| Parabuthus transvaalicus | |
|---|---|
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| Parabuthus transvaalicus, sub-adult female | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Chelicerata |
| Class: | Arachnida |
| Order: | Scorpiones |
| Family: | Buthidae |
| Genus: | Parabuthus |
| Species: | P. transvaalicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Parabuthus transvaalicus Purcell, 1899 | |
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Parabuthus transvaalicus (known as the Transvaalicus thick-tailed scorpion, South African thick tail, or giant deathstalker) is a species of venomous scorpion from semi-arid parts of southern Africa.
Description
Parabuthus transvaalicus grows to a length of 90–110 millimetres (3.5–4.3 in), and is dark brown or black in colour, so it is also known as the Black Thick-Tailed scorpion. Its pincers are thin, but its tail is thickened, with the sting segment being as wide as the rest of the tail. It is nocturnal, resting in a shallow burrow under rocks during the day. It resembles its congener P. villosus, which is less strictly nocturnal, hairier and has a more westerly distribution.
Distribution
Parabuthus transvaalicus is found in deserts, scrublands and semi-arid regions of Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, some parts of the Namib Desert and South Africa.
Sting
Parabuthus transvaalicus is a dangerous, medically significant scorpion, which can both sting and spray its kurtoxin venom. The first droplet of venom differs from the rest, and is referred to as "pre-venom". A further potassium channel inhibitor, parabutoxin, has been isolated from the venom of P. transvaalicus.
References
- Norman Larsen. "Parabuthus transvaalicus (Transvaal thick-tailed scorpion)". Biodiversity Explorer. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
- ^ Vincent Carruthers (2005). "Spiders and other arachnids". The Wildlife of Southern Africa: a Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region. Struik. pp. 14–27. ISBN 978-1-86872-451-2.
- Jan Ove Rein (2010). "Parabuthus transvaalicus (Purcell, 1899)". The Scorpion Files. Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
- Bora Inceoglu; Jozsef Lango; Jie Jing; Lili Chen; Fuat Doymaz; Isaac N. Pessah; Bruce D. Hammock (2003). "One scorpion, two venoms: prevenom of Parabuthus transvaalicus acts as an alternative type of venom with distinct mechanism of action". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 100 (3): 922–927. Bibcode:2003PNAS..100..922I. doi:10.1073/pnas.242735499. PMC 298702. PMID 12552107.
- Huys, I; Olamendi-Portugal, T; Garci-Goméz, BI; Vandenberghe, I (2004). "A subfamily of acidic alpha-K(+) toxins". J Biol Chem. 279 (4): 2781–9. doi:10.1074/jbc.M311029200. PMID 14561751.
External links
Data related to Parabuthus transvaalicus at Wikispecies
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Parabuthus transvaalicus | |