The Flinders Ranges Scorpion is a large species of scorpion found across the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. This species typically grows to an adult size of 100mm body length, making it one of the largest species of scorpion found in Australia. In the wild, this species is a scrape dweller, living amongst debris such as rocks and leaf litter. This species is relatively docile and can be handled, although this is never reccomended and should be avoided. The Flinders Ranges scorpion has six instars and reaches maturity at the fifth or sixth instar. Adult male’s measure up to 12cm, and females 10cm in length. The species display sexual dimorphism which is extreme amongst scorpions. From the second instar some anatomical features can be used to distinguish gender, primarily in the tail and pectines. Flinders Ranges scorpion males have longer tail segments than females and this feature is the origin of the species name elongatus. Pectines are a comb-like sensory structure unique to scorpions that occur as a pair on the underside of the body. Males have longer pectines containing more teeth, than female individuals. The exoskeleton of scorpions fluoresce bright green under UV light making individuals easy to detect in a relatively non-invasive way. Known distribution is primarily within the fragmented ranges areas of the Flinders Ranges indicating that they are probably a relictual species that previously had a wider distribution, however has had to retreat to these refuge areas following historical landscape changes and human impacts They burrow under rocks and are most commonly found on low slopes with moderate rock cover, such as in creek beds and floodplain areas. They are more active at night, especially the males that don’t always have a resident burrow but may move through the landscape in search of females and prey hiding under a rock through the heat of the day. THREATS A major threat to the Flinders Ranges scorpion is humans. Within Mount Remarkable National Park, the sites where Scorpions are most commonly found (creek bed and flood plain areas) are also the sites most impacted by humans, particularly via tourist activity. Scorpions in general are cannibalistic and will eat smaller individuals given the chance, and this is a common risk during the mating ritual ‘pas de deux’ dance duet for the males who must give the female small stings with his venomous tail in order to subdue her.
Flinders Ranges Scorpion (Urodacus elongatus)
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