Parabuthus transvaalicus
{{Short description|Species of scorpion}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Parabuthus transvaalicus.jpg
| image_caption = Parabuthus transvaalicus, sub-adult female
| genus = Parabuthus
| species = transvaalicus
| authority = Purcell, 1899
| range_map = Parabuthus distribution.png
| range_map_caption =
}}
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/arachnids/scorpions/buthidae/parabuthus_transvaalicus.htm |author=Norman Larsen |title=Parabuthus transvaalicus (Transvaal thick-tailed scorpion) |accessdate=October 4, 2012 |publisher=Biodiversity Explorer}}
Description
Parabuthus transvaalicus grows to a length of {{convert|90|-|110|mm}}, and is dark brown or black in colour, so it is also known as the Black Thick-Tailed scorpion.{{cite book |author=Vincent Carruthers |year=2005 |title=The Wildlife of Southern Africa: a Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region |publisher=Struik |isbn=978-1-86872-451-2 |chapter=Spiders and other arachnids |pages=14–27 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QygFIjP9jYUC&pg=PT40}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.ntnu.no/ub/scorpion-files/p_transvaalicus.php |title=Parabuthus transvaalicus (Purcell, 1899) |work=The Scorpion Files |author=Jan Ove Rein |year=2010 |accessdate=November 2, 2010 |publisher=Norges Teknisk-Naturvitenskapelige Universitet}}
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".{{cite journal |author1=Bora Inceoglu |author2=Jozsef Lango |author3=Jie Jing |author4=Lili Chen |author5=Fuat Doymaz |author6=Isaac N. Pessah |author7=Bruce D. Hammock |year=2003 |title=One scorpion, two venoms: prevenom of Parabuthus transvaalicus acts as an alternative type of venom with distinct mechanism of action |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |volume=100 |issue=3 |pages=922–927 |doi=10.1073/pnas.242735499 |pmid=12552107 |bibcode=2003PNAS..100..922I |pmc=298702|doi-access=free }} A further potassium channel inhibitor, parabutoxin, has been isolated from the venom of P. transvaalicus.{{cite journal|last=Huys, I|author2=Olamendi-Portugal, T |author3=Garci-Goméz, BI |author4= Vandenberghe, I |title=A subfamily of acidic alpha-K(+) toxins|journal=J Biol Chem|year=2004|volume=279|issue=4|pages=2781–9|doi=10.1074/jbc.M311029200|pmid=14561751|doi-access=free}}
References
{{Reflist|32em}}
External links
- {{Wikispecies-inline|Parabuthus transvaalicus|Parabuthus transvaalicus}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q139192}}