This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

A man stands on one side of a river, his dog on the other side.  The man calls his dog, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet and without using a bridge of a boat.  How did the dog do it?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Classified in the same class as spiders and ticks, scorpions are a member of the arachnid family.  

Here are some interesting facts about the scorpion:

• Size:  1.5-5 inches (4-13 cm)
• Color:  dark brown, pale orange, tan, black
• Habitat:  dark crevices under bark and stones
• Diet:  insects and other bugs (nocturnal hunter)

Scorpions resemble miniature lobsters with their long pincers.  Fed from venom glands, a poisonous stinger is found at the end of its long curved-up tail.  Multiple eyes are found at the center and sides of its cephalothorax (fused head and body).  Humans should avoid touching a scorpion as a bite will certainly cause pain and possible swelling.  Very few scorpions are deadly.  

The life cycle of a scorpion follows the female as she carries eggs inside of her.  Scorpions are born live, and the female will carry this brood on her back until they fully mature.

There are nearly 2,000 species of scorpions, and their lifespan runs from 4 to 25 years.  These champions of survival can live without food for up to a year, and they grow quite slowly until reaching maturity (up to five years with some).  

In various cultures, scorpions represent and symbolize different meanings.

• Ancient Egypt:  guardianship and control
• Native Americans:  danger and change
• Some African civilizations:  healing and rebirth
• Greek mythology:  transformation and rebirth

left:  mature female scorpion with brood on her back.  right:  tiny scorpion on a human finger.    (photographs courtesy of pinterest.)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

The river was frozen.