🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

The scorpion species Centruroides gracilis is known in Cuba as "alacran azul," or "blue scorpion" in English. Elsewhere, the blue scorpion is also known as the slender brown scorpion, the Florida bark scorpion or the brown bark scorpion.

In the U.S., many blue scorpions were introduced as pets. In natural habitats, blue scorpions dwell under bark and stones in forests set with plenty of refuge, like dead or fallen timber. They can also survive in temperate to hot locations that have an average temperature of about 30 degrees Celsius -- so long as the area isn't too humid.

The gestation period for this species varies from several months to over a year. Females give birth to 25-35 young. After birth, the young climb and attach to the mothers back where they remain until the first molt (about one week). After the first molt, they become independent of the mother, and molt 5-7 additional times before reaching maturity.

Pet owners often enjoy the fact that blue scorpions don't show signs of cannibalistic behavior. These scorpions can be kept together with other species of scorpions, so long as food and shelter are well provided.

This scorpion can inflict very a painful sting, but it is not considered as potent as some of its relatives. Some information indicates that individuals from North America are less venomous than their relatives from Central and South America.