Nova Scorpion Female | Urodacus novaehollandiae
Insectivore. Eats insects. Offer live feeder insects of a suitable size.
What this animal eats. Feeding a varied diet suited to its type helps keep it healthy and showing its best colour.
General guide only. Every enclosure is different, so make one change at a time and watch how your animal responds.
A guide to how often to feed. Offer only what is eaten, and remove leftovers so they do not foul the water or the enclosure.
General guide only. Every enclosure is different, so make one change at a time and watch how your animal responds.
Where it's found in the wild
Southern coast, Adelaide to Perth
- Natural range
Range details
Range: Found only in southern Australia, along the coast from Adelaide westward around the Great Australian Bight to south-west Western Australia and Perth. Lives in coastal sand dunes, and in sandy soils further inland at the western end of its range.
In Australia: The South Australian coast west of Adelaide, around the Great Australian Bight, and south-west Western Australia north to Perth.
Map shading is approximate and shows the natural range in the wild, not every place it lives.
Nova Scorpion Female Urodacus novaehollandiae
The Nova Scorpion Female is a fascinating Australian burrowing scorpion - a low-maintenance, long-lived terrarium invertebrate. Venomous: a display animal, not for handling. Keep on deep, dry sand with a burrow.
Care at a glance: Beginner · Arid terrarium with deep dry sand for burrowing · adult size 6-12cm.
Heat & humidity: Ambient 24-30C. Humidity low.
Diet: Insectivore - live insects.
Available for in-store collection or local pickup. Get in touch before purchase to confirm licensing and care.
Check compatibility
Keep one per enclosure. Australian scorpions live alone and can turn on each other, especially around moulting (when they shed their skin to grow). Wolf spiders are kept one per enclosure too. Do not house them with any other animals.
Is your enclosure ready?
Escape-proof lid
Use an enclosure with a secure, well-ventilated lid. Scorpions are good climbers and can grip rough surfaces and the silicone in tank corners.
Room to dig
These are burrowers. Give them sand, or a sand and soil mix, deep enough to dig a proper burrow: around 10 cm or more, and deeper for desert scorpions.
Heat on a thermostat
Warm one end with a heat mat run through a thermostat, so your animal can move between warm and cool. Check the range on the species page and confirm it with a thermometer.
Water and humidity
Give scorpions a very shallow water dish, such as a bottle cap. Keep humidity low unless the species page says otherwise.
Licence
In Queensland, native Urodacus scorpions are protected, so you need a wildlife licence to buy and keep one. Wolf spiders do not need a licence in Queensland. Rules differ between states, so check with your state wildlife authority before you buy.
Delivery options
Scorpions and spiders are available for in-store collection only. Get in touch before you buy so we can confirm your licence and talk you through setup.
Packed Safe
We pack your animal in a secure, ventilated container for the trip home. Keep it out of direct sun, never leave it in a hot car, and go straight home to its enclosure.
Arrive Alive Guarantee
Our Arrive Alive Guarantee covers livestock sent by air freight. Scorpions and spiders are collection only, so they are not covered by it. Please look your animal over with us before you leave the store.
Quarantine
Keep each animal in its own enclosure. Wash your hands or change gloves between enclosures so nothing spreads between them.
Settling in
Have the enclosure set up and running at the right temperature before you bring your animal home. Move it in with a container or long, soft-tipped tweezers, not your hands, then leave it alone for a few days to dig in. After that, offer one small live insect at a time and remove anything not eaten within 24 hours. Never disturb a scorpion or spider while it is moulting, and take out any live insects until it has finished, as they can injure it while it is soft.
These are display animals, not pets to handle. Australian scorpions can give a painful sting that causes pain and swelling for several hours, and wolf spiders can give a painful bite. If you are stung or bitten and the pain does not settle, see a doctor.
Complete the setup
Everything your new arrival needs from day one
