Talk:Centipede

Chilopoda

Meaning of Chilopoda

What is the meaning of Chilopoda (I don't mean the definition; I mean the meaning (e.g. "centipede" means "100 feet".) 66.245.108.234 19:51, 6 Aug 2004 (UTC)

100 legs

I heard that nobody has ever actually found a centipede that had 100 legs, yet that contradicts "they only rarely have 100 legs". Anyone know of a source for either side? violet/riga (t) 23:11, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I think what the writer means is that centipedes rarely have *as many* as 100 legs.

Harmful to people

Are centipedes harmful to people? They creep me out, especially after reading this article. I just found one in my bathroom sink. It came up the drain, but could not climb the sides of the sink. I managed to trap it in a pickle jar and release it outside. If me a a note on my talk page, if you when you reply to my questions. I normally don't read these kinds of articles --whicky1978 June 29, 2005 02:44 (UTC)

I came here to ask the same thing. I know centipedes are -harmful-, in that they can inflict a nasty wound if you're bitten (witnessed it firsthand in a biology class I took a few years ago in college, I LOLed though), but is there a species of centipede that is deadly to humans? I figure a centipede couldn't possibly do more harm than a black widow spider (if you're healthy and not a child or elderly I think you have about a 95% chance of surviving a widow bite), but then again, I wouldn't rule out some freaky deadly centipede species being a possibility in Australia, where it seems every animal there is a hardcore version of what you'd find everywhere else. --69.234.223.139 21:40, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Centipedes are not deadly to people, even elderly and young. The venom instead inflicts pain and is designed to paralize the victims. The giant centipedes are by far the most poisonous, the scolopendra subspinipes from china/thailand /malaysia/ vietnam region having the worst bite. Reports of bites often involve extreme pain which requires hospitolization for pain control (though percocet and morphine are known to have little effect on centipede venom) as well as local swelling and sometimes skin necrosis. The exception is severe allergic reaction to the venom which is rare. Regardless, i am told it is not a pleasant experience. A good rule of thumb is that strength of the venom scales with the size of the centipede. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.17.100.227 (talk • contribs) .

I beg to differ...check out this article..towards the bottom of the page....----> http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/sheros.html

Good Lord! That thing looks downright diabolical.

A rare instance perhaps, but proof that these hideous creatures are indeed potentially dangerous.

I read that before but the case has no documentation and happened over 100 years ago. It sounds very much like an allergic reaction as well. The Heros type of centipede is one of the less venemous giant centipedes, though they have a very aggressive disposition. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tservo100 (talk • contribs) .

I disagree extremely to having the centipede under the "kept as pets" category. The ones people usually keep as pets are the kind that can be extremely tempermental. It is a bad idea to have it there, as it might promote the use of them as pets.

Centipede bites

I have checked the effects of centipede bites out pretty thoroughly. I have heard rumours of one person dying - in Australia - but have been totally unable to get confirmation of that. Reports on several bites by the giant Scolopendra gigantea in Trinidad (these were oral reports from my father who was a general practitioner in Trinidad for many years and had several patients come in with bites - that's him in the B&W photo on the main page holding a dead one up) were that the pain ranged from the intensity of a wasp sting to much worse - and lasted longer - up to several days. Ice-packs help relieve the pain.

I have gathered similar first-hand reports on several bites from the large Australasian Ethmostigmus rubripes where I live now, here in Cooktown, Australia. A couple of people didn't think the bites were that bad at all, whereas a couple said the pain was "severe."

However, one might expect that occasionally someone will suffer anaphylactic shock and could die (as with bee and wasp stings) - so they should always be treated with caution. It is worth remembering too that Scolopendra gigantea hunts small bats in caves which seem to die fairly quickly after being bitten.

