Poisonous substance some animals use to kill prey or defend themselves. Images in this article are linked to more information. Scorpions have been around for a long time. They have changed very little in 350 million years. Scientists have identified more than 1,500 different species of scorpions and there may be as many as 1,000 more species undiscovered.
Scorpions live on every continent except Antarctica and are found in almost every kind of habitat.
Most scorpions live in deserts. Some live in rain forests. Others live in grassy prairies, and still others live only beneath the bark of palm trees. About 70-75 types of scorpions live in the United States. Most of these are found in the desert Southwest.