Australian Scorpion Not dangerous to humans but can inflict a painful sting.
Copyright © Koole Imaging
Scorpions are arachnids, which means that they are related to spiders. There are 29 species of scorpions found in Australia. The smallest are just 2 cms long; the largest can get to 12 cms.
Scorpions can give you a pretty painful sting with inflammation that lasts for several hours, but otherwise they are not dangerous to humans. A cold pack to reduce the discomfort is the way to treat it - though if it doesn't fix it a doctor is the way to go.
I remember as a boy in Western Australia sitting on an old fallen tree trunk, watching the grader work on the road out front of our place. I just lifted a piece of bark and there was a large scorpion right there. I was pretty wary of it and got off the log pronto! But that is their environment - under bark, rocks, etc... Once I got over the fright I had a good look at the scorpion - from a safe distance - and it was quite interesting.
More info on scorpions at The Australian Museum