Scorpion

scorpion, (order Scorpiones or Scorpionida), any of approximately 1,500 elongated arachnid species characterized by a segmented curved tail tipped with a venomous stinger at the rear of the body and a pair of grasping pincers at the front. Although scorpions are most common and diverse in deserts, they also live in many other habitats. Primarily nocturnal, scorpions often play the role of evildoers in fables and legends. Greek respect for scorpions prompted the naming of the constellation Scorpius, a sign of the zodiac.