Giant centipede: what a huge centipede is. Giant scolopendra

Scolopendras are the largest labiopods, living mainly in the tropics and subtropics; only a few species penetrate into colder zones. Most scolopendras live under stones, under logs, in rock cracks and other similar shelters, where during dry times of the day the air is saturated with water vapor. Due to this, the body of scolopendras is strongly flattened in the dorso-ventral direction. Centipedes come out of hiding almost exclusively at night, hunting for various invertebrates, although there are also known cases of large centipedes attacking birds, lizards and toads. Giant scolopendra reaches a length of 26 cm, it is found on the islands of Jamaica and Trinidad and in the north and west South America.

Centipedes are individualists and live alone. But if two centipedes suddenly meet in the same underground passage, they usually crawl away peacefully. It happens that males cling to each other with their hind legs and sit like that for more than an hour, and then still crawl to the sides. But they can also bite each other - then in half the cases the centipedes die. In captivity, it happens that hungry adult centipedes kill and eat young ones, but in nature, apparently, cannibalism does not occur very often.

At the end of spring - beginning of summer, scolopendras begin to reproduce - the male weaves a web around his earthen passage and lays a spermatophore - a sperm sac - on it. Then he pushes the female, forcing her to crawl over the spermatophore and pick it up to fertilize the eggs. In Crimea, there are populations of only female scolopendras; they reproduce parthenogenetically, without the participation of males. The female guards the laid eggs in a burrow for several weeks, wrapping her legs around them. At this moment, it releases special substances that inhibit the development of mold. Finally, the young larvae emerge - white and soft.

Having moulted several times, they darken and crawl away, starting to independent life. But until maturity, their color will be lighter than that of adults. The life cycle of centipedes is longer than that of many insects, averaging 1-2 years in small species. large scorpopendras can live up to 6 years, at least in captivity.

Currently, more than 550 species of scolopendra have been described. These are mainly inhabitants of the tropics and subtropics, only a few reach Europe and Far East. The ringed scolopendra is common in our country; in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, Transcaucasia and Central Asia there are several more similar, smaller species. In the Primorsky Territory there were isolated finds of Asian centipedes otostigmus and subspinipes. The latter, Scolopendra subspinipes, is widespread in South Asia and reaches a length of 20 cm. There is a known case in which a seven-year-old child died from its bite to the head in the Philippines - this is the only reliably recorded case of human death from centipede venom.

And in general, a person rarely has the opportunity to be bitten by a scolopendra - unless it accidentally runs into his home at night and is accidentally crushed. Centipedes use their venom sparingly and can bite several times in a row. In humans, their bites cause local swelling and pain, usually lasting 1-2 hours. If the scolopendra is large, these phenomena can last for several days, and the temperature may rise.

Centipede venom contains lecithin, histamine, thermolysins, and hyaluronidase. It is well preserved in the cold, but is quickly destroyed when heated, under the influence of ether, ethyl alcohol, and strong alkalis. Therefore, when bitten by large centipedes, it is recommended to slightly incise the wounds from the jaws and wash them with alcohol, a strong solution of potassium permanganate or ammonia.

The largest scolopendra, the giant scolopendra (Scolopendra gigantea), can reach more than 26 cm in length. She was even credited with attacks on toads, lizards and chicks. This species lives in the Antilles and northwestern South America.

Representatives of the genus of blind centipedes - Cryptops - live in top layer soil, these animals almost never come to its surface. They are also poisonous, but their weak jaws cannot bite through the skin. These small yellow-brown centipedes, 3-4 cm long, are found in the steppes and gardens up to the latitude of Moscow, that is, much north of the real centipedes. But in the tropics their diversity is much greater and they are colored bluish, greenish, reddish, yellow, and violet.

The California green centipede (Scolopendra heros) is diurnal, and when disturbed, it secretes a substance that irritates the skin if the centipede runs over the body, scratching it with its claws. By the way, when our ringed scolopendra runs along the hand, it tingles the body with its claws and leaves red dots on it, which, however, quickly disappear.

