Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered that many scorpion species strengthen their claws and stingers using blends of iron, zinc, and manganese. The metals concentrate in the tips and cutting edges, making these weapons tougher, similar to a steel-capped boot. The findings come from examining 18 species worldwide.
Sam Campbell and his colleagues at the University of Queensland analyzed claws and stingers from 18 scorpion species using X-ray techniques and electron microscopy. They mapped the presence of iron, zinc, and manganese, along with traces of copper, nickel, silicon, chlorine, titanium, and bromine. These metals appear mainly in the stinger tips, claw cutting edges, mouthparts, teeth, and tarsal claws, while the rest of the exoskeleton remains softer by comparison, Campbell explained. The metal-reinforced areas resemble a steel-toe-capped boot, he said. Scorpions fluoresce green or blue under ultraviolet light, but these metal-enriched parts do not glow, the team observed. Different species allocate metals variably based on behavior. Species with high zinc in claws had low levels in stingers, and vice versa, suggesting adaptations for specific uses, Campbell noted. It remains unclear how scorpions acquire the metals, though prey is the likely source. Aaron LeBlanc at King’s College London called the metal enrichment more common than previously thought, especially in vertebrate teeth. He described the study as pioneering for understanding its evolution across lineages. The research appears in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
