Sting itself to death?

[Bearo]

Hi..
in a swedish forum we are talking about if scorpions really kill themself..

I have heard that if you put a scorpion in a ring of fire it will sting itself in the neck because it knows that it will never come out of it alive...

is this true?
thanks

[errit]

I also heard a guy in mexico say this, but i really think that it is a myth. The only animal that commits suicide on this planet is homo sapiens

[Fince]

Hi..
in a swedish forum we are talking about if scorpions really kill themself..

I have heard that if you put a scorpion in a ring of fire it will sting itself in the neck because it knows that it will never come out of it alive...

is this true?
thanks

It's a legend but not true

[chulopiscinas]

i think it,s a legend also

[Ythier]

with the heat some cuticle parts shrink, as tergites, and you can think the scorpion is stinging itself.

[RaZeDaHeLL666]

The scorpion probobly goes nuts and starts running around, making it seem as if it was stinging itself. That is a really stupid thing to say because its like saying.......if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL

[Wade]

with the heat some cuticle parts shrink, as tergites, and you can think the scorpion is stinging itself.

Yes, the contortions the dying scorpion goes through makes it look like it's stinging itelf, but it's not deliberate.

You can actually see it happen in the film "The Wild Bunch" from director Sam Peckinpah (OK, that spelling off for sure). During the opening credits there's a sequence of children doing this to some live scorpions. Rough to watch if you like scorpions!

Wade

[errit]

if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL

That would be more likely

[Kugellager]

For some reason I keep thinking Johnny Cash. LOL!

http://www.johnnycash.com/songclips/ringoffire.mov

John
];')

[Longbord1]

i also read that putting alchohol on a scorpion will make it sting itself.

this was in an isreali new paper

[Kaos]

For some reason I keep thinking Johnny Cash. LOL!

http://www.johnnycash.com/songclips/ringoffire.mov

John
];')

LOL! Me to

That myth is really hard to kill.....

[NoS]

The only animal that commits suicide on this planet is homo sapiens

Are you sure about that?
I am not disputing you, but I am almost positive that I have heard of other animals that can and will kill themselves. Maybe not for the same reasons that a human would kill themselves but you know.

[fusion121]

Hi I think the myth derives from the fact that, scorpions are ectotherms and so are particulary susceptable to extremes of temperature. When exposed to heat (such as a ring of fire) their body chemistry goes hay wire, resulting in muscle spams, these spasm make it look very much like the scorpion is stinging itself, hence the origin of the myth. If you'd like to see this effect simply up your vivarium thermostats to observe identical behaviour .

[G. Carnell]

Are you sure about that?
I am not disputing you, but I am almost positive that I have heard of other animals that can and will kill themselves. Maybe not for the same reasons that a human would kill themselves but you know.

Once my dad went on a Hunt when he was just a lad, they were chasing a huge stag for a while with a pack of 40 or so hounds, and when the stag was cornered on a cliff edge (small cliff!) overlooking a river, it threw itself into the river, rather than getting ripped to death by the dogs,
the stag died of course,
but it really shows you how evil hunting is

[skinheaddave]

That is a really stupid thing to say because its like saying.......if you put a human in a ring of fire, he will punch himself to death. LOL

Well, you've certainly come a long way in a short time.

Cheers,
Dave