Caught on Camera: Inside the Intricate 'Promenade À Deux' Scorpion Dance

An insightful review of Caught on Camera: Inside the Intricate 'Promenade À Deux' Scorpion Dance—check out the essential highlights.

Once joined, the pair moves across the terrain in backward and forward steps that can last anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours. The male leads the promenade à deux, looking for a smooth, firm patch of stone or hard-packed clay. Loose sand or crumbling gravel will ruin the next stage of reproduction.

During the walk, the male often pulls the female flush against his face. Arachnologists refer to this behavior as the chelicerae kiss. The two animals interlock their jaws, an intimate contact that holds the female's attention and reduces her defensive agitation. At intervals, the male may also arch his tail and deliberately poke the female’s joint membranes with his telson. This venomous sting behavior is not an attempt to kill her; researchers observe that small doses of specialized sedating venom pacify the larger female, dampening her predatory reflexes during the vulnerable stages of pairing.

Throughout the march, the male continually sweeps his pectines along the ground. He evaluates thermal conditions, moisture levels, and surface texture. He cannot finish the exchange until he discovers an immaculate substrate anchor.