Just heard the oft repeated warning that…
“Scorpions will sting themselves to death.”
Did a quick Google on it, did a search here and at Snopes, but I’ve not found anything satisfying. There’s one reference that it can occur but that it isn’t common and doesn’t happen in the wild.
Anyone have the Straight Dope?
Well, there’s this from an Urban Legends site:
"The story that scorpions commit suicide by stinging themselves, when surrounded by a ring of fire, is based on misinterpretation of their behaviour and has long since been disproved. However, the generallly accepted idea that all animals are immune to their own poison is not quite correct. Scorpions possess a certain degree of immunity. … Scorpions are very sensitive to heat and die easily when exposed to the rays of the sun in a closed container. What happens when a scorpion is subjected to heat is simply this: first it tries to escape and failing in this, begins to strike frantically with its tail as if in an attempt to sting. Finally it becomes insensitive, overcome by heat, and dies unless removed and allowed to recuperate… "
In what film was reference made to this? I want to say Lawrence of Arabia , but I’m not sure.