"The Giant Centipede Club"

[xenesthis]

"THE GIANT CENTIPEDE CLUB"

There will be different opinions, reports of owing something big, rumors of seeing something big and of course the fisherman tall-tales of adding a few inches to something that was seen, BUT post the pics with a ruler if you want it to be included in the "giant centipede club".

Rules of the club:

• List the centipede by scientific name accurately and list the common names it goes by.
• Centipede pic must be of good quality with a ruler next to the pede.
•*Measurement should be from the end of the head antenna extended along the body extended to the end of the tail legs extended.
• ONLY post centipede pics (or link to a photo gallery) that shows a centipede over 8.75" in length with the measurement standard above.
===============================================
My first entry:

Scolopendra gigantea "white-legged morph", ("Peruvian Giant", "Amazon Giant", "Goliath Centipede")
adult female 13"

(measured from the end of the head antenna extended along the body extended to the end of the tail legs extended)
See pic at: www.flickr.com/photos/14734284@N02/4720718851/

 

[Galapoheros]

This Sc heros castaneiceps was 10.5+ using your measuring standards. It was a solid 9.5 head to last tergite. I have a pic of it walking on a measuring tape I will have to dig up and load again. I'm not at my house right now but plan on adding that pic later to this post.

 

[xenesthis]

Awesome!

Awesome pic! On topic and exactly what this thread is about.

Show us your giants!

 

[Travis K]

Not exactly a "giant" by MY standards, but the biggest one I have seen face to face.

FYI, I believe it best to take pics like this at least with another invert person handy, if at all.

 

[xenesthis]

great pics!

That is pic represents the biggest pede species that hobbyists will have the chance to own as they are common imports, but their size is amazing. Very impressive!

 

[Androctonus_bic]

Here my aport. Of course death pedes becomes smaller than the alives one.

Cheers
Carles

 

[Androctonus_bic]

And a net find!

http://blog.bandao.cn/UserFiles/BlogPics/46129/2009-11/Scolopendra galapagoensis （加拉帕格斯巨人蜈蚣）7.jpg

Cheers
Carles

 

[Greg Pelka]

Some old photos

Scolopendra subspinipes dehaani 'Striped leg' [China]

Scolopendra galapagoensis [Ecuador]

 

[nissan480]

Old pics of freight train. A pede that has been around forums longer then me. These pics are all from the original owner. I tried to dig up some pics I havent posted 30 times. Sorry no rulers, you'll just have to take my word for it. Ive on this forum stated diff size estimates, but I stick with this one. He was at 10 inch body length when I got him in O6, and he made my 9" dehanni look small. These are tip of head to last tergite measurements.

Oh, Alternans from puerto rico I guess

theres a cricket in this one which may help with size

Only pic I have of a full body shot

 

[Philth]

This was the biggest one that I have ever owned, and I miss it dearly. What a awesome animal this was. I only paid about $40 bucks for it years ago when they were commonly available.I cant imagine having one 3 inches bigger than this

Scolopendra gigantea (robustum?)

Later, Tom

 

[syndicate]

Wow those are some huge centipedes!Nice stuff!
@Tom did you preserve that one after it passed?
-Chris

 

[Philth]

Wow those are some huge centipedes!Nice stuff!
@Tom did you preserve that one after it passed?
-Chris

No Chris, at the time I didnt care, just figured I'd get another one at the next expo...lesson learned though haha, Im keeping most of my dead inverts these days . Never know when you'll need them again.

later, Tom

 

[xenesthis]

price

Tom,

You know that was a wholesale price hook up from Frank that's not the normal, right and they were juvs/sub-adults? The S. gigantea demand and supply situation changed a whole lot since then.

 

[ragnew]

Awesome pedes guys! It's great to see some of these pics resurfacing! Here's to hoping that some of my S. alternans (Haitian) end up being quite beastly as well.

Keep 'em coming!

 

[Philth]

Tom,

You know that was a wholesale price hook up from Frank that's not the normal, right and they were juvs/sub-adults? The S. gigantea demand and supply situation changed a whole lot since then.

Todd, sorry for the confusion. The dead one I posted a pic of and commented about the $40 price was from the Peru imports from the late 90's when they were commonly available. I wasn't trying to be argumentative in any way and sorry if I came off that way.

The import from Frank in the mid 2000's I paid much more for. I totally understand the supply and demand change that has happen with this sp. over the years. (exp. Corucia zebrata ,"Monkey tail skinks" use to sell at every pet shop around here for $80 bucks, ..now go for 2 G's)

If I owned that thing, I would of never of given it up. Hope it ships OK.

Later, Tom

 

[xenesthis]

gigantea

No prob. I remember the monkey tail skinks. yep, cheap $80, then the supply dried up. I had 16 adults I sold four years ago. They sold between $350-$1,200. Demand is still crazy for them.

S. gigantea in the late '90s sold for $75- $150 when they were coming in from Peru. 2004, the CB juvs sold for $125-$250. People grew those up and sold them in '06-'08 for $250-$350.

2010, a 13" one sold for $1,000. People want what they can't get.

 

[nissan480]

I remember a gigantea sat in the marketplace here for months at 250:?

Still glad I didnt buy it. To rich for my blood

 

[Anubis77]

I'm not as familiar with myriapods as I wish I was, so what's the estimated lifespan on these things, especially something that reaches 13"?

I know they can live for a while, as an unqualified 4" S. polymorpha I have is nearing 5 years and I caught it as an adult, but some of these centipedes look like they must be verging on a decade.

 

[nissan480]

7-10 is what ive heard.

The pede in the pic I posted was imported in 04 at 8". He passed away early last year. The hole time I owned him I rarely saw him and he rarely ate.

He was also very relaxed. Didnt like being disturbed of course but was never aggressive. When he wasnt hungry he would use his ultimate legs instead of a bite 99% percent of the time.Im wondering if others have noticed this behavior from larger pede's. My dehanni seemed to calm down somewhat when he peaked in size, but was always hungry and would bite easily.

 

[maxident213]

My Haitian S. alternans:

Pic is a couple of years old, the pede is a little bit bigger now. I had a subspinipes of equal length but the alternans is noticeably girthier.