---
title: "Cape Docile Scorpion"
description: "Opisthacanthus capensis — Insekten & Spinnen. Opisthacanthus capensis is a Cape Province and Zimbabwean species of scorpion with robust chelae, dark brown to black in colour, turning green when under cover for some time."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/de/animal/cape-docile-scorpion
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Cape Docile Scorpion

> Opisthacanthus capensis — Insekten & Spinnen. Opisthacanthus capensis is a Cape Province and Zimbabwean species of scorpion with robust chelae, dark brown to black in colour, turning green when under cover for some time.

- Scientific name: *Opisthacanthus capensis*
- Category: `insects` (Insekten & Spinnen)
- Habitats: `forest` (Wald)
- iNaturalist observations: 1164
- Wikidata: [Q3354196](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3354196)
- iNaturalist taxon: [559447](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/559447)

## Names

- en: Cape Docile Scorpion

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (1071)

## Summary

Opisthacanthus capensis is a Cape Province and Zimbabwean species of scorpion with robust chelae, dark brown to black in colour, turning green when under cover for some time. Opisthacanthus scorpions are arboreal and ground-dwelling, and found mainly in moist habitats in dense vegetation, pine plantations and forests, and hiding under bark and rocks.
Its venom contains powerful neurotoxins and cytotoxins, including mucopolysaccharides, hyaluronidases, phospholipases, serotonins, histamines, enzyme inhibitors, and proteins such as neurotoxic peptides. The venom from O. capensis is largely composed of melittin which…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opisthacanthus_capensis

## Photo

![Cape Docile Scorpion](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/cape-docile-scorpion/medium.jpg)

Photo: Philipp Hoenle · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/357975136

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/cape-docile-scorpion?lang=de` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).