Finally, I always recommend that people avoid poking at centipedes as they can very quickly run up a stick and bite you (this happened to a child here recently in the Botanic Gardens in Cooktown). If you must move them, use something really slippery that they can't get a grip on - like a long steel fork, tongs or a big screwdriver. They can be kept in any container with slippery sides - a large plastic storage box is great - but be sure to put some mulch and a bit of bark in for the centipede to hide under during the day. If you want to photograph them - or examine them - a spell in a refrigerator (not the freezer!!) really slows them down. However, they are not nearly as dreadful or dangerous as they look - there are many far more poisonous critters out there in the wilds - not to mention that most fierce and dangerous creature of all - humans! John Hill 08:13, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Check this out

K. this has nothing to do with the article, but I just thought I'd put it up. Starship troopers. Hella creepy ! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CL2hetqpfg&eurl= Teccen 09:50, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Centipede infestation

HI...My house is infested with centipedes, and I was just wondering if you knew if the size of the centipede determines the intensity of the bite? Our centipedes are pretty large...maybe averaging at about 3 inches or so....do you think those are harmful? Thank you

Depends on the species: how do they look like and by the way, where do you live (Europe, America, Africa, Australia?) Kaarel 20:13, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

Could they be house centipedes? If so, they don't often bite humans, but when they do it is similar to a bee sting. They can actually be beneficial, eating other pests, but I think they look creepy as all hell and in your position I'd call an exterminator. Gary 20:30, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

I think they are house centipedes...but they are just huge and creepy. I am from the US...I know they eat other pests...but frankly I would rather have the other pests I think. We are trying to get over the counter bug killer stuff because we are just college kids renting an old house and our landlords won't do anything about them. Do you know any good over the counter stuff? We have tried home defense max and it seems to have helped a little, but I really am hoping to find something that will get rid of the problem completely if at all possible.

I just read that if you sprinkle borax around the edges of rooms, centipedes will go away. You can find borax in the laundry aisle of supermarkets.

Thank you very much...I will have to try that.

Silk

I have seen centipedes (6" or so in length, orange in color) hanging from silk strands in Florida forests. Can anyone offer any information on their silk-producing abilities? – Autodidact 20:21, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

That sounds bizarre. Did you take a picture? I live in Florida, and I've never seen them do that. I've seen all sorts of insects hanging from Spanish moss, and there's a lot of spiders making webs, but I rarely encounter a centipede, let alone a hanged centipede. Gary 15:09, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

Alas, no pictures. But I have dug up a few mentions of centipede silk-spinning online:

"Silk-spinning appears to be an adaptation of terrestrialized—that is, land—arthropods. Modern spiders, pseudoscorpions, some insects, most centipedes, some millipedes, and spider mites produce silk."[1]

"Male centipedes usually spin a small web onto which they deposit a sperm packet for the female to pick up."[2]

"Some centipede species can produce silk. Mainly they use silk only during mating and capturing prey."[3]

– Autodidact 21:50, 18 August 2006 (UTC)

So maybe they hang upside down and grab insects and things that fly by? I know praying mantids can catch hummingbirds in flight, maybe centipedes can do something similar? Gary 02:58, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

25" Galapagos

I saw the website claiming the centipede can reach that length but i don't believe it. Two individuals i know keep galapagos centipedes which are just under 8" and are adults

Mythology

"In Japanese mythology, heroes battle with giant centipedes. Even at mundane sizes, centipedes are often thought to be connected with the world of the dead." I have moved the above entry here until it's more specific, and properly referenced. Phonemonkey 17:32, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Size

In the section "Size" we find the statement: Scolopendra gigantea, also known as the Amazonian giant centipede, is the largest extant species of centipede in the world, reaching over 30 cm (12 inches) in length. It is known to eat gorillas, catching them during tea partys, as well as rodents and spiders. I did not even know that gorillas went to tea parties! This is what WP so interesting and informative! Hi There 13:01, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

I removed that vandalism. Next time you come across something like that, feel free to remove it yourself. One tip: obvious spelling mistakes are often a dead give-away ("partys"). IronChris | (talk) 18:41, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

External links

I assume the links I added regarding centipede maternal care were removed as spam? This very interesting behavior ought to be documented somehow. How should this be done? Drutt 05:37, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Lock for edits

Recommend this page be locked for editing to new/unsigned users. There have been several occurances of vandalism. HonoluluGuy 01:48, 25 April 2007 (UTC)