Scorpions

0:00Miss Miao Miao and I want to give a super duper shout out to our newest Patreon member, Caroline from Madison, Wisconsin. Oh, what's this Miss Miao Miao? You have an incoming message. Let's see who it could be. I don't keep pickles and miss Miao Miao. I'm Henry. Yeah, what could you do an episode of Scorpions? Because I really like their outfits. You're right. Scorpions are a well-serific request. Thanks so much to Henry from Colorado Springs, Colorado, for suggesting this episode's cosy critter.

1:01Now, on with the show. Hey, howdy and hippopotamus high fives my sleepy friend. It's your old pal, Dougie Pickles. And I'm here with my sidekick, the sleepiest cat in all the land, Miss Miao Miao. Tonight, we're gliding through the warm, wispy winds of the desert. We're the moon glows like a silver coin. And the sand holds secrets beneath every grain. Hidden among the rocks and cactus shadows. We're about to meet a critter with pinchers, a stinger, and a glow in the dark surprise,

2:07the spectacular scorpion. I'd love to hear a joke, Miss Miao Miao. What do you call a sleepy scorpion? A snorpion. I hope your joke book will be finished soon, Miss Miao Miao. Let's get our magical traveling balloon ready. I need your help blowing it up. So, take in a deep breath through your nose. And exhale through your mouth. Great job. Just one more time, my sleepy friend. Take in a deep breath through your nose. And then exhale through your mouth.

3:11You did it. Now our magic balloon is all blown up. Tonight our balloon is sandy gold with glowing green swirls. Just like a scorpion under a black light. My sleepy friend, are you ready to meet a scorpion? Let's get in the magical hot air balloon basket. Here we go. First, you rise high above your bedroom. Then higher and even higher until your house looks cozy and small below us. We float over quiet towns and open land.

4:11A great horned owl glides beside us, wings flapping as quietly as a whisper, before it drifts off into the dark. Oh look, we're here. Can you guess where we are? Let's use our noses and see what we can smell. Take in a deep breath through your nose. And exhale through your mouth. It smells like dry sand, warm rocks, and a tiny bit like cinnamon. That's the desert air all around us.

5:11We're floating over the Kalahari desert, a wide sandy stretch in southern Africa. It's quiet out here, but not empty because tonight we're going to meet one of the most mysterious. Moon-loving critters in the whole desert. Oh wow, look at Miss Meow Meow just spotted. There, moving across the sand, eight tiny legs, carefully stepping one at a time. It's a scorpion. Scorpions are arachnids, which means they have eight legs, just like spiders.

6:14But instead of spinning webs, scorpions are quiet walkers. They like to sneak around when it's calm and still. Look closely at its body. It has a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton. It's kind of like built-in armor. And you see that tail. It curves up and over its back, ending in a tiny stinger. Did you know scorpions glow in the dark, not like a flashlight, but under special moonlight or ultraviolet light. Their bodies glow a soft blue-green color, like they're made of sleepy stars.

7:23Scientists think this glow might help scorpions sense light or protect them from the sun. Either way, it's pretty magical. And speaking of magical, here's something truly incredible. Scorpions can feel tiny vibrations through the sand with their legs. It's like reading secret messages written by footsteps. They do this through specialized sensory hairs and slit like organs in their legs. Even in total darkness, they can tell if it's a snack, a neighbor, or just nothing at all just by listening with their feet.

8:29You're right, Miss Meow Meow. Those are wow-serific pincers. Scorpions use those little claw-like hands to grab food, explore their surroundings, and sometimes even dance around each other. Some scorpions squeeze instead of sting, depending on what kind they are. And while scorpions can sting, most don't want to. They're shy creatures. And if they feel scared, they usually hide under rocks or curl up very still, hoping no one notices them. During the hot daytime, scorpions rest in cool burrows underground.

9:37At night, they come out to explore, hunt tiny bugs, and enjoy the cooler air. Baby scorpions called scorplings are born alive, not from eggs. And when they're very tiny, they climb up onto their mother's back and stay there, holding on until they're big enough to explore on their own. Can you imagine carrying all of your babies around like a cozy backpack? My sleepy friend, watching the mama scorpion with her babies makes me think. When you're still figuring things out, it's okay to stay close to someone who knows the way.

10:46You don't have to do everything by yourself right away. Sometimes, the bravest thing is just holding on until you're ready. The desert's growing quieter, and the scorpion curls up into a small shape, tucking its tail close and finding a safe spot beneath a stone. Miss Meow Meow is all curled up in the basket. Her tail wraps neatly around her paws. I'm pretty tired too. How about you, my sleepy friend? Are you ready to head home and dream of our new desert friend, the scorpion?

11:47Well then, let's head home. Here we go. First, we rise gently above the desert floor, then higher, and even higher, until the desert looks like a sea of graham cracker crumbs. The great horned owl passes by once more, giving a soft hoot as if to say goodnight. While we head home, I thought of a lullaby I want to share with you. It goes like this. Curled up tail, a quiet sway, a scorpion ends its peaceful day.

12:51Safe and still, the night feels right, wrapped in dark and starlight bright. Sleep now, friend, till morning soon. Dream of deserts, stars, and moon. Oh look, you're back home. Miss Meow Meow and I had such a wonderful time with you. We hope to see you soon when we visit our next animal friend, Galapagos Sea Lions. Until next time, my sleepy friend, Tulu and cozy critter dreams too. Miss Meow Meow and I want to give an extra special thank you to our Patreon supporters,

14:04including those in the Walserific tier. Noel from Nebraska, Zinnia from Washington, D.C., Abram and Leah from Virginia, Joey from Washington Township, New Jersey, Gloria, Claudia and Veronica from Long Valley, New Jersey, Kaya in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Kennedy from Edmunds, Washington, Caroline and Nora from North Carolina, Otis and Lily from Montana, Charlotte from Green Bay, Wisconsin, Caroline from Madison, Wisconsin, and Esme in Rory from Massachusetts. Cozy Critters is produced by me, Doug Frazier, and distributed by PRX. Make sure to subscribe to Cozy Critters on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the iHeart Radio app,

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