This issue: Tarantula vs. Scorpion
Tarantulas sling arrow-sharp hairs off their bellies. The barbed bristles pepper an attacker’s skin and eyes.
To eat, tarantulas stab their fangs into prey and then pump in venom to liquify the victim’s insides.
To subdue prey or defend themselves, scorpions whip their stinger-tipped tails over their bodies and inject venom.
Sensitive hairs on a scorpion’s pincers feel motion. If the spider zigs, the scorpion will feel when to zag.
Striped bark scorpions rarely grow larger than a grown-up’s thumb. Missouri tarantulas are often twice that big. The spider’s size could tip the odds in its favor.
Bonnie Chasteen
Les Fortenberry
Angie Daly Morfeld
Noppadol Paothong
Marci Porter
Mark Raithel
Laura Scheuler
Matt Seek
David Stonner
Stephanie Thurber
Cliff White