The Vietnamese scolopendra otostigmus (Otostigmus aculeatus) secretes a luminescent liquid with the smell of phosphorus - it causes severe burns, skin inflammation.

Some African centipedes can make chirping and crackling noises with their rear pairs of legs, which scares away enemies, such as centipedes rhizidae, alipes, and South African centipedes. Interestingly, they themselves do not react to sound.

Small relatives of scolopendras - drupes (Lithobiomorpha) are widespread. In the Caucasus, cases are described when they accidentally got into the stomach along with fruit or crawled into the nose of a sleeping person. But this happens rarely. More northern drupes lead an inconspicuous terrestrial lifestyle. Sometimes they are found in cities near the damp foundations of houses. Drupes feed on small soil inhabitants: nematode worms, oligochaetes, and beetle larvae. They also have poison glands, but their jaws cannot pierce human skin.

Among the predatory centipedes, the scutigera flycatcher (Scutigera coleoptrata) with 15 pairs of long legs and long antennae is also noticeable. She runs along walls and hunts flies and other small insects. The flycatcher has many eyes; their clusters resemble the compound eyes of insects and are apparently used for hunting. The flycatcher is more adapted to dry air than other centipedes and is more often found during the day, although in hot, sundial still hiding in a shelter. At the same time, it can be active at more low temperatures than many insects - this helps her in hunting. Now the flycatcher has become rare in Crimea and is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

In general, centipedes suffer greatly from the massive use of pesticides. But let's hope that they will still remain in the future as an essential element of the soil fauna.

Centipedes living in our southern regions, as a rule, do not bite, but, nevertheless, if this “cute insect” runs over a person’s body, it will not bring much joy, since scalding mucus will remain on the skin. Unfortunately, this creature is active at night, loves to crawl into residential buildings (well, as they say, it’s a sin not to crawl into tourist tents) and hide in a secluded place. During the day, she strives to hide somewhere under a stone, in small cracks in the soil or in burrows. In general, in most cases scolopendras are not too aggressive.

If she defends herself, she can jump high and run away quite quickly. Sometimes, if you accidentally press down or pick it up, it can bite. True, scolopendra rarely bites; usually it is limited to scalding mucus. One pair of scolopendra legs forms the so-called jaws with claws, connected to poisonous glands. The hind pair of legs are special dragging legs that help cling to clods of soil.

Scolopendra is a good hunter. Although she spends most of her time underground, and, accordingly, her vision is impaired big problems, but she has an excellent sense of touch. The victims are earthworms, beetles, and larvae. On the ground surface it attacks flying insects, such as wasps or flies. Large species of scolopendra living in the tropics can prey on birds, lizards and frogs.

True, scolopendra never stays long on an open surface; it is much more comfortable in the ground. There she moves much faster than on the surface. Various small insects, also tending to various cracks in the soil, often end up as scolopendra's lunch. Having grabbed a potential victim with its front legs, the scolopendra plunges its poisonous jaws into it and begins to slowly chew. In general, the process of eating by scolopendra is very, very long. After each meal she takes a short break. It cleans itself often and a lot, passing its legs and antennae on both sides, alternately, through the mandibles.

In our country, centipedes are found in the south. Fortunately, of the more than six hundred species of scolopendra that exist on globe, living in our country, as well as in Crimea and Transcaucasia, do not pose any particular danger. The most common species in our south is the ringed scolopendra (Scolopendra cingulata), measuring approximately 10 centimeters. The most unpleasant time for encounters with scolopendra in the south of Russia and Crimea is spring and autumn.

Scolopendras are especially poisonous in the spring. Most species of scolopendra live in the tropics, and, as a rule, they are poisonous and can pose a real danger to humans. For example, the Vietnamese scolopendra secretes mucus with the smell of phosphorus, which causes the most severe burns and inflammation of the skin. The green Californian scolopendra is also poisonous.

The largest centipedes live in Australia and Brazil - purple, red and yellow color. They can reach a length of up to 30 centimeters. In an adult, scolopendra bites usually cause focal local swelling; bites of some tropical scolopendra species can also cause an increase in temperature. Naturally, for people with weakened bodies and for children, as well as people prone to allergic reactions, scolopendra bites can cause much more harm. There are known deaths, for example, in the Philippines, a seven-year-old child died from a scolopendra bite to the head.

