Venom secretions from snakes, scorpions, spiders and bees, have been widely applied in traditional medicine and current biopharmaceutical research. Possession of anticancer potential is another novel discovery for animal venoms and toxins. An increasing number of studies have shown the anticancer effects of venoms and toxins of snakes, and scorpions in vitro and in vivo, which were achieved mai...

BACKGROUND Scorpions' stings and their own mortalities place them among the most important health and medical problems. The dreadful features and especially their poisonous stings are considered a major cause of human stress and abhorrence/phobia. The current study aimed to study the scorpion fauna of Ilam Province, south western Iran in order to manage scorpionism related problems. METHODS I...

Abstract Predators that feed on dangerous prey species must evolve mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of injury or death during a predation attempt. Scorpions are prime examples items for insectivores, because they can inflict venomous and potentially fatal sting when attacked. Despite this risk, western banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus), generalist insectivore, occasionally preys dune scorpi...

Scorpions, at least the species of the family Buthidæ whose venoms are better known, appear as animals that have evolved very little over time. The composition of their venoms is relatively simple as most toxins have a common structural motif that is found in other venoms from primitive species. Moreover, all the scorpion venom toxins principally act on membrane ionic channels of excitable cell...

Arachnids including sand scorpions and spiders use their tactile sense organs, called basitarsal compound slit sensilla (BCSS), to detect their prey. The sense organs consisting of mechanoreceptors are located at or near joints in the cuticle, and they can sense a vibrational signal caused by prey movement. The nocturnal sand scorpion Paruroctonus mesaensis has a distinguished capability of fin...