Officially Namibia has 63 scorpion species, of which 14 are near-endemic and 26 are endemic. Around 140 species are found in southern Africa. According to experts there are some more species in Namibia which have not been scientifically identified and described yet. In general there is still too little known about the distribution of species in Namibia, and hardly anything is known about their behaviour and lifecycle. Some more species wait to be discovered.
Most people are scared of scorpions because they are believed to be deadly venomous. In reality, very few (about 5%) are potentially venomous enough to cause death in humans. Therefore only these few are of significant medical importance. Most scorpions can inflict a painful sting without further consequences. The venom of some Thicktail Scorpions of the family Buthidae and the genus Parabuthus can cause fatalities. As the most venomous scorpion in southern Africa, including the whole of Namibia, the Rough Thicktail Scorpion () tops the list. This species can be found in a variation of colour) which is found in western and southern Namibia. The Hairy Thicktail Scorpion, which can also be black with yellow or reddish legs and pincers, is the only scorpion in the world showing diurnal behaviour. It is the largest Thicktail Scorpion species with a length of up to 140 millimetres in this region. Scorpions are measured from the front margin of the carapace to the tip of the sting.
