Scorpion-tailed Spiders

Scorpion tailed spider found hanging from a web in Margaret's River, Western Australia.

This was a cool find! I had never seen this type of spider before my friend pointed it out. It was hanging from an orb-shaped web but when I touched the silk, the tip of her abdomen curled up over her back just like a scorpion’s tail. A little research later and this is what I found out:

Scorpion-tailed spiders, sometimes called tailed spiders, are found all over Australia. The tip of the abdomen does not sting and is soft, so the movement of the tail is a bit of a fake-out. They hand out in groups and like to build their webs under low foliage and near water. Wanna learn more? Check out the Victorian Museum’s page:

http://museumvictoria.com.au/spiders/detail.aspx?pid=14

I think it’s one of the coolest spiders I’ve seen!