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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing pseudoscorpions. Pseudoscorpions are also known as false scorpions or book scorpions. The "scorpion" part of their name comes from their similar appearance to these large arthropods, but there's one key difference: pseudoscorpions do not have a stinger. In fact, they have a round rump! Like scorpions, pseudoscorpions have pincers, but they have some distinct size differences. While scorpions can reach more than half a foot (15cm) in length, pseudoscorpions max or at under half an inch (1.2cm) long as adults. They're tiny!

Though their name may sound scary, these arachnids are not dangerous to humans. Like spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks, pseudoscorpions are arachnids. They have eight legs compared to an insect's six legs and their bodies are separated into two segments: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. They superficially look like scorpions with their long claws, but, unlike some scorpions, pseudoscorpions pose no threat to humans. They have no stinger to sting us with and they can't bite us. If they are able to get a pinch with their claws, even this is unharmful. At least to people! When they pinch their prey, they pack more of a punch.

Pseudoscorpions hunt by seeking out their prey or by waiting for prey to pass them by. They have sensory hairs in their pincers that prompt the pseudoscorpion to snap them closed when triggered. These arachnids produce venom from their claws and release it when they grab hold of prey. Then, like spiders, they use saliva to dissolve their meal before slurping it up. But even this is beneficial to humans. Pseudoscorpions eat many pest insects like moths, caterpillars, bedbugs, flies, ants, beetles, beetle larvae, and more! They are able to enter our homes, but they often go unnoticed due to their size. Outside of human dwellings, thousands of pseudoscorpion species can be found throughout the world. They're most populous in tropical regions. They live in leaf litter, moss, rock piles, tree bark, and even bird's nests where they eat bird lice.

When it comes to mating, male pseudoscorpions make breeding circles where they dance to attract females. An interested female enters, the pair lock claws, and they dance with each other. Eventually, the male will deposit a spermatophore and guide the female over to pick it up and fertilize her eggs. The whole process can take up to an hour! Female pseudoscorpions carry their 20 to 40 eggs on their abdomen and the babies are carried on her back after they hatch - like a wolf spider! A few days later, they'll drop off and be on their own. They molt three times before becoming adults, a process that can take up to two years depending on temperature. As adults, pseudoscorpions can live two to three more years if they can avoid threats. Predators to pseudoscorpions likely include other arachnids like spiders as well as predatory insects.

For more facts on pseudoscorpions, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! Thank you to these viewers for today’s request! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!