If you are bitten or burned by a scolopendra, you must go to the nearest hospital as soon as possible, after, if possible, treating the affected area with alcohol and applying a sterile bandage.

And here are some other cockroaches: or Here is another beauty -

Scolopendras are not the most pleasant creatures. And no one is safe from meeting them. Many species of these arthropods are poisonous, and some have adapted to live very close to us - in apartments.

Forcipules

Scientists have counted 8,000 species of different scolopendras living in different parts of the planet. These centipedes are the only arthropods in which the legs of the first segment are not intended for walking. It's about about special appendages, the so-called forcipules, which have poisonous claws.

That is why their appearance causes deserved fear in people. Writers and screenwriters turn to the image of centipedes to make their works more creepy. For example, the American writer William Seward Burroughs, in his novels “Cities of the Red Night”, “The Space of the Dead Roads” and “The Western Lands”, called the centipede an absolute evil. The movie "King Kong" (2005) shows how huge centipedes attacked travelers.

Poisonous creature

Depending on the species and age, a scolopendra bite can have a variety of consequences for a person, including death. Moreover, females are more poisonous than males.

Fortunately, deadly centipedes are not found in Russia. But scolopendras, which live in the Crimea, in particular on Tarkhankut, can indeed sting very painfully.

“A centipede about thirteen centimeters crawled into my sneaker at Cape Sarych,” said local resident Alexander. - I tore off my shoes in an instant from the pain without untying the laces. A bee bite compared to a scolopendra is about the same as a mosquito bite compared to a wasp. The temperature remained high for two days.”

Is it a centipede?

How many legs does the centipede, sometimes called the centipede, actually have? Judging by the name, which has taken root among the common people, forty. Meanwhile, depending on the species, these arthropods can have from 15 to 171 body segments and the same number of pairs of legs. However, in any case, they always have an odd number of pairs of legs, so in reality centipedes do not occur in nature.

Predators

By nature, all centipedes are predators. Small - feed on other invertebrates, mollusks and annelids. More large species, living in the tropics, are able to eat a frog and even small birds. Having attacked the victim, centipedes wrap themselves around the prey and wait for the poison to begin to act. Only after this do they start eating.

Even those centipedes that live in our homes - Scutigera coleoptrata - are also predators, and they feed on flies, cockroaches, spiders, bedbugs and other domestic insects. They are often called common flycatchers. These are, as a rule, four-centimeter, 15-segmented centipedes that run very quickly from people. They can only be removed with sticky traps or by eliminating moisture in the house.

Long-lived arthropods

Compared to most other arthropods, centipedes are long-lived. There are many species that live for two to three years. This is also surprising because centipedes grow throughout their lives, unlike other insects in which growth stops with puberty.

Another unique ability of these creatures is regeneration. lost legs, for example, after a bird attack. True, new pairs grow after molting. In this case, the regenerated legs are shorter than the old legs.

Loving mothers

Typically, arthropod insects, with rare exceptions, are irresponsible parents. It is believed that maternal love is inherent in more developed animals.

However, scientists were surprised to discover that scolopendras have a maternal instinct. For example, soil scolopendras Geophilomorpha and tropical look centipedes Scolopendromorpha guard the egg mass until the larvae emerge. However, here too scolopendras have amazing properties that are practically not found in the rest of the animal world. Some of them reproduce without the participation of a male - that is, parthenogenetically. These are the centipedes that live in Crimea.

Giant scolopendras

On the islands of Jamaica and Trinidad, as well as in some places in South America, there live giant centipedes, which can have a length of 26 cm. However, a thirty-centimeter centipede was found in Australia. It is known about these insects that they eat for a very long time so as not to harm themselves by overeating and often take breaks in the process of devouring the victim. After eating, these centipedes carefully clean their jaws with their antennae.

