Victoria's 13 scorpion species and why they are not as venomous as other predators

The sting of most Australian scorpions would be the equivalent of a bee sting. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Campers take note: If you reckon your swag is a cosy place to curl up then so will one of Victoria's native scorpions.

The good news is that – as far as scorpions go – Victoria's are very much at the benign end of the venom spectrum.

There have been 47 scorpion species identified in Australia. Of those, 13 are in Victoria.

Ken Walker says there is a good chance there are undiscovered species in Australia. (Supplied: Ken Walker)

Museums Victoria Research Institute senior curator of entomology, Ken Walker, said scorpions were most often found under bark or in a woodpile.

"Scorpions are nocturnal feeders," Dr Walker said.

"That's a survival technique because, if you are running around on the sand or the ground you are very easily spotted by birds or lizards or other predators.

"So in the same way they might hide under a piece of bark, they may also try to hide under you."

Dr Walker is a taxonomist, which means it's his job to name species.

He said it was likely there were many more scorpion species in Australia that were yet to be discovered or named.

But he said the 13 that had been found in Victoria were all relatively harmless.

"A scorpion is pretty much a scorpion anywhere in the world, however it is the scorpions in south-east Asia or Africa that kill people," he said.

"Literally thousands of people.

"There are a lot of deaths that occur with scorpions outside Australia but there have been no deaths confirmed in Victoria."

He said the venom of scorpions in northern Australia was slightly more toxic than in those in southern Australia but they were still not as venomous or toxic as those overseas.

He said the inland taipan was the deadliest snake in Australia because it rarely got to see its prey — so it had to be effective.

"So when they do want to make a meal of it they have to knock it out quickly," he said.

"Australian scorpions, on the other hand, feed mainly on insects, beetles and ants, and there is an abundance here, so they don't need a strong venom to bring down a large animal and stop it in its tracks.

"They have an ample food supply."

Urodacus armatus is one of several varieties that share the desert scorpion name. (Supplied: Alan Henderson, Minibeast Wildlife)

A Naturalist's Guide to the Dangerous Creatures of Australia co-author Scott Eipper said he could speak from personal experience about the sting in a scorpion's tail.

"I've been done by a southern black rock scorpion and I've been done by a desert scorpion," Mr Eipper said.

"Neither eventuated to anything. They were very mild, no worse than a bee sting.

"There are a couple which are much worse than a bee sting, like the salt lake scorpion, that packs a wallop."

Mr Eipper said any scorpion sting had the potential for a nasty reaction so medical attention was advised.

Scott and Tie Eipper handle some of Australia's most notorious animals. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

As arachnids, scorpions are related to ticks, mites, centipedes and spiders.

The primary difference is an evolutionary fork that shifted the venom from one end to the other.

"They have eight legs, the pincers of course, as well as a tiny set of pedipalps, which are more like feelers at the front," Dr Walker said.

"The big thing that defines a scorpion is the sting at the end of the tail.

"It has a venom as does a spider or a centipede but, when you have a flexible, moving tail, you don't have to be right at the edge of the animal, so it's a way nature has found that works well in a different way."

He said it reminded him of wasps. 

"The ability to move gives the sting far more action," he said.

Scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to their natural layer of wax. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Dr Walker said there were other unique things about scorpions that he described as "really cool".

When put under a black fluorescent light, for example, he said they glowed blue-green.

He said they were also very good at culling insects that had become pests in large numbers.

"Nature likes to strike a balance and anything that is a predator helps restore balance," Dr Walker said.

"They, like spiders, are nature's spray cans. Without them we would have an explosion in the number of insects."

He said scorpions could live for up to 25 years but on average lived between 3-10 years.

"That is a long life for an invertebrate," he said.

"Their mating rituals are also unique in that they have a mating dance called a 'promenade à deux'.

"The male produces a sperm packet it deposits on the ground, then he does a dance with the female which positions her over this 'spermatophore'."

Spotter's guide

Not all scorpions have individual common names. There are two related but different desert scorpions. Likewise, there are two related but separate wood or forest scorpions.

Desert scorpion

Urodacus armatus is found mainly in central Australia but can be found in north west Victoria in desert areas.  A large scorpion measuring up to 7cm in body length, the body is light brown. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Wood or forest scorpion

Cercophonius squama is found across southern Australia and can be found throughout Victoria. The body length is about 4cm and it has a dark brown colour pattern. (Supplied: Julian Finn, Museums Victoria)

Brown scorpion or black rock scorpion

Urodacus manicatus is found throughout central Victoria, mainly around granite outcrops. Adults measure up to 5.5cm in body length. The body has a dark brown to black colour. (Supplied: Mark Norman, Museums Victoria)

Marbled scorpion

Lychas marmoreus is commonly found across southern Australia and can be found through northern Victoria and down into Melbourne. About 4cm long with a mottled "marbled" body pattern. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Wood or forest scorpion

Cercophonius kershawi is restricted to a small area in northwest Victoria and eastern South Australia. The body is about 4cm long and reddish-brown in colour. (Supplied: Ellura Sanctuary)

Slender spider-hunting scorpion

Isometroides angusticaudus is restricted to a small area in northwest Victoria, southeastern South Australia and western NSW.  It specialises in eating ground-nesting spiders. The body has a mottled colour but the tail has a characteristic black marking on the last two segments. (Supplied: Alan Henderson, Minibeast Wildlife)

Splendid marbled scorpion

Lychas variatus is an uncommon species of scorpion in Victoria, found more often in north eastern parts of Australia. The body length is about 4cm and with mottled colour pattern on the body. (Supplied: Alan Henderson, Minibeast Wildlife)

Spider-hunting scorpion

Isometroides vescus is usually found in central Australia and occurs in only in the northwest of Victoria. It specialises in eating only ground-nesting spiders. The body has a mottled colour but the tail has a characteristic black marking on the last two segments. (Alan Henderson – Minibeast Wildlife)

Ochre scorpion

Lychas jonesae is an uncommon species of scorpion in Victoria, being found more often in north eastern Australia. The body length is about 4 cm and it has a dark mottled colour pattern on the body. (Supplied: Alan Henderson, Minibeast Wildlife)

Australian rainforest scorpion

Hormurus waigiensis is found mainly in coastal Queensland with a few records in NSW, South Australia and Victoria. It lives in rock crevices and hunts insects at night. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Fat-tailed or thick-tailed scorpion

Hemilychas alexndrinus is mainly found throughout central Australia with a few records in Victoria.  The body colour is primarily light brown, however, the stinger segment in the tail is black.  (Supplied: Peter Rowland)

Desert scorpion

Urodacus yaschenkoi measures up to 7cm. It occurs mainly in central Australia but can be found in Victoria in the desert areas. The body is light brown. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)

Coastal burrowing or black sand scorpion

Urodacus novaehollandiae is the rarest of Victoria's scorpions known from a single record. Usually found in South Australia and Western Australia, it grows up to 7cm and is dark brown. (Supplied: Scott Eipper, Nature 4 You)