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Dwarf Wood Scorpion
Scorpion
Beginner
Liocheles australasiae
Lifespan
Several years (poorly recorded)
Adult size
Body 2.2-3.6 cm
Temperament
Shy and secretive, rarely stings
Temperature
21–30°C
Humidity
60–85%
Vivarium
30 x 20 x 20 cm (small colony)
Wikipedia →
A tiny, flattened scorpion that lives in rotting wood and under bark and stones across tropical Asia, Australia, New Guinea and the Pacific islands. Adults are only 2-3.5 cm long and dark brown. Most populations are parthenogenetic, so one female can start a colony without a male, which makes it a popular small communal species. It rarely stings and is often too small to pierce human skin; its venom is not known to be significant.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Room temperature or slightly warmer, about 22-28°C, is enough. If the room drops below about 20°C, use a small heat mat on one side wall run on a thermostat, as keepers report losses in cold rooms.
💡 Lighting
No UVB needed; it is nocturnal and hides under bark during the day.
🪨 Substrate
3-5 cm of moist coco fibre, topsoil or peat-free compost, kept damp but not waterlogged, with leaf litter on top.
🍽 Feeding
Offer very small prey such as pinhead crickets, small roach nymphs or pre-killed insects once or twice a week to a colony. Springtails and small isopods help clear leftovers.
💧 Water
Keep part of the substrate damp and mist lightly; a very shallow dish or water droplets on bark is enough.
🏠 Enrichment
Plenty of flat bark, cork pieces and driftwood to hide under; it does not need deep burrowing space.
🩺 Health Considerations
Too dry an enclosure causes failed moults, especially in the young, but sealed, stagnant conditions can make them stop feeding and die, so balance humidity with cross-ventilation. Cannibalism can occur if food is scarce.
🤲 Handling
Not usually needed, and its small size makes escapes easy. It rarely stings and is considered harmless to people, though venom data are lacking.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
No licence needed in the UK. It is in the Hormuridae, not the Buthidae, so it is not covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 schedule (which lists scorpions only as 'Family Buthidae: All species' and Hemiscorpius lepturus); it is not CITES-listed and not on the GB invasive species list.
📋 Additional Notes
Females give birth to around 20 young after about an 8-month pregnancy, and the young mature in about 15 months; females can breed repeatedly without mating. Adults and young can often share an enclosure if well fed, but separating young avoids losses. Also sold as the pygmy wood scorpion (not the same as Urophonius sold under that name); a UV torch makes the colony easy to count at night.