Recent new arrivals born at Edinburgh’s Butterfly & Insect World have little stings in their tales, as one of the attraction’s Black Emperor Scorpions gave birth to six babies recently.

Visitors have no need to worry though, as the tiny new ‘scorplings’ are safely behind glass in the nocturnal zone.

Born live, the babies are extremely vulnerable and will ride on their mother’s back for the first few months until they grow and become more independent.

At the moment the babies are completely white, but as they mature the scorplings will go black all over the body and get a grey coloured membrane.

Currently only 2cm long, by the time these new arrivals are four years old they will have reached their adult size of around 17cm long, and 3.5cm of that length will be large black claws and a 2cm sting!

However life is still hard for a baby scorpion - although mum will fiercely defend them there is also a chance she will eat them too! Experts at Butterfly & Insect World think three baby scorplings have already met that fate.

One of the most impressive species of scorpion, Emperor Scorpions originate from West Africa and enjoy the high humidity of the rain forest or wet savannah. Timid and reclusive, if given a choice they will spend most if their time hiding in a burrow, But if frightened they can pinch or sting. Although toxic, the sting has a varying effect on people – with some describing it like a bee sting and others suffering severe pain.