Austria's Scorpions: Small, Endangered, and Harmless

Austria is home to three native scorpion species, all of which are endangered and under strict natural protection. These scorpions rarely exceed five centimeters in length, and their venom is comparable to that of a bee or wasp sting, posing no significant danger to humans.

Christoph Hörweg, head of the invertebrate zoology department at the Natural History Museum Vienna, assures the public that there is no cause for concern regarding scorpions in Austria. He notes that these species represent the northernmost edge of their distribution and are not expected to spread further due to climate change, as they migrate only a few meters per year.

A 2023 study by Christian Komposch documented the presence of the Trieste scorpion (Euscorpius tergestinus) in Carinthia and as an isolated population in Krems an der Donau. The Ypsilon Alpine scorpion (Alpiscorpius ypsilon), also known as the Carinthian scorpion, is found only in southern Carinthia and is severely endangered. The German Alpine scorpion (A. germanus) is distributed from Upper Carinthia to East Tyrol and has isolated populations in North Tyrol. New Slovenian studies suggest there might be undiscovered species in the Carinthian Southern Alps.

Seeing a scorpion in Austria is considered a rare event. Experts recommend photographing any scorpion sighting and uploading it to platforms like iNaturalist.org or naturbeobachtung.at for monitoring purposes. A crucial piece of advice for avoiding stings is to never reach into crevices or under stones without looking, a safety rule also taught to the Austrian and German armed forces.