting from a Deathstalker Scorpion causes extreme pain and, in serious cases, paralysis. It’s especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions.
The fastest sting ever recorded from a scorpion
The sting strike of the Deathstalker Scorpion is the fastest ever recorded among scorpions studied by researchers, with its tail snapping at 130 cm per second (51 in/sec) — roughly 22 times its own body length every second. Scaled to a human, that’s like running about 135 km/h (84 mph), nearly 3 times faster than Usain Bolt’s top recorded sprint speed.
Its venom helps doctors see tumors during surgery
The venom from a Deathstalker Scorpion contains chlorotoxin, which binds selectively to cancer tumour cells while ignoring healthy tissue. This helps surgeons see the boundaries of brain tumours during surgery.
A gallon of its venom is worth about US$39 million
The Deathstalker Scorpion holds the Guinness World Record for “most venomous scorpion.” Its venom is also the most valuable liquid by volume on Earth (~US$39 million/gallon), and has medical properties that have been found effective in treating cancer, malaria, and bacteria such as tuberculosis.
A grain-of-rice-sized amount is enough to be lethal
The Deathstalker Scorpion’s venom carries an LD50 (lethal dose 50% – the amount that kills half of test subjects) of 0.25 mg/kg. Scaled to a 70 kg adult, a lethal dose would roughly be the weight of a grain of rice (~17.5 mg). Thankfully, a single sting from the scorpion usually delivers just 3.5% of that, which is why actual deaths in healthy adults tend to be rare.
Profile
COMMON NAME: Deathstalker Scorpion
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Leiurus quinquestriatus
HABITAT: Deserts and arid scrubland
COUNTRIES: Multiple countries across North Africa and the Middle East
SIZE: 3 to 7.7 cm
WEIGHT: 1 to 3 g
DIET: Insects, small invertebrates, and other smaller scorpions
LIFESPAN: Variable (Scorpions usually live ranging from 4 to 25 years)
