ABSTRACT

Scorpions can be referred to as living fossils because they have changed so little during the last 400 million years. Scorpions are venomous arthropods of the class Arachnida and are considered to be relatives of spiders, ticks, and mites. They are easily recognized by their characteristic shape. There are approximately 1500 species of scorpions worldwide, characterized by an elongated body and a segmented tail that is tipped with a venomous stinger. Scorpion stings are a major public health problem in many underdeveloped tropical countries.