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What the sources say

Emperor ScorpionPandinus imperator

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Emperor Scorpion profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Pandinus imperator. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysone of the largest scorpions in the world
The source saysEmperor scorpions are one of the largest species of scorpions in the world
The page saysmeasuring an average of 20 centimeters long
The source saysmeasuring an average of 20 cm in lengthNote: Reviewer: Oregon Zoo's undated 'Length: 10 to 12 inches' (25-30 cm) dropped. The zoo page does not say what it measures, carries no date, and its status line ('Endangered per CITES Appendix II') is wrong, so it is not shown to be newer or more reliable than ADW (last updated 2011-06-19).
The page saysEmperor scorpions also tend to be heavier than other scorpions
The source saysThey also tend to be heavier than other scorpions
The page saysa pregnant female can weigh more than 28 grams
The source sayspregnant females can weigh more than 28 g
The page saysIn captivity they usually live 5 to 8 years
The source saysEmperor scorpions usually live 5 to 8 years in captivity.
The page saystheir lifespan in the wild is thought to be shorter
The source saysLifespan is likely shorter in the wild.
The page saysThey are native to West Africa
The source saysare native to west Africa
The page saysfound mainly in the forests of Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leone, Ghana and the Congo region
The source sayspredominantly found in forests of Nigeria, Togo, Sierra Leone, Ghana and the Congo region
The page saysThere they shelter under leaf litter, forest debris
The source saysprefer to live under leaf litter, forest debris, stream banks and also in mounds of termites, their main prey
The page saysin the mounds of termites, their main prey
The source saysalso in mounds of termites, their main prey
The page saysAdults do it differently.
The source saysAdults generally do not kill their prey using their stinger but rather tear apart prey using their powerful pincers.Note: 'huge' from ADW's 'two huge pedipalps (pincers)' and 'they generally use thier huge claws to kill prey'
The page saysThey typically eat insects and other arthropods
The source saysEmperor scorpions typically eat insects and other arthropods
The page saysoccasionally hunt down small vertebrates too
The source saysoccasionally hunt down small vertebrates
The page saystermites are a common meal
The source saysThey commonly eat termites
The page saysJuveniles depend on their stinger to kill prey.
The source saysJuveniles, however, depend on their stingers to kill prey.
The page saysThe emperor scorpion's venom is mild and mainly used for defense.
The source saysTheir venom is mild and mainly used for defensive purposes; they generally use thier huge claws to kill prey.
The page saysTo kill, an adult generally skips the stinger and tears its prey apart with its two huge pedipalps.
The source saysAdults generally do not kill their prey using their stinger but rather tear apart prey using their powerful pincers.Note: 'two huge pedipalps' from ADW's 'two huge pedipalps (pincers) in the front'
The page saysA sting is generally mild and not fatal, but a pinch from those pincers is known to be painful.
The source saysThe sting of emperor scorpions is generally mild and not fatal, but a pinch from their pedipalps is known to be painful.
The page saysWhen threatened, an emperor scorpion usually flees rather than fights, but corner one in a small space and it turns aggressive, dropping into a defensive posture with its stinger ready
The source saysWhen threatened, they usually flee rather than fight, but if cornered in a small space, they turn aggressive and go into a defensive posture with their stinger ready.
The page saysEmperor scorpions have been observed living in colonies of up to 15 individuals
The source saysEmperor scorpions are social animals and have been observed living in colonies of up to 15 individuals.
The page sayscannibalism has been observed in the species and is rare
The source saysCannibalism has been observed in this species, but it is rare.
The page saysCourtship is elaborate
The source saysEmperor scorpions conduct elaborate mating rituals.
The page saysusually the male grasps the female by her pincers and the pair go through behaviors that include stinging and cheliceral "kissing" before he deposits his sperm
The source saysUsually, the male grasps the female by pedipalps and engages in a myriad of behaviors including but not limited to sexual stinging and cheliceral "kissing" before depositing the sperm
The page saysAfterward, she may kill and eat him.
The source saysfemale emperor scorpions may kill and consume the male after mating has occurred
The page saysAfter a gestation that averages 9 months, she gives birth to 10 to 12 live young.
The source saysAfter a gestation period of on average 9 months, females give live birth to 10 to 12 young.
The page saysThe defenseless newborns ride on her back until they are old enough to be on their own
The source saysEmperor scorpions are born defenseless and rely heavily on their mother for food and protection. Newborns are carried on their mother's back until they are old enough to be on their own.
The page saysfemales are generally more aggressive after giving birth
The source saysFemales are generally more aggressive after giving birth.
The page saysEmperor scorpions reach sexual maturity by 4 years of age.
The source saysEmperor scorpions reach sexual maturity by 4 years of age.
The page saysEmperor scorpions have very poor eyesight, but their other senses are well developed: they detect their surroundings and prey with body hairs and with pectines
The source saysThe eyesight of emperor scorpions is very poor. Their other senses are well developed, with adaptations like the use of body hairs and pectines to detect the surrounding environment and prey.
The page sayspectines, sensory structures behind their legs
The source saysspecial sensory structures called pectines behind their limbs
The page saysits shiny black body gives off a fluorescent bluish-green glow, a trait shared with other scorpions
The source saysThe body of the emperor scorpion is shiny black in color ... Like other scorpions, emperor scorpions give off a fluorescent bluish green appearance under UV light.
The page saysIts venom is also studied: it is rich in interesting peptides.
The source saysThe venom of emperor scorpions is also studied, as it is abundant in interesting peptides.
The page saystears prey apart with its pincers and glows blue-green under ultraviolet light
The source saystear apart prey using their powerful pincers
The page saysHumid rainforest leaf litter
The source saysEmperor scorpions are typically found in hot and humid forests. They reside in burrows and prefer to live under leaf litter
The page saysTermites and other insects and arthropods, occasionally small vertebrates
The source saysEmperor scorpions typically eat insects and other arthropods and occasionally hunt down small vertebrates. They commonly eat termites.
The page saysHuge, powerful pincers generally used to tear prey apart instead of stinging it
The source saysAdults generally do not kill their prey using their stinger but rather tear apart prey using their powerful pincers.
The page saysa cuticle that fluoresces blue-green under ultraviolet light
The source saysgive off a fluorescent bluish green appearance under UV light
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysIUCN Red List Not EvaluatedNote: Confirmed against GBIF's copy of the Red List (api.gbif.org/v1/species/6894611/iucnRedListCategory, checked 2026-09-27): NOT_EVALUATED for Pandinus imperator. The API is a lookup, not cited as a source; ADW's own field is the citable text.
The page saysIts body is shiny black, but under ultraviolet light it gives off a fluorescent bluish-green glow, something it has in common with other scorpions.
The source saysThe body of the emperor scorpion is shiny black in color ... Like other scorpions, emperor scorpions give off a fluorescent bluish green appearance under UV light.
The page saysThe sting is generally mild and not fatal.
The source saysThe sting of emperor scorpions is generally mild and not fatal
The page saysa pinch from those huge pedipalps is known to be painful
The source saysa pinch from their pedipalps is known to be painfulNote: 'huge' from ADW's 'two huge pedipalps (pincers)'
The page saysFemales give live birth to 10 to 12 young, after carrying them for 9 months on average.
The source saysAfter a gestation period of on average 9 months, females give live birth to 10 to 12 young.
The page saysThe young are born defenseless and rely heavily on their mother for food and protection, and they travel on her back until they are old enough to be on their own.
The source saysEmperor scorpions are born defenseless and rely heavily on their mother for food and protection. Newborns are carried on their mother's back until they are old enough to be on their own.
The page saysas an adult, generally skips the stinger and tears its prey apart with its powerful pincers
The source saysAdults generally do not kill their prey using their stinger but rather tear apart prey using their powerful pincers.