Scolopendra is an amazing armored insect belonging to the genus of labiopods or arthropod centipedes. Who are the “lipopods”? This is a subclass of insects, also called chilopoda, they usually have a large number of legs, like the centipede.

Appearance and varieties

Scolopendra resembles a long, thick worm, usually brown or black, sometimes with a hint of green, whose body consists of segments (about twenty or more pieces) and has many pairs of legs extending from each such segment. The first pair of legs of the scolopendra are the so-called maxillae., which are designed to grab the victim.

Externally scolopendra different types may differ slightly in color or functional features. For example, at blind scolopendra very weak jaws, so it will not even be able to bite through human skin, although a bird that inadvertently eats such an insect will receive a sufficient amount of poison to soon die. U centipede flycatchers, on the contrary, the eyes are very developed, and the adaptability to a dry climate is higher than that of the others.

And here is the Vietnamese scolopendra ostigmus(Otostigmus aculeatus) emits a luminescent liquid with the smell of phosphorus, which causes quite severe burns. There are also such African centipedes(rhisids, alipes), which are able to use their hind legs to make a chirping sound that scares away other insects and enemies, but has no effect on representatives of their species.

Distribution in nature and habitats

Now scientists know about six hundred species of centipedes. They love warm climates, so they live mainly in the tropics (for example, in Australia), but sometimes they are found in colder climates.

The largest representative of its species is giant centipede with a body length of about 30 cm. It lives in western South America, as well as in Thailand and Jamaica.

Smaller insects also live in colder climates; for example, the Crimean fauna includes a large number of these centipedes. Scolopendras try to spend less time on the surface of the earth, especially in dry climates, since deficiencies in the covering of their bodies do not allow them to retain vital moisture inside for a long time - it evaporates very quickly. This is why they prefer moist, shady places.

Scolopendra is popularly called the centipede. These arthropods can have from 15 to 171 body segments, or from 30 to 342 legs. But they always have an odd number of pairs of legs, so in reality centipedes do not occur in nature.

Scolopendras live much longer than most arthropods. Many species live up to 2-3 years. Surprisingly, they grow throughout life.

Poison and hunting

Scolopendras are predators. The front jaws of this insect are connected to poisonous glands, so that when capturing a victim, they release this poison into its body. The venom contains substances such as histamine, acetylocholine, serotonin, thermolysins, hyaluronidase, but it is always used sparingly: scolopendra does not bite everyone.

This insect can hunt both underground, climbing into numerous passages dug by other insects and animals, and on the ground, attacking grasshoppers and even frogs. By the way, they can also fight among themselves, and the fight most often goes to the death!

Note! Even if the centipede does not bite a person, but only crawls across the skin, the mucus it leaves behind can cause severe burns (this applies to the ringed subspecies)!

A bite from a tropical centipede can be fatal (over the last hundred years, only three such deaths have been officially registered), but if you encounter this militant insect in our latitudes and receive a bite, you should not worry too much, since the poisonous liquid of these species causes only only swelling of the skin and pain that goes away after a couple of hours. However, you still need to be careful and not expose yourself to unnecessary danger when encountering a centipede: you can never be 100% sure that a bite will not cause a fever and an increase in temperature or a severe allergic reaction.

How to protect yourself from scolopendra bites and what to do after?

Since this insect does not potentially “hunt” people, you should not underestimate it at the moment of fright: in a state of fear, it can just begin to bite, defending itself. Based on this, anyone can protect themselves from its bites by following a few simple rules:

• When camping with a tent, carefully check its insides before going to bed.
• Close the tents tightly so that no insects can get inside.
• In the morning, carefully inspect your clothes and shoes if you spent the night in the forest or in other natural places where the described centipedes may be encountered.
• If you decide to get a scolopendra, how pet, do not touch it with bare hands, use gloves or tongs.

If you still cannot avoid the bite, take the following actions:

1. Wash the affected area with water and disinfectant.
2. Apply a sterile dressing.
3. If the venom causes severe pain, apply a cold compress.
4. Provide rest to the person who has been bitten.
5. Be sure to make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
6. Go to the hospital.

