General Description
Body brown-yellow with dark brown mottled pattern. Tip of tail and sting dark brown, with a spike at the base of the sting. Up to 30 mm (head to tail tip).
Biology
The Little Marbled Scorpion is a relatively small species and as its common name implies, has a dark brown marbling pattern on a light brown background. This marbling occurs over the body, legs and tail. Like all scorpions, they fluoresce under UV light. It is widespread in southern Australia, and is one of the three known species of scorpions found in the greater Melbourne region. It is usually found living under stones or amongst plant litter on the ground. However it is occasionally found sheltering under bark of standing trees. Unlike most scorpions, they may form groups of 10 or more animals. Little is known about the biology of this species.
Distribution
Southern mainland Australia.
Habitat
Under stones, in ground leaf litter, under bark, urban areas.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Scorpion with brown-yellow body. Tail is longer than body and has a dark brown tip.
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Colours
Brown, Black
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Maximum Size
30 mm
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Diet
Carnivore
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Diet Categories
Invertebrates
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Hazards
The sting of the Little Marbled Scorpion can cause inflammation and pain for several hours, and medical advice should be sought.
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Endemicity
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Koch, 1845)
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Common Name
Little Marbled Scorpion
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Kingdom
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Class
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Order
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
marmoreus