A brown, spiky giant prickly stick insect curling its tail on a log. — Photo: Rosa Pineda, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Extatosoma tiaratum

A spiky Australian stick insect, also called the Australian walking stick, that curls its tail up like a scorpion to scare predators.

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About the Giant Prickly Stick Insect

Giant prickly stick insects live in Australia's tropical forests and eat eucalyptus leaves. Females grow about 8 inches long and are covered in thorn-like spikes for defense and camouflage. Males are smaller and thinner, about 4 inches, with spikes only around the head, and they have long wings and fly well.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Extatosoma tiaratum^[1]
Size: Females about 8 inches; males about 4 inches.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Eucalyptus leaves.^[1]
Habitat: Tropical forest.^[1]
Where it lives: Australia.^[1]
Conservation status: Common; not endangered. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

It strikes a scorpion pose to scare predators.^[1]
Its defensive smell has been compared to peanut butter or toffee.^[1]
Males can fly, but females can't.^[1]

Vocabulary

stick insect: An insect whose long, thin body looks like a twig.
sexually dimorphic: Having males and females that look different.
camouflage: Colors, patterns or shapes that help an animal blend in.
eucalyptus: A kind of Australian tree with oily, strong-smelling leaves.
insect: A small animal with six legs and a body in three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · InvertebratesSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Australian Walking Stick.” https://www.sfzoo.org/australian-walking-stick/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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