Field Guide Scorpions of South Africa

Title: Field Guide Scorpions of South Africa
Authors: Ian Engelbrecht
Publisher: Penguin Random House South Africa
Imprint: Struik Nature
Cape Town, South Africa 2023
ISBN 9781775845744 / ISBN 978-1-77-584574-4
Hardcover, dustjacket, 15 x 21 cm, 292 pages, throughout colour photographs, illustrations and distribution maps

About: Field Guide Scorpions of South Africa

This Field Guide Scorpions of South Africa has been written and organized to make the information accessible to people at all interest levels. For this reason, and to make comparing species easier, similar-looking species have been grouped together rather than arranged alphabetically. Informal 'species groups' are introduced in the larger genera to further aid comparison and identification. Scorpions have been around for 420 million years and are among the world's most remarkable living fossils. South Africa is home to an astonishing variety, with 108 species in three families spanning almost all of the country's biomes, from desert and grassland to fynbos, forest and savanna. Scorpions are even found in urban gardens.

Field Guide to Scorpions of South Africa is the first comprehensive guide to describe and illustrate all known species in the country. The clear, detailed species accounts cover appearance, habitat and behaviour, and discuss the variation within species according to region. Up-to-date distribution maps are included for all species and exceptional photographs, carefully worked to show astounding detail, bring to life the intricate patterning and colours of different species. Both males and females are presented, as well as a variety of colour forms, facilitating accurate identification in the field. An informative introduction covers anatomy, biology, behaviour and habitat, as well as venomosity and the treatment of stings.

Ian Engelbrecht is a leading expert on southern African scorpions and mygalomorph spiders and has travelled extensively to study these remarkable creatures. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the University of the Witwatersrand and a PhD in Zoology from the University of Pretoria. He has discovered many new species and has one spider species named after him.

Content: Field Guide Scorpions of South Africa

How to use this book
Introduction
South Africa's scorpions
Classification and taxonomy
What is a scorpion?
Anatomy
Biology and behaviour
Scorpion stings
Searching for scorpions
Photographing scorpions
Notes and citizen science
Species accounts
Buthidae
Hormuridae
Scorpionidae
Glossary of terms
Further reading
Acknowledgements
Index to scientific names
Index to common names