Chinese scorpion (Mesobuthus martensii, Eng Wah Teo/ Alamy)
For protection, scorpions are born riding on the backs of their mothers. They cannot eat, excrete, or sting at this stage. Scientists have discovered that scorpions still retain venom which allows them to catch prey and defend their self-defense abilities once they shed their first exoskeleton.
This rapid development of venom helps explain scorpions' remarkable survival ability. Their ancient aquatic ancestors lived in the oceans over 400 million years ago and survived even mass extinctions.
