第 0844 號，共 1 402 號

Indian red scorpion

Hottentotta tamulus

名字的由來： The species name tamulus is thought to come from the Tamil people of southeastern India, where the scorpion occurs.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

螫吃：肉

對人的危險: 致命世界上最危險的動物之一。

The Indian red scorpion is a small, venomous scorpion found across most of India, eastern Pakistan, the eastern lowlands of Nepal and, more recently, Sri Lanka. It often lives close to people, so its sting is a serious concern in busy rural areas, especially for children.1

分布在

Most of India, eastern Pakistan, the eastern lowlands of Nepal, and recently recorded in Sri Lanka1

亞洲

首頁

It lives in vegetated lowlands with a humid subtropical to tropical climate, and often lives close to or inside human homes, especially in rural areas. It is found in scrubland, cropland, mango orchards, Eucalyptus plantations and under tree bark. People mostly meet it at night or in the early morning, when it crawls into beds or falls from ceilings.1

長度

5 cm 到 9 cm (2 in 到 3,5 in)1

最高速度

大約 1,6 km/h（0,99 mph）

在陸地上, 粗略估計

牠吃什麼？

It is nocturnal and hunts small invertebrates, and sometimes small vertebrates such as lizards.1

Indian red scorpion 的照片 — Indian red scorpion。照片：Shantanu Kuveskar。 CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

怎麼認出牠

Its walking legs and the tips of its pincers are bright orange-yellow to light reddish-brown.1
Its body is about 5 to 9 cm long (50 to 90 mm).1
It has three distinct ridges (carinae) on the top of its body segments.1
It has rather small pincers, a moderately thick tail and a rounded tail tip with a large stinger.1
In males, the base of the pincers is slightly more swollen than in females.1

常被誤認為： Under tree bark, its close relative Hottentotta pachyurus is far more common, making up about 91% of scorpions found there in one study in Pune, western India. Scorpions found under bark in that area are therefore more likely to be that species.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 complex mixture of proteins, including a toxin called tamapin. It mainly affects the heart and lungs, causing symptoms such as severe local pain, vomiting, sweating, unconsciousness, muscle convulsions, breathlessness, abnormal heart rhythms, shock and pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs), which may cause death.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。

It is of great medical significance in densely populated areas of India and Nepal and occasionally causes human deaths. Clinical studies report fatality rates of 8 to 40%, and most victims are children. In Sri Lanka, 12 children in Jaffna died from its stings in 2011, and 80 patients were recorded in 2012.1

好消息：醫生有藥（抗毒血清）或治療方法。1

如果牠螫人

Antivenin is the specific treatment, combined with supportive care such as vasodilators for heart effects and benzodiazepines for muscle effects. Scorpion antivenom has shown little effect in clinical treatment, while the drug prazosin, which lowers raised blood pressure, is usually recommended and reduces the mortality rate to less than 4%. Get to a hospital fast.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