another of my creepy crawlies

[reverendsterlin]

Never had any desire to touch this lol.
http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/272picture12.jpg
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[Ginger]

what is it?
:confused:

[reverendsterlin]

ooopppsss sorry Scolopendra h. arizonensis. fast, aggressive, and toxic lol

[SilverTongue]

Centapede? Where are they native? So I know not to live ther

[reverendsterlin]

You'll find them in Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern California. Texas has it's own species that is just slightly different lol

[lance]

how big does that thing get rev

[Linds]

Too cool!

[reverendsterlin]

this one is about 7-8 inches (not easy to measure lol) and mostly full grown, it has been nearly a year since it's last molt. It gets the occassional 1 day old mouse pick for something different and chows crickets the rest of the time.

[sparkon16]

cool..i have seen ppl(crazy ppl) actually hold those things. It's pretty crazy when u feed them they can sting with every leg so they role the mouse over all of their legs.

[snakedude_03]

cool.. real neat...

[reverendsterlin]

the centipede has a pair of venom ingecting claws located just behind the mouth and a caustic substance can be released to drip down the other legs when threatened or excited.

[reverendsterlin]

Here is a little excerpt of general reaction, Scolopendra just happens to be the most potent one.

"* Patients may complain of the following:, Severe pain, Local tissue swelling, Redness, Swollen painful lymph nodes, Headache, Palpitations, Nausea and/or vomiting, Anxiety

Physical: Local edema, Erythema, Lymphangitis and/or lymphadenopathy, Possibility of local necrosis, Significant pain and/or anxiety possible

The venom delivery apparatus consists of a modified pair of front legs (ie, forcipules) just behind the mandibles. Venom is produced in a gland at the base of the forcipules and is injected through ducts when the forcipules are driven into the victim's tissues. The venom has not been studied extensively but, at least in some species, contains 5-hydroxytryptamine. The venom of the North American giant desert centipede, Scolopendra heros, contains a cytolysin. In addition to venom, some species exude defensive substances from glands found along the body segments. These secretions are usually nontoxic to humans, although at least one species of the genus Otostigmus secretes a vesicating substance." ( Author: Robert Norris, MD, Chief, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center)

[Nikki Gervais]

Cool lookin critters however I would never keep one, they just dont interest me like Ts, scorps and pedes. Oh well. :rolleyes: