Bluering centipede - Ethmostigmus species, probably trigonopodus

Ethmostigmus species, probably trigonopodus. Sold as "Tanzanian Bluering" and ID'ed as Scolopendra morsitans, but the centipede in question has spiracles on segments 7 AND 8, making Ethmostigmus genus most likely and removing Scolopendra as a possibility. Note: this centipede is OFTEN sold as S. morsitans, but the spiracle check will reveal the truth.

note, in this picture it is NOT the centipede that tagged me, but was purchased from same dealer at same time. this is to give a clear picture of what type of centipede this bite report is about.

Hi-Res
terminator zoom



a couple few ppl asked me what the bite from a E. trigonopodus was like. i didn't know so i decided to find out

i must have set out to actually get bit around 7:30pm. i got a 4-5"BL trigo's container out. it's a simple 3-4" tall by about 5" diameter "standard" invert deli cup. this particular pede/cup was perfect for my purposes as the pede pretty consistanly lives just under the top 1.5" layer of sphagnum. i peeled the sphagnum off and there it was. i'll admit, i sat looking at the centipede for a cool 10 minutes having like, second thoughts... but finally i went about getting bit i manipulated the centipede with my trust little 7" delicate brush, goading it to leave it's container and walk around in the 20L tupperware i was containing my antics in. once the centipede walked on top of its container lid i lifted the lid with my left hand. after steeling my self, i tilted the lid so the centipede would slide onto my hand.
it "sniffed" my thumb...
it lowered its venom injectors...
i held my breath, sure it was about to tag...

...

and nothing! it started to walk around my hand like it was right at home. so i poked it with the brush... nothing. i gently blew on it... nothing. i blew HARD on it.... nothing. albeit gently, but i must have messed around with that thing, passing it from hadn to hand... squeezing it a little... poking it with the brush... for five to seven minutes...NOTHING! i was certainly not going to actually hurt my baby to get it to bite me so i decided to put it back.

i thought perhaps i had just picked a super unusually docile one and decided to get another of my three out. this one was a good 5"BL. it took a little finagaling to get the centipede to the surface (it has a cool burrow system i didn't want to mess up too badly). but once i did i grabbed the centipede with my left hand from it's substrate. this time i wasn't going to give the centipede any time to get comfortable, like i did that last one! i quickly trapped it's head between my "pointer"/first finger and thumb, in my left hand. it didn't bite right away, so with it'shead still trapped and its fangs pushed firmly against my thumb i proceded to lift most of it's body in my right hand and gently shake it, to sort of simulate and attack. here is the rest of the report on a timeline:

8:05pm bite. one tiny bite that penetrated skin, a strike with no duration. i shook it slightly more vigorously while blowing hard in it's face, trying to frighten it to bite again. *this* time it penetrated further and did one quick "pump". on second bite i can feel the start of venom (stinging) pain almost instantly. both bites on left hand thumb tip, in virtually the same location, since i was restraining the centipede's head against my thumb

8:07 pain increasing a little, still less than proverbial bee sting, thumb tip reddening.

8:09 pain starting to reduce. thumb tip still reddening, white circle about .5cm barely visible on the deepest puncture

8:13 stinging pain reducing, thumb throbbing a little. i'm chatting and hitting spacebar so it's not bad at all

8:18 if this puppy doesn't start to do *something* by 9 i'm going to get get tagged somemore

8:25 ah nuts, my left armpit my be starting to ache. i hope not =P

8:40 armpit thing not reappearing... thumb tip feels ever so slightly hypersensitive. it's actually more fun than anything. i'm still thinking of going back for a bigger dose of venom at nine like i said earlier

8:55 can barely feel that anythign has happened... i'm going to get more dosage now, i think

9:10 i goaded the same centipede into striking my left middle finger tip again, and a minute later it very briefly bit the back of my left thumb.

9:20 side note: my hands and lower arms itch very slightly like they would from urticating hairs that i just barely react to. i think this is from having the two centipedes walking all over my hands for around 20 minutes total.
all four (er, five... not sure) of my bites are not annoying me in any way. ah, as i was proofreading this i noticed i was scratching one of the bites. so the itch a tiny bit apparently... but not so much i really noticed =P

edit:
i fell asleep without thinking about the bites at all. when i woke up the next morning i didn't even remember them until i was on my way to work... and there is no evidence that i can see that i was bit.
i *think* i can feel where the fangs actually pierced me, but only the mechanical damage being regenerated... and i might be imagining that

I'll be blunt. We've deleted nearly a dozen smartass replies to this thread that ARE NOT bite reports and are consequently AGAINST THE RULES. You have now seen this post, so you have no excuse for not following THE RULES for this forum. If ANYONE makes another smartass reply to this thread that is NOT a bite report, they will be banned for a month.

THAT will teach you to read. Good lord...

September 27, 2006

welp... i think i have my first case of sensitization to venom

in me centiquest for the perfect hand pet i at first goaded (temps low enough to make them docile) and then later high-temp'ed Ethmostigmus spec. "bluering leg" into biting me around 50 times (actually, 50 sessions i was bitten in... into the 100's of actual times forciple violated the sanctity of my flesh).

all but the last two times there was absolutely NO effect from the venom. the second to last time about a day after i was bitten my knuckles swelled up in that certain special way cuz of the delay i was not sure if it was an infection or venom effect... i think i know now

this vid was shot about 30 (to 60 at the outside edge) minutes after i was bitten. it was actually kind of hard to capture the swelling, but i think if you kind of know what to look for you can see it, heh

low resultion for dialuppers (~3.4MB WMV uploaded)
[YOUTUBE]IKJe6hjPxtA[/YOUTUBE]

high res for broadbanders (~20MB MOV file uploaded)
[YOUTUBE]pu2csScDoVE[/YOUTUBE]

p.s. the music in the back ground is some death metal type band recording in my living room downstairs

~36 hours later the swelling is mostly gone. i can still see distortion in my skin where it was stretched out, though

~48h later and the swelling and distortion is ~98% gone. same ol' story... no pain, just swelling which makes me skin itch. i consider this case closed heheheh

Ehh happens to everyone. Got bit during a packing transfer last night from my nice 4-5 inch girl as a going away present. Was trying to get her in the trasfer home when she latched on to my hand ran up to underneath my arm and got me right under the bicep. After thinking about, the pain might be more intense due to the area where the bite occured. Thankfully i was on my bed when it happened and after getting her off she nicley ran into the container i was trying to get her in the first place ;P . The bite area is very tender today, last night felt like fire under my skin. There is what looks like 2 red spots in the area surrounded by a paler red area around them. Other than my arm being sore I feel okay. All in all would not want to get bit by one of these pedes again.

Couple things I would like to add. I do a fair amount martial arts stuff so I have a bit of a higher tolerance for pain. I usually tend to ignore pain that doesnt bother too much. The gift she gave me for the first hour or 2 I would have to say was unignorable. I was however gifted with a vicodin and was able to sleep I would also like to state that this was defensive and not at all the centipedes fault. I was in her territory and messing with her. I think these guys/and gals get a much worse reputation than they really should. They are magnificent animals that make good pets if kept with respect. Would write more but I'm off to class will add later to see if anything changes.

Almost forgot to finish this.. The bite in my opinion only hurt so much because of where it occured. I honestly don't think the venom was as much a factor as was the area that was bitten. The burning sensation lasted a whole hour or so, so I think it was more so the fangs that hurt if anything. If you pinch right under your arm where I am talking about you may understand what I mean a bit more. There is not a whole lot of give in that area mainly skin so honestly just giving it a good pinch stings. Either way she was still a great pet, and I would consider her very mild mannered. There were plenty of times when doing waterings and such she would walk on over and "inspect" me with no incedent. I guess though, when your dangling in the air on a paper towel anyone (even a pede) would get a little weary