Burrow builder
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Burrow entrance
The entrance to a burrow dug by a scorpion, Scorpio palmatus, in the Negev desert in Israel.
Dwelling deep
A closer view of a burrow entrance, dug by the S. palmatus scorpion. An international team of researchers investigated how scorpions design their burrows to provide refuge from the desert heat.
Burrow cast before digging
To cast scorpion burrows, the researchers heated aluminum to more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (649 degrees Celsius), poured it down the burrow entrance (after first catching the scorpion), and allowed it to solidify for about 20 minutes.
Casting setup
The kiln setup that the researchers used in the field to heat aluminum to more than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit (649 degrees Celsius) so it could be used to cast scorpion burrows.
Digging burrow cast
The researchers dig out a metal cast of a burrow made by a scorpion, Scorpio palmatus, in the Negev desert in Israel.
S. palmatus 3D burrow
A 3D scan of a cast of a burrow dug by a scorpion, Scorpio palmatus, in Israel.
O. wahlbergii 3D burrow
A 3D scan of a cast of a burrow dug by a scorpion, Opistophthalmus wahlbergii, from the sand dunes of the Kalahari desert in Namibia.
S. palmatus resin cast
A resin cast of a Scorpio palmatus burrow and the scorpion located in the terminal chamber.
S. palmatus UV
A scorpion, Scorpio palmatus, under ultraviolet light.
Read the full story on these tiny architects and their underground lairs
