# centipede threat pose?



## wicked (Nov 8, 2005)

Ok, this is a bit of an odd request, but I was wondering if pedes have a threat pose or a certain body posture when they are ticked off? Would anyone be willing to describe it to me? Or way better yet post or link a few pics? 
   My dragonslayers need to run into something besides the cliche dragon-protecting-its-treasure, and I am really in the mood to draw some giant, angry, man-eating centipedes. 
 :worship: I would be most appreciative of anyone who humors me.

The only thing I know about pedes is I don't want to get bit by one. 
                                                                    Humbly yours,
                                                                      The wicked one


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## moricollins (Nov 8, 2005)

um, well, for mine the typical "leave me alone posture" is with the terminal legs straight up in the air, and the body coiled so it can lash out.


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## cacoseraph (Nov 8, 2005)

well, it's not a threat pose.. but it's the end that hurts you the most

i'll see what else i can find


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## cacoseraph (Nov 8, 2005)

hmm, this is what one looks like about 10 seconds before it chomps you =P






Hi-Res


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## 324r350 (Nov 8, 2005)

yeah, the most obvious is the terminal legs sticking up
i see them just sort of tense up also, and get very skittery
when my centipedes got together, they didnt fight, but ran to opposite corners of the tank
i dont think they usually fight things their own size
they either kill quickly and easily or run away


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 9, 2005)

definitely have to agree there, if a centipede doesn't want to be messed with, those terminal legs are usually straight up and waiting.


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## CedrikG (Nov 9, 2005)

brigebane said:
			
		

> definitely have to agree there, if a centipede doesn't want to be messed with, those terminal legs are usually straight up and waiting.



same, the only kind of agressivity I got from my centipede are those terminal leg striking at me


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## Stylopidae (Nov 9, 2005)

I found a millipede threat pose

The idiots thought it was a centipede


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## wicked (Nov 9, 2005)

Thanks, you guys rock! 
  Ok, I need to make sure I got this right. The terminal legs are the pair on the last segment of the body, right? What about the antenna? What position would they be in? Or have I got the two completely confused?


> um, well, for mine the typical "leave me alone posture" is with the terminal legs straight up in the air, and the body coiled so it can lash out.


  I could not find a picture of a coiled centipede   

The thread on the pede eating the bat gave me some ideas though. 



> found a millipede threat pose
> 
> The idiots thought it was a centipede


  LOL  I just can't imagine my sweet millis as being intimidating.


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## Jmadson13 (Nov 9, 2005)

wicked said:
			
		

> Thanks, you guys rock!
> Ok, I need to make sure I got this right. The terminal legs are the pair on the last segment of the body, right? What about the antenna? What position would they be in? Or have I got the two completely confused?
> 
> I could not find a picture of a coiled centipede
> ...


Most of the time the centipede will curl it's head under with antenna to the sides when assuming this threat posture.


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## 324r350 (Nov 9, 2005)

Please show us some of your artwork when you are finished. I am very appreciative of fantasy art and I think everyone on this forum has a fascination with centipedes.


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## wicked (Nov 9, 2005)

> Please show us some of your artwork


I am still working on the centipede pic, but will post it when I am done. Hope you aren't expecting someone of Larry Elmore's caliber, I am just an amateur cartoonist.   
Here is the full picture of my avatar.

avatar

EDIT: I suppose this one would be relevant as well   T Keepers


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## moricollins (Nov 10, 2005)

the coiled look is the centipede making itself into an "S" shape, so it can lash out with the back end and the long terminal legs.


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## Randolph XX() (Nov 10, 2005)

the one curled up striking with terminal legs are more like defensive pose
i think the real threat pose is rising up 1/3 of their front bodies ready to bite like  cobras!


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## cacoseraph (Nov 10, 2005)

Randolph XX() said:
			
		

> the one curled up striking with terminal legs are more like defensive pose
> i think the real threat pose is rising up 1/3 of their front bodies ready to bite like  cobras!


when my centipedes know there is food running around they bouncce the first 1/3 up and down about a 30-40 degree arc, with their antenna straight out.

i call this kind of behaviour questing, but that's almost definitely a corruption of the proper way to use the term

this is when i'm actually a little nervous around them, they are all keyed up to strike anything at that point, i feel

i think centipedes have some of the shortest range hunting senses, with little to no tremble sense... they sure don't act like it

edit:
when i'm free handling centis and they start bouncing like Randolph and i were talking about, i always put them away as quickly as possible

of course, when i got bit there was no bouncing at all =P


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## Stylopidae (Nov 10, 2005)

Interesting story:

The other day when I was in the computer lab, some really hot girls pointed out a _Scutigra Coleoptera_ to me.

I tried to get it to go onto my hand, but it just reared up it's antennae and it's terminal legs and tried to bite me. It was interesting. I love those critters.


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## 324r350 (Nov 10, 2005)

Evil Cheshire said:
			
		

> Interesting story:
> 
> The other day when I was in the computer lab, some really hot girls pointed out a _Scutigra Coleoptera_ to me.
> 
> I tried to get it to go onto my hand, but it just reared up it's antennae and it's terminal legs and tried to bite me. It was interesting. I love those critters.


Thats certainly odd behavior for the scutigera. I was in my basement two days ago and saw one hauling around a dead bug with about its body mass!


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## Malkavian (Nov 10, 2005)

cacoseraph said:
			
		

> when my centipedes know there is food running around they bouncce the first 1/3 up and down about a 30-40 degree arc, with their antenna straight out.
> 
> i call this kind of behaviour questing, but that's almost definitely a corruption of the proper way to use the term



My _heros_ behaves like this as well if he even has the slightest idea there may be 'crunchies' in the cage. Relaxed, the antenna are stright out or curled up..excited = antenna flailing and touching around with maybe the first five or six segments


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## wicked (Jul 5, 2006)

Well I hope I got this right. Even with all of your most appreciated and awesome help :worship:  I am not so hot at centipede anatomy. 

Umm and I am a bit behind on my DSI series, but better late than never, right? LOL   If its any conciliation you are the first to see it since I won't be updating my elfwood site until I have another set of three to post.  (of course there it will be a much better scan and resolution)

View attachment 54603


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## Galapoheros (Jul 5, 2006)

Ahhh, bad timing.  I took my first pic of my only Subspinipes doing the 'cobra' thing yesterday.  I just now noticed this thread.  I could tell it wasn't just a misinterpretation on my part.  It was really hacked off.  I was trying to move it so I could move things around in the terr.  Finally, it got tired of me and made this pose a few times.  I'd never seen it do that before.  I have many heros centipedes but I haven't seen them strike this pose.  Instead, I have seen them raise the front part of their body off the ground and turn sideways towards the intruder.  You know the under part of the front of their body....where the guns are.  But then, it locates it with it's antennae and creeps sideways towards the intruder and with it's terminals, it will try to fling it away.  Oh, yea, I did see a huge S. h. castaneiceps strike a gecko like a snake about 4 or 5 times in a row a few weeks ago.  I'd never seen that before either.  It looks like it's resting on a little stick in the pic but it's not.  Well, it's obviously touching it but it was just in the way.  What?.....well it was!  Ha!


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## kraken (Jul 5, 2006)

Now that is a bug!! Wow!! I am working on getting a centipede,but I will start with a heros or polymorpha.Then a subspinipes after i get some experience!


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