Surely Britain doesn’t have any scorpions? Well… you may be surprised…
The UK lacks any native scorpion species, but one non-native species has managed to make itself at home on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent – the European yellow-tailed scorpion, says Megan Shersby.
Measuring up to 45cm in length, this mostly black scorpion species (with yellow-brown legs and tail) is thought to have arrived in the 1800s in shipments of Italian masonry. The population is believed to be the northernmost population of wild scorpions outside of the Americas.
The UK does have 27 pseudoscorpion species, however. Much smaller than scorpions, and only measuring up to 8mm in length, these arachnids have two long pincers like scorpions, but lack the infamous stinging tail.
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