MYSTERY surrounding the school scorpion's surprise pregnancy had a sting in the tail for students at West Somerset College.

Land based staff and students were shocked to find their Asian Jungle Scorpion had produced 'scorpion-lets' overnight.

This struck staff members as being particularly odd given the adult female had been living alone for a year and a half.

Scorpions do not reproduce asexually, and it was only when the school looked through their records they deduced that the female scorpion had killed the male that was living with 18 months ago.

Lee Jenkins, teacher of animal care and exotic animals technician at the college, said: "The maximum gestation period for the species is between 12-18 months, so she must mated just before killing the male."

The scorpion-lets will climb off their mother and then prepare for their first moult, after which they will be ready to eat their first meal of locust 'drumsticks'.

"After this delicious first meal, they will start to become more independent and will need to be closely watched as they can be cannibalistic!"

Factfile:

Asian Tropical Scorpions (heterometrus cyaneus) can reach a length of 12–15 centimetres (4.7–5.9 in). These scorpions are dark black, with blue reflections and their bodies are strongly granulated. This species is classified as harmful, as the sting causes moderate to severe pain but without further consequences.

The species is native to Borneo, Philippines and Indonesia and can be found in tropical rainforests and wetland forests, usually under stones or fallen trees.