List of scorpions of Australia facts for kids
Scorpions are amazing creatures that belong to the spider family, but they are not spiders! They are arachnids, just like spiders, ticks, and mites. Scorpions are known for their unique shape, with a long tail that often has a stinger at the end. They live in many parts of the world, and Australia is home to quite a few different kinds.
This article lists the many types of scorpions you can find living in Australia. Scientists group animals into families based on their shared features. Australia has several scorpion families, each with its own special characteristics.
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Different Scorpion Families in Australia
Australia's diverse environments, from deserts to forests, allow many different scorpion families to thrive. Each family has unique traits, like how they hunt or where they prefer to live.
Buthidae Family
The Buthidae family is one of the largest groups of scorpions in the world. Many scorpions in this family have venom that can be strong, but most are not dangerous to humans. In Australia, some species from this family include:
- Australobuthus xerolimniorum
- Hemilychas alexandrinus
- Isometroides angusticaudus
- Isometroides vescus
- Isometrus maculatus
- Isometrus melanodactylus
- Lychas buchari
- Lychas jonesae
- Lychas marmoreus
- Lychas mjobergi
- Lychas spinatus
- Lychas variatus
Bothriuridae Family
Scorpions in the Bothriuridae family are often found in South America, but some species also live in Australia. They are generally smaller scorpions. Here are some you might find:
- Cercophonius granulosus
- Cercophonius kershawi
- Cercophonius michaelseni
- Cercophonius queenslandae
- Cercophonius squama
- Cercophonius sulcatus
Hormuridae Family
The Hormuridae family includes scorpions that are often found in tropical and subtropical areas. They are known for their strong claws. Some Australian species are:
- Hormurus ischnoryctes
- Hormurus karschii
- Hormurus longimanus
- Hormurus macrochela
- Hormurus ochyroscapter
- Hormurus polisorum
- Hormurus waigiensis
- Liocheles australasiae
Urodacidae Family
The Urodacidae family is special because most of its species are found only in Australia. These scorpions are often called "burrowing scorpions" because they like to dig tunnels in the ground. Some examples include:
- Aops oncodactylus
- Urodacus armatus
- Urodacus butleri
- Urodacus carinatus
- Urodacus centralis
- Urodacus elongatus
- Urodacus excellens
- Urodacus giulianii
- Urodacus hartmeyeri
- Urodacus hoplurus
- Urodacus koolanensis
- Urodacus lowei
- Urodacus macrurus
- Urodacus manicatus
- Urodacus mckenziei
- Urodacus megamastigus
- Urodacus novaehollandiae
- Urodacus planimanus
- Urodacus similis
- Urodacus spinatus
- Urodacus varians
- Urodacus yaschenkoi
