WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo Show Glowing Scorpion Babies

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: June 11, 2021 1:00 am

A young rainforest scorpion at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo shows off its glow in the dark ability

Photo Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo have shown off twelve eleven week old baby rainforest scorpions which have been born at the Sydney attraction.

While they may be young these scorpions have an amazing ability to glow in the dark which they are already showing off.

A young rainforest scorpion at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo shows off its glow in the dark ability

Photo Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

Young scorpions face a tough start to life. Once they are born live the siblings will crawl on to mom’s back where they are carried for the next few weeks. They soon disperse to begin their own life but if they don’t they may be eaten by their siblings.

Ashley Wombey, Keeper at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, says: “Measuring just 8mm in size and smaller than a five-cent coin, these baby scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet light due to a protein in the hyaline cartilage layer in their exoskeleton which gives off a blue-green glow when light shines on them. It has been suggested by scientists that this could act as sunscreen and can help them to find mates in the moonlight.

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“Scorpions are unusual amongst invertebrates because they give birth rather than laying eggs. Unlike mammals that have true births, scorpions are ovoviviparous which means that eggs hatch inside the mum and the babies are born separately. Like humans, scorpions can be pregnant for 9 months.”

Scorpions are an important part of the ecosystem helping to keep insect populations low including those of pests.

You can meet scorpions and a range of other minibeasts in the discovery treehouse habitat at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo.

A young rainforest scorpion at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo shows off its glow in the dark ability

Photo Credit: WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo

Learn more about WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo on their website – WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo