Centruroides noxius

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Centruroides noxius is a venomous scorpion native to Mexico. It is considered one of the most dangerous scorpions in Latin America.

Description
- Size: about 3.5 to 5 cm long.
- Color: the body is dark (usually black or brown) and the legs and pedipalps are lighter; color patterns vary and there is no fixed pattern.
- Behavior: mostly active at night; often hides in leaf litter, debris, or bark; lives on land but can climb rough surfaces.

Distribution and habitat
- Native to Mexico, especially in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, and Sinaloa.
- Also reported in Chile, though how it arrived there is unclear.
- Habitats are dry and arid with sandy or rocky soil; sometimes found near human dwellings. Elevation ranges from near sea level up to about 500 meters.

Reproduction
- Mating lasts around 10 minutes; the male uses its pincers to hold the female during mating.
- Reaches sexual maturity at about 8–11 months.
- Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with young developing inside the mother for about 4–5 months.
- Litters typically include 30–60 pups; they become independent after about 2–3 weeks. In some cases, the mother may eat some young.

Diet
- Feeds on small invertebrates such as crickets, spiders, and beetles.
- Juveniles eat tiny prey like micro-crickets and small flies.

Venom
- One of the most venomous scorpions in Mexico and Latin America.
- Its venom contains neurotoxins that disrupt nerve signals by affecting sodium and potassium channels, which can threaten breathing and heart function.
- The median lethal dose in mice is roughly 5 micrograms for a 20-gram mouse.

Notable toxins
- Noxiustoxin: targets voltage-gated calcium channels and calcium-activated potassium channels.
- Cn2 toxin: targets the mammalian voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.6.

Taxonomy (brief)
- Binomial name: Centruroides noxius. Described in 1863.