Reproduction and lifespan

A favorable time for multi-legged insects to reproduce is mid-spring. Only the female can participate in the process of fertilization of eggs (this phenomenon is called “parthenogenesis”): she lays eggs and after hatching small centipedes, which at first look like worms, crawls away after a few days.

On a note! Scolopendra's life in natural conditions has not been fully studied, but in captivity (in an apartment) this insect lives up to seven years!

Scolopendra in dreams and on the body...

On a note. If you dream of a scolopendra, take a close look at the people who surround you: perhaps among them there is your hidden enemy or a person who is posing as someone else, that is, simply deceiving you.

Moreover, a large number of such insects in a dream foreshadows the loss of money, and if you crush one of them, this portends victory over the enemy (enemies). And if you saw in a dream how scolopendras bite you, this means that someone is “vampiring” your life energy in reality.

Interesting! A scolopendra tattoo usually means “Careful, I’m dangerous, don’t come near me!”

Video

The giant centipede belongs to the genus of labiopods, the centipede family. These are nocturnal arthropods that spend most of their lives underground. They are loners, but if they encounter their own kind, they usually scatter in different directions.

In rare cases, they show aggression and bite each other, in which case the meeting ends in death for one of the parties. Females are considered especially poisonous.
At night, centipedes go out hunting for invertebrates and their larvae; there are known cases of attacks on lizards, small birds, even bats. They kill the victim by plunging their poisonous jaws into its body and wrapping it around their long body.

The breeding season is late spring - early summer, usually these creatures lay eggs after mating, some species can reproduce without the participation of males.

Natural enemies in nature include cats, foxes, rats, rooks, geckos and snakes.

Appearance

The body length of the giant scolopendra is on average 26 cm, it is divided into a head and a long body consisting of many (21-23) segments. On the head there are jaws equipped with poisonous spines.

Her eyes have a simple structure, so they see poorly; her vision is replaced by touch and smell. Each segment of the body has a pair of legs; the rear pair drags, clinging to clods of earth, thus helping with movement.

The color depends on the habitat: from lemon yellow to red-brown, in some countries the color can be green or blue.

Habitat

As already mentioned, scolopendras spend most of their time underground in a hole, besides this, their favorite places- shadow under stones, fallen trees, in rocks. They prefer to live in subtropical and tropical climate with good air humidity. Giant individuals live in South America, on Jamaica, and the island of Trinidad.

Types of centipedes

Ringed- 14-17 cm in length, can be black, olive, orange and brownish. The species is distributed in Turkey, Spain, Italy, the south of France, Israel, Crimea, and North Africa.
- up to 18 cm, lives in Central America, the Virgin and Hawaiian Islands, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, the Antilles, and northern South America. Color: black head, dark green body with a blue tint, other individuals have a red head, olive body.
- up to 20 cm, color: burgundy with brown, yellow-green, orange, red. Live in North America.
- up to 13 cm, orange, yellow or olive in color, head and limbs red, common in the USA and Algeria.
- up to 13 cm, in pet stores it is presented as “Texas tiger”, “striped tiger”. Lives in North America, has a bright, varied color.
- about 20 cm, inhabits the tropics of Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, orange-brown color.

Did you know? Scientists of antiquity, such as Aristotle, Claudius Aelian, Ulysses Androvandi, described the scolopendra as a terrible sea ​​monster with hairy nostrils the size of a whale.

In captivity, centipedes live for about six to seven years, reproduce well, but it is advisable to remove the young, as cases of cannibalism have been observed.

Nutrition

Centipede diet:

• defrosted mice,
• crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches;
• shrimp, scallops;
• small fish.

Important! At home, scolopendra is practically omnivorous, but it cannot be given more than five, for example, crickets per week, due to its digestive characteristics.

Arrangement of the terrarium

For the ward, you need to choose a terrarium that will significantly exceed its length, the approximate dimensions, not counting the height of the soil, are 30x40x30 cm. Peat and sand are used as soil, preferably the presence of living plants, you can place a couple of large stones and driftwood.

