# Can anyone help me identify what is in my house? Centipede?



## cfresh1979 (Nov 13, 2011)

Hello, I live in North Texas and have recently been finding what seem to be juvenile centipedes in one of my bathrooms. It is a tan/orange almost opague color. It is approximately 2.5 inches long, has fangs?? in front of body and very small legs on its segments. It is very quick and aggressive, it lunges, twists and turns when provoked. I found one alive and one dead in my bathroom. Any suggestions to what it may be?? Its back end has a split tail like segment. I didn't even think to get a picture because I panicked and flushed it. I am sure to come across another, because the 2 so far have been in the same place in 3 days. I am curious if it is Venomous/poisonous, because I have children and one is severely allergic to ant bites and I don't want to find out if he is allergic to anything else. Thanks in advance for any help.


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## KyuZo (Nov 13, 2011)

does it look like this:

https://www.google.com/search?pq=go...&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

Reactions: Like 1


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## cfresh1979 (Nov 13, 2011)

@Kyuzo: No they do not look like that. I grew up in Cali and Arizona and have seen my fair share of centi/millipedes. This is a uniform color, no changes at head, tail or segments. Its legs are more underneath of it rather than beside it. it does not seem millipede at all I know they tend to be rounder, this guy is flatter. he is very small, I am assuming they are juvenile. They are light brownish/tan in color. Thanks for the help


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## KyuZo (Nov 13, 2011)

i was trying to picture the animal that you describe.  usually when a centipede die, its legs would usually tuck themselves a bit inward in a uniform way.  i'm going off your color description and this is what i came up with:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en...&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi


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## Galapoheros (Nov 13, 2011)

I think you'll have to get a picture.  2.5 inches isn't considered very small to people here.  Short legs and "fast" don't go together well either.  I think most people here will not relate your description very well to what the arthropod actually is once you find out what it is, there is nothing out there that fits your description very well.  I'm really curious though and hope you post a picture later.  The behavior makes it sound like a Solifugid but everything else doesn't match up.


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## Tarantel (Nov 13, 2011)

cfresh1979 said:


> @Kyuzo: No they do not look like that. I grew up in Cali and Arizona and have seen my fair share of centi/millipedes. This is a uniform color, no changes at head, tail or segments. Its legs are more underneath of it rather than beside it. it does not seem millipede at all I know they tend to be rounder, this guy is flatter. he is very small, I am assuming they are juvenile. They are light brownish/tan in color. Thanks for the help


Not all millipedes are round, there are some that are flat. Maybe what you interpereted as lunging was just the millipede rearing up, they do that sometimes I think?

Did it look something like this?

Reactions: Like 1


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## cfresh1979 (Nov 13, 2011)

The closest match I found was in the pics from tarantels link. I am def going to have to get a picture. I am sure now that it is driving me crazy I won't see another one. But if I do, I will def get some pics up here asap. Thanks everyone for the help so far.


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## Tarantel (Nov 14, 2011)

If it turns out to be what I said, it is mostly harmless unless you touch it and then get your hand in your eyes/mouth. They secrete a cyanide compound which can't kill you but can make you sick.


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## satchellwk (Nov 14, 2011)

I have found oxidus gracilis millipedes in my bathroom from time to time. They are a flat species, have legs under them instead of beside, are pretty small, and I've seen some rear up when agitated instead of curing up. They look like this:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/5239
I'm actually keeping a handfull of them at the moment in a communal millipede terrarium, and they are pretty interesting to watch. They breed like rabbits, and I've actually considired if they would be an alternative to isopods/springtails as terrarium cleaners, as they seem to eat a lot for their small size.


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## Galapoheros (Nov 14, 2011)

It kind of sounds like a predatory beetle larvae too, maybe thinking there were a lot of legs at first sight, but I can't think of a tan beetle larvae off hand, and 2.5 inches, ...that'd be a monster.  I'm thinking the panic made it look bigger than it was.


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