A cute, fuzzy little hamster-sized mouse known as the southern grasshopper is actually one pretty tough cookie.

A cute, fuzzy little hamster-sized mouse known as the southern grasshopper is actually one pretty tough cookie.

Michigan State University scientists recently published a video that shows the little creature not just holding its own in a fight with a scorpion, but devouring it.

Turns out, the species has actually evolved over time to handle just that type of battle.

Somewhere along the line, the mouse has become a martial arts master of sorts, learning to turn his opponent’s power into its greatest weakness.

In the case of the bark scorpion, that would be the debilitating sting.

Humans have described bark scorpion attacks as being among the more painful of possible sensations, akin to being burned and then impaled with a sharp object.

The grasshopper mouse has become impervious to the insect’s poisonous blows, however, via a cellular adaptation.

When the toxin is detected, cells in the mouse deactivate the typical pain channels so the message is not passed to the brain.

Luckily, the mouse is also impervious to the paralyzing and potentially fatal effects of the venom, making the deadly insect more of an annoyance than anything. Researchers hope this will lead to new research for human pain relief drugs.