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Saudi National Center for Wildlife Discovers New Species of Scorpion

The scorpion was discovered in the Majami Al-Hadb Reserve in southern Riyadh. (SPA)
The scorpion was discovered in the Majami Al-Hadb Reserve in southern Riyadh. (SPA)
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Saudi National Center for Wildlife Discovers New Species of Scorpion

The scorpion was discovered in the Majami Al-Hadb Reserve in southern Riyadh. (SPA)
The scorpion was discovered in the Majami Al-Hadb Reserve in southern Riyadh. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Wildlife announced on Monday the discovery of a new type of scorpion that belongs to the Leiurus genus.

The scorpion was discovered in the Majami Al-Hadb Reserve in southern Riyadh.

The discovery, based on the shape and genetic analysis of the newly discovered scorpion, was published in international journals specialized in wildlife.

The discovery brings the number of known species to 22 globally, five of which are found in the Kingdom.

Renowned scientific journal Zookeys published the new discovery in its September 7 issue; the new species was added to the Zoobank and Genbank lists.

The National Centre for Wildlife is working to determine the prevalence of this species as part of its efforts to care for wildlife in order to maintain the Kingdom's environmental balance and biodiversity.

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Varieties

Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
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Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP

Paleontologists unveiled on Wednesday the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years that was discovered in a Peruvian desert.
The fossil of the gharial -- or fish-eating -- crocodile, around three meters long (nearly 10 feet), was discovered late 2023 in perfect condition in Peru's Ocucaje desert, around 350 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital Lima, AFP said.
"This is the first time we found a juvenile of this species, that is to say, it had not reached its maximum size yet. It died before that," vertebrate paleontologist Mario Gamarra told a news conference.
The skull and jaws of these specimens differed from that of today's crocodiles and alligators, according to Gamarra, who headed the reconstruction of the fossil.
"They had an elongated snout and their diet was entirely piscivorous, feeding on fish," said Gamarra.
"The closest current relative to this crocodile would be the Indian gharial," he added.
The discovery was made jointly by Peru's Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute and the La Union school.
Peru's Ocucaje desert is rich in fossils, such as four-legged dwarf whales, dolphins, sharks and other species from the Miocene period -- between 5 and 23 million years ago -- that were previously discovered there.