Sand Scorpions come out at night

If you were to walk around the bush at night you are likely to come across a Sand Scorpion.

Sand Scorpions, Urodacus novaehollandiae, are nocturnal and about 10cm long. They can be found in coastal dunes and sands from Adelaide to Perth. In Perth the scorpion ranges further inland as the sandy soil suits its needs.

They dig a burrow to protect themselves from low humidity. The burrow can be up to 1 metre deep, depending on the moisture content of the soil. During summer the scorpion may block the entrance to the burrow to keep a higher humidity in the burrow.

This scorpion becomes mature at around 4 years of age. It carries its young for 12 – 18 months before giving birth. The young stay on their mother’s back for the first few weeks before dispersing.

This species of scorpion has been known to live to 12 years of age and it is likely that they can live to 20 years old.

This scorpion is an ambush hunter. The scorpion waits at the entrance to its burrow and grabs prey as it walks past. The prey animal is not always subdued with a sting – sometimes they eat it live.

The Sand Scorpion is not aggressive to humans, so it is only when being provoked that it will use its sting against a person. While it can be painful, the sting of the Sand Scorpion is not deadly. The best policy with all Scorpions is to leave them alone and they’ll leave you alone.