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common
Giant Prickly Stick Insect
Extatosoma tiaratum
- Habitat
- Eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia
- Body length
- 200 mm
- Order
- Phasmida · Phasmatidae
Weird but real
Curls its tail over its back like a scorpion when threatened. Pure bluff, it has no sting.
Why it's cool
Looks like a moving piece of dead leaf with spines. Newly hatched nymphs mimic ants to sneak into ant nests.
