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Yellow Fat-tailed Scorpion
Photo: Julien Renoult, CC BY 4.0
Scorpion
Advanced
Androctonus australis
Lifespan
Poorly recorded (est. 5-7 yrs)
Adult size
Body 8-10 cm
Temperament
Nervous, defensive, stings readily
Temperature
20–32°C
Humidity
20–40%
Vivarium
30 x 20 x 20 cm (lockable, escape-proof)
Wikipedia →
A yellow buthid with a very thick tail from the deserts and arid mountains of North Africa, hiding under stones and in crevices, often near houses. Adults reach about 10 cm. It is one of the world's most dangerous scorpions: its venom is extremely potent (LD50 about 0.32 mg/kg) and causes several deaths a year in its native range. It should be kept only by experienced, licensed keepers.
Care information is provided for educational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice.
🔥 Heating
Give daytime temperatures of 27-32°C at the warm end from a heat mat on one side wall run on a thermostat, never underneath, dropping to about 20°C at night.
💡 Lighting
No UVB needed; it is nocturnal, and normal room daylight gives the day/night cycle.
🪨 Substrate
About 8 cm of dry sand or a sand and clay mix that does not hold moisture.
🍽 Feeding
Adults a few crickets or roaches every 1-2 weeks; juveniles once or twice a week. Arid species may refuse food for long periods, which is normal if the abdomen is plump.
💧 Water
Provide a very small, shallow dish, or lightly mist one small spot on a wall at substrate level a couple of times a month.
🏠 Enrichment
Flat rocks and cork bark for retreats, with a hide at both the warm and cool ends; it does not dig large burrows.
🩺 Health Considerations
It is prone to fungal infection (mycosis) if humidity is high. Escape is the main safety risk.
🤲 Handling
Never handle it; use long tongs and a locked, escape-proof enclosure. Its venom attacks the nervous system and heart and can kill, so any sting is a medical emergency: call 999 and tell them the species.
⚖️ Legal Restrictions
DWA licence needed: the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 schedule lists 'Family Buthidae: All species' (England and Wales as substituted by SI 2007/2465, Scotland by SSI 2008/302), and the Dangerous Wild Animals (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 lists all Buthidae too. Get the licence from your local council before you acquire one. It is not CITES-listed and not on the GB invasive species list.
📋 Additional Notes
Older sources give a range east to India, but those populations are now treated as other species, and hobby animals labelled A. australis are often other Androctonus. It glows under UV, so use a UV torch to locate it before any maintenance.