including Pi1, Pi2, Pi3, Pi4 and Pi7. Habitat and distribution The emperor scorpion is an African rainforest species, but also present in savanna. It is found in a number of African countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Cameroon. This species inhabits both tropical forest and open savannas. The emperor scorpion burrows beneath the soil and hides beneath rocks and debris, and also often burrows in termite mounds. Feeding habits In the wild, emperor scorpions primarily consume insects and other terrestrial invertebrates, although termites constitute a large portion of their diet. Larger vertebrates, such as rodents and lizards, are occasionally eaten. Emperor scorpions will burrow through termite mounds up to 6 feet deep in order to hunt prey. Their large claws help in tearing apart prey while their tail stinger injects venom at the same time for liquifying food. Juveniles rely on their venomous sting to paralyze prey while adults use their large claws to tear apart prey. Conservation and human impact African emperor scorpion venom contains the toxins imperatoxin and pandinotoxin. Due to its docile nature, large size, and hardiness, P. imperator is a popular scorpion in the pet trade, which has led to such over-collecting in the wild that it is now a CITES-listed animal. They feed readily on crickets and worms available to keepers, and they can live up to 8 years in captivity. Comparison with the Asian forest scorpion Emperor scorpions are often confused with Asian forest scorpions (Heterometrus sp.) as the two species are indeed very similar in appearance. Both are very popular as pets due to their impressive size, mild venom, and usually docile nature. However, and while this may vary, Asian forest scorpions tend to be more high-strung and defensive than emperor scorpions, and noticeable differences exist between the two in the claws and stinger. Emperors have rough pincers, which also tend to be shorter but thicker than those of their Asian counterparts. Asian forest scorpions lack the red coloration that emperor scorpion pincers often exhibit, and their telson and aculeus are black, while emperor scorpions tend to have yellow to reddish yellow telson as juveniles that turn red as they mature. Even babies exhibit a distinct visual difference, as emperor scorpion scorplings usually show quite visible red pigmentation in their pincers, which is completely absent in baby Asian forest scorpions.