SCORPIONS!

Veteran science writer Pringle delivers another stinging success with this fascinating look at the similarities and differences among the many varied species of these much feared but mostly misunderstood arachnids.

Do you think scorpions will sting you and inject you with deadly venom? Not quite. Scorpions typically sting to subdue prey and protect themselves. Of 2,000 species, only about three dozen can kill a person. Only one species with a sting deadly to humans lives in the United States. The deadliest species are found in warm, tropical climates. Scorpions were on Earth before dinosaurs, and their appearance has changed little over hundreds of millions of years, though their size has. Habitats, size, coloring, mating, hunting, movement, molting, physiology and reproduction are among the many topics covered. Pringle convincingly shows readers that scorpions are fascinating creatures. The informative and engaging text is complemented by Henderson’s detailed, realistic watercolors, which reveal the great diversity among the many species of scorpions.

Budding arachnologists will find this an enlightening introduction.