The top of the terrarium must be closed so that the pet does not escape. It is imperative to place a container of water; the depth should allow the centipede to submerge in the water, but not drown. Content temperature: +25 °C...+27 °C. To maintain the required humidity, part of the substrate must be moistened regularly.

Rules

Scolopendra is not a pet that can be caressed, stroked and squeezed. Not having good eyesight, she may perceive you as an enemy and bite. Its bite is not fatal to humans, but very painful. Its venom causes swelling, temperature and fever symptoms. The mucus that it secretes from the glands is also poisonous and causes skin burns.

Important! Since the effect of the poison is destroyed under the influence high temperatures and ethers, you should immediately treat a bite or burn with alcohol, you can disinfect it with a solution of potassium permanganate and apply a sterile bandage, then be sure to see a doctor.

Scolopendra and man

Centipede venom is used in Chinese medicine to treat rheumatic pain, skin and kidney diseases. In the cuisine of some Asian and African countries, scolopendra, strung on a stick and fried, is a delicacy for tourists and a common dish for locals.

There have been no reported deaths from arthropod bites, except for one case in the Philippines. There, a seven-year-old child died from the poison; the bite hit his head. From this we can conclude: a danger still exists if the victim has a weakened or insufficiently strong immune system, he is susceptible to allergic reactions if he is not provided with qualified assistance in a timely manner.

Did you know? In China there is a legend about the dragon king Lung Wang. One day he fell ill, and no one could heal him until one of the healers discovered a centipede behind the dragon's scales. The doctor removed the centipede and anointed the burn with ointment; as a sign of gratitude, the dragon king promised to send people favorable weather. Until now, Healing Day is celebrated every year in China; during the holiday, a dragon dance is always performed.

A passion for exotic things can lead to undesirable consequences, so before getting pets like scolopendra, you should think carefully. If you do decide, follow safety precautions in your behavior with such a pet “animal”.

Good morning! Not long ago, my brother lived in a rented apartment, it was on the first floor. As fall approached, he noticed millipedes appearing in the kitchen and bathroom. When I came to visit him, I also witnessed the presence of this insect.

To be honest, there is very little that is pleasant, its appearance is frightening, and even a bunch of legs that move very quickly. There was no strength to tolerate the presence of centipedes; at first they were caught one by one, but they appeared again. After reading information about centipedes, I learned that there are a very large number of them and some of them are poisonous.

Having applied the material I had read, I advised my brother how to get rid of them and after a couple of days everything was successful. In this article you will learn: is scolopendra dangerous for humans, what types exist, how to treat bites and how to deal with it in the house.

Is scolopendra dangerous for humans: general characteristics

There are different points of view regarding the toxicity of centipedes. It all depends on the specific species. Flycatchers are quite harmless, even if their poison gets on the skin, it does not more dangerous than a bite bees. But the larger brothers are more dangerous.

They live in grass and forests, reach large sizes, and have bright colors. Venom glands are located on the sides of the body. Therefore, skin contact with the legs causes burns. However, the bite is not fatal to humans.

But it can cause a lot of unpleasant minutes:

• There is redness at the site of the bite.
• Blisters form.
• Pain and swelling appear.

Centipede is considered poisonous insects, capable of causing minor harm to the human body. The jaws of arthropods have a special sharp claw, curved inward, as well as a canal for a gland containing poison.

The tip of the claw has a small hole through which poisonous substance gets inside the victim.

Scolopendra venom has a paralytic effect; when injected into the victim’s body, it causes severe pain, inflammatory process and tissue swelling. Centipedes are considered to be the longest-livers among other insects; cases have been recorded when scolopendra lived for about 7 years in captivity.

Source: "otravlen.ru; zveri.guru"

Where can you get a bite?

Giant aggressive centipedes live only in hot countries, so meeting them is possible during a trip to these parts. In the territory Russian Federation Some species of arthropods are found. Live in Rostov region, in the Caucasus, Krasnodar, Crimea.

The most common type of centipede is the Crimean centipede, which has a yellow-golden color and a body length of no more than 15 cm. This type of arthropod has distinctive feature: insects are able to reproduce without the participation of individuals of the other sex.