第 0816 號，共 1 402 號

Deathstalker

Leiurus quinquestriatus

名字的由來： The scientific name Leiurus quinquestriatus roughly translates as "five-striped smooth-tail".1

致命地球上最致命的動物之一。如果牠螫了你，要立刻求救。快速救援和抗毒血清能救活大多數人。立刻打緊急電話。

蠍子

螫

對人的危險: 致命世界上最危險的動物之一。

The deathstalker is a yellow scorpion that lives in deserts and scrubland from North Africa across the Middle East to Central Asia. It is one of the most dangerous scorpions in the world, and its venom is being studied as a possible way to help treat brain tumours.1

分布在

North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, from Algeria and Mali east to Kazakhstan and western India1

非洲, 亞洲

首頁

It lives in desert and scrubland habitats, across the Sahara, the Arabian Desert, the Thar Desert and Central Asia.1

長度

3 cm 到 7,7 cm (1,2 in 到 3 in)1

最高速度

大約 1,7 km/h（1,1 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

Deathstalker 的照片 — Deathstalker。照片：unknown。 CC0, iNaturalist.

怎麼認出牠

It is yellow.1
It is 30 to 77 millimetres long, with an average of 58 millimetres (5.8 cm).1

常被誤認為： Other species in the genus Leiurus are also called deathstalkers. In 2014 the subspecies L. q. hebraeus was made its own species, Leiurus hebraeus.1

毒液力量

螫

毒液從螫針出來。

牠的毒液有什麼作用？

The venom is a powerful mixture of neurotoxins, which attack the nerves. Its named components include chlorotoxin, charybdotoxin, scyllatoxin and agitoxins. A sting is extraordinarily painful. There is also a high rate of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) after envenomation, and any sting carries a risk of anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction.1

牠對人有多危險？

對人的危險: 致命世界上最危險的動物之一。

The deathstalker is one of the most dangerous scorpion species. Its venom has a low lethal dose, but a sting normally would not kill a healthy adult. Young children, elderly people and those who are infirm, such as people with heart conditions or allergies, are at much greater risk. If a sting proves deadly, the usual cause of death is pulmonary edema, which is fluid build-up in the lungs.1

好消息：醫生有藥（抗毒血清）或治療方法。1

如果牠螫人

Envenomation is considered a medical emergency, even with treatment. Antivenom exists, but the venom is unusually resistant to treatment and typically needs large doses. Medical help should be sought urgently.1
用冰敷袋冰敷螫傷處，讓傷者保持不動。趕快就醫，特別是小朋友：有些蠍子對小孩是致命的。

一定要先打緊急電話（112、000、911）。這是一般急救指引，不是醫療建議。急救基本知識

注意安全

絕對不要碰、抓或捉弄野生動物，就算是很小的動物，就算牠看起來在睡覺或已經死了也一樣。
給牠空間。如果遇到了，保持冷靜，慢慢往後退，讓牠自己離開。
如果被牠螫了：保持冷靜，保持不動，打緊急電話（112、000、911）或趕快去醫院。記住牠的樣子，有照片會很有幫助。

牠不是想來抓你。牠用毒液來捕捉食物或保護自己，而且牠更想躲起來。更多安全知識

在世界上的哪裡？

非洲亞洲歐洲北美洲南美洲澳洲與大洋洲

牠有多大？

牠有多長？

跟 2,5 塊玩具積木排成一排一樣長可以在 210 秒內跑完 100 公尺（最快的人類需要 9.6 秒）

Deathstalker 跟「你」比起來有多大？

只是在你的瀏覽器裡做算術。什麼都不會儲存，也不會傳送到任何地方。

牠有多快？

一隻陸龜 大約 0,3 km/h (0,19 mph)

Deathstalker 大約 1,7 km/h (1,1 mph)

一個正在走路的人 大約 5 km/h (3,1 mph)

值得知道

小知識

Its venom contains chlorotoxin, a peptide that has shown potential for treating human brain tumours.1

In preclinical animal trials, the paint could highlight clusters of as few as 200 cancer cells, while the lower limit for standard MRI was above 500,000.1

In 2015, clinical trials began on chlorotoxin with a fluorescent molecule attached, used as a brain tumour "paint" to mark cancer cells during surgery.1

There is some evidence that other venom components may help regulate insulin and could be used to treat diabetes.1

破解迷思

迷思： A deathstalker sting always kills.

真相： A sting normally would not kill a healthy adult, but young children, the elderly and people with certain health conditions are at much greater risk.1