Emperor scorpion  (Pandinus imperator)

The emperor scorpion engages in an elaborate courtship dance in which the male holds on to the female's pinchers and moves around to find a suitable place on the ground to deposit his spermatophore. Once deposited, he manoeuvres the female over the area so she can receive the sperm (4). The female gives birth to between 9 and 32 live young after a seven to nine month gestation period, and they remain with her for some time. This semi-social behaviour is unusual in scorpions, although the mother is sometimes cannibalistic, eating her own young. The young are white when born, but darken with each moult, reaching sexual maturity at four months (3).

The emperor scorpion feeds on insects, arachnids, mice and small lizards, hunting them at night using its sensory hairs (4). It has poor eyesight and is preyed upon by bats, birds, small mammals, large spiders, centipedes and large lizards (4). The adult uses its pinchers to catch prey and will only use the sting in self-defence (5).