Source
02

Oregon Zoo

Common emperor scorpion. Oregon Zoo.

The page saysIn captivity they usually live 5 to 8 years
The source saysLifespan: 5 to 8 years in captivityNote: Current zoo page, beside the 2011 ADW account.
The page sayslogs and rocks
The source saysEmperor scorpions rarely burrow, but instead hide under logs or rocks.Note: Reviewer: 'rarely burrow' dropped because ADW says they 'reside in burrows' and neither page is dated as the newer; only the shared shelters are kept.
The page saysThe West African rainforest heavyweight
The source saysEmperor scorpions live in the rainforests of West Africa.Note: 'heavyweight' per ADW 'tend to be heavier than other scorpions', claimed in the body
The page sayslogs, and termite mounds across West Africa
The source saysEmperor scorpions live in the rainforests of West Africa. ... Emperor scorpions rarely burrow, but instead hide under logs or rocks.

Source
03

Conde et al. 2000

Conde et al. (2000). Scorpine, an anti‐malaria and anti‐bacterial agent purified from scorpion venom. FEBS Letters.

The page saysScientists isolated one called scorpine from emperor scorpion venom, and it showed antibacterial activity and a potent inhibitory effect on two stages in the development of *Plasmodium berghei*, a malaria parasite.
The source saysA novel peptide, scorpine, was isolated from the venom of the scorpion Pandinus imperator, with anti-bacterial activity and a potent inhibitory effect on the ookinete (ED(50) 0.7 microM) and gamete (ED(50) 10 microM) stages of Plasmodium berghei development.Note: two stages = ookinete and gamete; 'malaria parasite' from the paper's title, 'an anti-malaria ... agent'

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.