Invertebrates
Amazonian Giant Centipede
Scolopendra gigantea · also called Amazonian giant centipede, Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede, giant centipede
The Amazonian giant centipede is a foot-long predator with a mouthful of venom-injecting claws, and it does not stick to insects. It hunts tarantulas, snakes, lizards, frogs, and mice — and in one Venezuelan cave, it hangs from the ceiling and pulls bats out of the air.
Overview
The Amazonian giant centipede is the largest centipede in the world, commonly 25–30 cm with records past 30, a broad reddish body with 21–23 pairs of legs. It lives in rainforest leaf litter, under logs, and in caves across northern South America and the southern Caribbean. It is one of the few invertebrates that routinely kills vertebrates.
The venom claws
The first pair of legs are modified into large curved hollow fangs (forcipules) that pump venom containing toxins that cause severe pain and can stop a small mammal’s heart.
Catching bats
In Venezuelan bat caves, giant centipedes climb to the roof, anchor with their hind legs, let the body hang into open air, and snatch flying bats, killing and eating them while suspended — a remarkable case of an invertebrate preying on a flying vertebrate.
Danger to people
A bite is intensely painful, with severe swelling and often fever, nausea, and weakness for a day or two. At least one death of a small child has been attributed to a Scolopendra bite; healthy adults recover.
Status
Not Evaluated, widespread, and not considered threatened, though heavily collected for the exotic pet trade, where it is a fast, aggressive, look-don’t-touch species.
Amazonian Giant Centipede: common questions
How big does the Amazonian giant centipede get, and is it the largest centipede?
It is generally regarded as the largest centipede in the world. Adults commonly reach 25 to 30 centimetres, there are well-supported records over 30 centimetres, and some older and anecdotal reports claim individuals of 35 to 40 centimetres, though those are unverified. A few other Scolopendra species, such as the Vietnamese giant centipede and Scolopendra galapagoensis, approach it in size, but Scolopendra gigantea is usually the one given the title. It is also unusually robust and broad for its length, not just long, which is part of why it can overpower vertebrate prey.
Does it really catch and eat bats?
Yes, and it was documented in detail by researchers working in Venezuelan caves. In caves where bats roost, giant centipedes have been filmed climbing the wall to the ceiling, gripping the rock with the last few pairs of legs while the rest of the body hangs down into the open air, and then seizing bats that fly too close with the front legs and venom claws. The centipede injects venom, subdues the struggling bat, and consumes it while still hanging from the roof. The same population also hunts on the cave floor. It is one of the most striking examples of an invertebrate preying on a flying vertebrate.
How dangerous is a bite to a person?
Very painful and unpleasant, and occasionally serious, but rarely life-threatening to a healthy adult. The venom of Scolopendra gigantea contains toxins that cause intense, sometimes excruciating local pain, marked swelling and redness spreading up the limb, and often systemic effects such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, weakness, a racing or irregular heartbeat, and anxiety, which can last hours to a couple of days. Localised tissue death and secondary infection at the bite site are possible. There is at least one reported fatality, a young child in Venezuela, and rare severe reactions in adults, so a bite warrants medical attention, but the great majority of victims recover fully with pain relief and supportive care.
Are giant centipedes kept as pets?
Yes, Scolopendra gigantea and several other large Scolopendra are popular in the invertebrate hobby among experienced keepers, prized for their size, colour, and dramatic hunting behaviour. They are strictly a look-do-not-touch animal — they are fast, aggressive, will bite readily and repeatedly, can deliver a medically significant envenomation, and are strong enough to push open poorly secured lids. They need a deep substrate to burrow in, high humidity, a secure escape-proof enclosure, and a diet of insects and the occasional small vertebrate. Handling is strongly discouraged, and keeping them is restricted or banned in some places. Wild collection for this trade is a pressure on some populations.