| Pulmonoscorpius | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biological information | |
| Time period : | Late Carboniferous |
| Lifestyle : | Carnivore |
| In the series | |
| Brought back : | One Female |
| Appearances : | "The Bug House" |
Pulmonoscorpius (name meaning "lung scorpion"), known in the series simply as a giant scorpion, is a genus of extinct giant scorpion that lived in Scotland during the Carboniferous period.
Portrayal in the series[]
Pulmonoscorpius was a large scorpion, and one of the largest arachnids to ever exist, measuring in at 75 centimeters (2.5 feet) long. It is portrayed as being primarily a solitary creature, living and hunting alone. Its exoskeleton is dark blackish-brown in colour with reddish-orange stripes, which allows it to blend in perfectly with the forest floor. However, like all modern scorpions, when it is placed under UV light, its exoskeleton will glow brightly.
Despite its fearsome appearance and potent venom, it is discovered that its venom is not a threat to humans. As mammals hadn't evolved by then, the venom doesn't affect their nervous systems. This comes as a lucky save for Nigel, after he is stung by the Pulmonoscorpius while putting it in a dog carrier.
In Prehistoric Park[]
"The Bug House"[]
Nigel wakes up after a storm and uses a special ultraviolet light to show the giant scorpion's exoskeleton. The scorpion then climbs onto crew member Bill, but Nigel grabs it by the stinger before it can sting him. However, it tries to attack him with its pincers, causing Nigel to drop it. The commotion wakes everyone up, and while the scorpion scurries away, Nigel informs Bill of the fact that a 3-foot scorpion was crawling on top of him.
Nigel looks for a Pulmonoscorpius. He finds a female nearly a meter long under a rotted-out fallen lycopsid log. She has thin claws, which worries Nigel, as small claws indicate more powerful venom. He gets her attention with a thin stick and works his hand behind her, successfully grabbing her telson just in front of her stinger. As he puts her in a dog carrier, he must release her telson, allowing her to sting the back of his right hand. Luckily, back at the park, Suzanne says it would not have an effect on him because he is a mammal, a class that had not evolved at the time Pulmonoscorpius was around. The scorpion is moved to her new home and is currently living in the bughouse without causing any further incidents.
Errors[]
- Pulmonoscorpius was extinct by the time the episode took place.
- Nigel states that this creature's ancestors were eurypterids. While it is true that the arachnids and the eurypterids are related, both belonging to the subphyla of the chelicerates, there is no direct link between the two classes and the eurypterids are more closely related to horseshoe crabs than to scorpions. In addition, unlike what the series implies, eurypterids still existed in the Carboniferous, with many species having adapted to live in the swamps and reaching similar sizes to their Silurian and Devonian relatives.
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