Tam o' shanter urchin

Araeosoma thetidis

Urchins, stars & worms🌵 Venomous spines

Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

Tam o' shanter urchin belongs to the group: Urchins, stars & worms. It lives in: The oceans.1

Lives in

The oceans1

Length

15 cm (5.9 in)1

typical adult size

Top speed

about 0.02 km/h (0.01 mph)

Swimming, rough guess

Venom power

Venomous spines

Sharp spines carry the venom. Stepping on it or grabbing it hurts.

How dangerous is it to people?

Danger to people: PainfulIt can really hurt, but it is almost never serious.

🚑 If it bites or stings

Put the wound in hot water, as hot as the person can stand without burning, and get medical help to remove spines. Do not dig for them yourself.

Always call your emergency number first (112, 000, 911). This is general first aid guidance, not medical advice. First aid basics

⛑️ Stay safe

Never touch, catch or tease a wild animal, even a small one, and even if it looks asleep or dead.
Give it space. If you meet one, stay calm, step back slowly and let it go its own way.
If one bites or stings you: stay calm, keep still, call your emergency number (112, 000, 911) or get to a hospital fast. Remember what it looked like, a photo helps.

It is not out to get you. It uses its venom to catch food or to protect itself, and it would much rather hide. More about staying safe

Where in the world?

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Australia & Oceania The oceans

How big is it?

How long is it?

as long as 5 toy building bricks in a rowslower than a garden snail

How big is Tam o' shanter urchin compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

Tam o' shanter urchin about 0.02 km/h (0.01 mph)

A garden snail about 0.05 km/h (0.03 mph)

A tortoise about 0.3 km/h (0.19 mph)

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

A kid on a bike about 12 km/h (7.5 mph)

For venom experts

Scientific name: Araeosoma thetidis
Group: Urchins, stars & worms
Continents: The oceans
Danger to people: 2 / 5: Painful1

Where the facts come from

Venom Wiki: the danger level, the typical size and the speed guess are our own. See how we work them out: How we rate danger.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are animal fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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