Scolopendra giant: description and photo. What does the skolopendra look like?

Giant skolopendra is included in the list of the most dangerous animals. In addition, it has a repulsive appearance and has one unpleasant feature - absolutely not afraid of people. It is a cold-blooded predator who hunts not only on small invertebrates and beetles, but also on lizards, birds, mice and frogs.

Types of scolopendra

In the world there are about 600 species of these predators. They belong to the genus of the legged leggings of the Scolopendrovye order. Bright representatives of these animals - Californian skolopendra, ringed and scolopendra Lucas. The first reaches 20 centimeters in length and is found in arid regions of Mexico and the USA. This species has one unpleasant feature - in an anxious state the animal causes inflammation of the human skin in the place of its contact with the extremities of this centipede. At rest, the Californian scolopendra is not dangerous.

Ringed scolopendra is found in the countries of the Mediterranean basin, in Southern Europe, North Africa and southern Russia. It is widespread in the Crimea. The average body length is 14 centimeters, but some individuals reach 170 millimeters. This species has a beautiful golden yellow color. Like other representatives of the family Scolopendridae, ringed scolopendra has poisonous glands.

The largest of the millipedes - Scolopendra gigantea

Giant skolopendra, reaching an average of 25-26 centimeters, is the largest representative of the family Scolopendridae. Cases of catching animals with a length of 30 centimeters are described. The habitat of this predator is the tropical forests of Central and South America, the islands of Trinidad and Jamaica, Venezuela.

Lifestyle

Scolopendra is giant, like all other representatives of the genus of millipedes, is thermophilic and lives exclusively in countries with warm or tropical climate. It is a night predator, which uncomfortably feels like a day in the open spaces. All scolopends run very fast, but the giant is very fast.

Skolopendra live mostly underground or in shelters, because their body does not have strong protection and quickly loses moisture.

Hunt she prefers on small underground invertebrates: larvae, earthworms and beetles. Scolopendra giant can catch and kill a small lizard, a frog, a bird, a mouse and even a small snake. Catching predator and bats. For this, she climbs to the ceiling where the victim sleeps, clings to the surface with several claws, and attacks her forelegs, wrapping the bat and injecting poison into it.

Scolopends are bright individualists and prefer to live alone. However, the meeting of the two males most often occurs quite peacefully. In this species of millipedes cannibalism occurs. Most often this occurs in captivity, when a hungry adult is able to eat young. In nature, this happens rarely.

Anatomy

The body of the scolopendra consists of two parts: the head and the long trunk. It is divided into segments. Their number varies from 21 to 23. All of them are equipped with a pair of legs of light yellow color, which end with a pointed spike. Their average length is 2.5 centimeters. Each of them has a poisonous gland. Therefore, when the legs of the scolopendra come into contact with the skin of a person, inflammation occurs.

The head is a plate with eyes, two antennae and a pair of jaws. In the course of evolution, the legs of the first segment of the trunk of scolopendra turned into poisonous claws.

It differs from the rest and the last pair of legs - they are larger in size and directed backwards. The hind legs help the animal when traveling on earthen burrows and during hunting, performing the role of a kind of anchor.

Scolopendra giant has a beautiful copper-red or brown color. Color can range from yellowish to red, blue, green and purple. The color of the animal changes with age, and even in individuals of one species it can differ significantly.

The body of the predator consists of plates that are connected together by flexible membranes and protected by an exoskeleton. Scolopendra giant - the animal is spineless. A chitinous exoskeleton that does not grow, this species of centipede, like many invertebrates, has to be dropped from time to time. This process is called molting.

Maintenance and care

Scolopendra is gigantic, the bite of which is extremely painful for a person, is often kept in captivity by lovers of millipedes. It is interesting to observe it, but it needs to be kept with caution - it is a fast and aggressive animal. It is better for inexperienced fans to abandon such a dangerous "domestic" pet because of the very likely possibility of being bitten. Since skolopendra are flat and flexible, they can squeeze into a small gap and escape from the terrarium. They live in captivity for a long time - up to 7 years.

It is necessary to maintain a relatively high humidity of soil and air - animals are very sensitive to this indicator.

Feed skolopendra in captivity by cockroaches, larvae of flour mushrooms and crickets. They eat slowly and infrequently. It is recommended to give them food 1-2 times a week.

Giant skolopendra: the threat of meeting with a centipede

The danger of these predators is greatly exaggerated. All scolopends have poisonous glands producing poison, but many of them are harmless to humans, because they simply can not bite the skin. These are crypts, or blind scolopends, and drupes. A flycatcher living in houses can only bite for the purpose of self-defense. Most often her jaws can not be bitten by the skin. But if this happened, the bite by force will be equal to the bee.

What does the skolopendra look like? It depends on the kind of centipede. When biting the skin, the animal secretes a poison that causes burning, pain and swelling. The bite may also be accompanied by nausea and dizziness.

The poison of giant scolopendra is especially toxic. It causes a strong puffiness (the hand can swell up to the shoulder) and heat. These symptoms persist for several days.

The only documented case of death from a scolopendra bite is the death of the child from Scolopendra subspinipes. This species has several names: Chinese, Vietnamese or orange skolopendra.

Some species of these predators in the disturbed state secrete a protective liquid that, when in contact with the skin, causes burns. This feature is, for example, the Californian skolopendra.

After a centipede bite, you need to rinse the wound, apply cold and consult a doctor. Usually prescribe drugs of the analgesic group and conduct tetanus prophylaxis.

The greatest danger is represented by the females of the millipedes (they are more poisonous) for young children, people with weakened immunity and allergies.

How to protect yourself from a scolopendra bite in nature

You can not take scolopendra with your bare hands. In the habitat of skolopendra it is not recommended to spend the night outside the tent. Wearing shoes and clothes, you should first examine it. When turning stones, you need to be careful. It should be remembered that the centipede is not an insect, and fumigators do not act on it.

Giant skolopendra in the facts: all the most interesting about the predatory centipede

• It is difficult to kill this predator. First, all kinds of scolopenders run very fast. Secondly, they are so flat that they simply squeeze into the ground, and it is almost impossible to crush them.
• Even the ancient Greeks called skolopendra all kinds of millipedes.

• In South Africa, there is a rhizide - scolopendra blue.
• In Thailand and Africa, these animals are eaten.