The Giant Red-Headed Centipede...
Early one morning, about a week ago, Parker and Carrie had gone outside to catch the bus. Suddenly the front door flew open and Parker came running in the house out of breath and extremely excited.
No time for dilly-dallying. The bus was on its way. He rifled through the kitchen cabinet and produced a plastic container and quickly ran outside.
Soon, he was back in the house with his prize.
A Giant Red-Headed Centipede.
*YIKES*
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When I saw it I was totally dismayed that such a creature could be living in my yard.
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Yes, these guys are predators and are venomous. They can be life-threatening to a small child or if you have a bee-sting allergy.
It has been reported that the feet of this centipede can cause lacerations on your skin. I can only imagine. His feet look like talons!
Some may not know how to tell the difference between a millipede and a centipede. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment while millipedes have two pair.
While the Giant Red-Headed Centipede is considered to be a "good" creature to have around because it does hunt and eat large prey, I do not consider anything that is venomous to be welcome at my house. Especially if it is an aggressive creature which this centipede is known for.
Fortunately, this centipede succumbed on his own without any intervention on my part. I think it was ill, injured, or dying when Parker found it because they are known to stay on the ground and are very, very fast. Parker found this centipede on the side of our house and was able to capture it easily. It wasn't long after he had caught it that the centipede started to act strangely and roll over on its back.
Here is a link to a YouTube video of a Giant Red-Headed Centipede eating a young mouse.
And here is a science video of another variety of centipede hunting and capturing a tarantula.
These videos are examples of how strong and aggressive of a hunter they are, so don't watch these videos if you're squeamish.
later...
Species Scolopendra heros - Giant Redheaded Centipede
Giant redheaded centipede
No time for dilly-dallying. The bus was on its way. He rifled through the kitchen cabinet and produced a plastic container and quickly ran outside.
Soon, he was back in the house with his prize.
A Giant Red-Headed Centipede.
*YIKES*
.jpg)
When I saw it I was totally dismayed that such a creature could be living in my yard.
.jpg)
Yes, these guys are predators and are venomous. They can be life-threatening to a small child or if you have a bee-sting allergy.
It has been reported that the feet of this centipede can cause lacerations on your skin. I can only imagine. His feet look like talons!
Some may not know how to tell the difference between a millipede and a centipede. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment while millipedes have two pair.
While the Giant Red-Headed Centipede is considered to be a "good" creature to have around because it does hunt and eat large prey, I do not consider anything that is venomous to be welcome at my house. Especially if it is an aggressive creature which this centipede is known for.
Fortunately, this centipede succumbed on his own without any intervention on my part. I think it was ill, injured, or dying when Parker found it because they are known to stay on the ground and are very, very fast. Parker found this centipede on the side of our house and was able to capture it easily. It wasn't long after he had caught it that the centipede started to act strangely and roll over on its back.
Here is a link to a YouTube video of a Giant Red-Headed Centipede eating a young mouse.
And here is a science video of another variety of centipede hunting and capturing a tarantula.
These videos are examples of how strong and aggressive of a hunter they are, so don't watch these videos if you're squeamish.
later...
Species Scolopendra heros - Giant Redheaded Centipede
Giant redheaded centipede
Labels: Backyard, Critters, Kids, Photographs, Texas Hill Country
posted by It's me, T.J. at Monday, May 26, 2008
8 Comments:
OH.
MY.
GOD.
That's what I thought!
;+ )
TJ,
I am squeamish so I won't be checking out those videos, thank you very much ;-)
That is truly one large bug *ewwww*
Hey Patti!!
I'm glad that I put a warning there then!
T.J.
Thanks for the info. I just found one of these in the upstairs hallway. It was alive but is no more. A blow to the head with a hammer did the trick. The other two of these I've found in the house were already dead (thank you Mr. Bugman). Just so you know, I do have a catch and release policy when it come to spiders and lizards in my house...it is not extended to these things or scoprions.
Candy outside Boerne
Hey Candy...
You're welcome.
They are quite "unnerving" when you happen upon them aren't they?!
later...
i think one of those things just went into the wall next to our room... oh my gosh... i dont think ill be able to sleep... arg
I catch one or two of these a year, here in Tulsa, OK. There's a youtube video out there that, no kidding, shows one of these things attacking and killing a SNAKE several times it's size! YIKES!
No other thing on earth makes me wanna scream KILL IT IN FIRE! as much as these things do! But I don't kill them. We keep one as a pet in an aquarium. All the kids go "Eeeew!" when they see it eating crickets. ;-)
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