# another galapagoensis molt



## Galapoheros (May 21, 2013)

...on it's way.  I'll post post-molt pics later.  We'll see if there is more noticeable growth.  These are crazy, just weird to see such a big centipede walking around, definitely my fav.  If I could only have one sps, I'd have to dump everything else.  A camera just doesn't pick up the size very well.

Reactions: Like 5


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## MrCrackerpants (May 21, 2013)

Wow. Very impressive. They colors are amazing. How fast are they? I would imagine the answer is "very"... :biggrin:


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## Galapoheros (May 21, 2013)

I acquired them when they were around 5 to 6 inches, they were really fast and spastic back then.  I thought to myself that this is probably not a good centipede for people just getting interested since they are so fast and nervous acting.  But like other older pedes, they mellow out as they get big.  I think it's probably a genetic thing to slow down a bit because their number of predators would become less and less as they get bigger, as they become the predator of what used to chase them down.  Also the physics of their size and gravity prob slows them down.  They can still be very fast though, it just takes more for them to freak out like that.  They are also not a good pede for adrenaline junkies either, they just tend to bite.  If they spaz out and run into a cricket or something, they bite it, let go and keep running.  I picked one up behind the head and barely got scratched by the bitey parts and I did feel some pain lol, it would prob hurt pretty bad if a person got a full blown bite from these, ...duh haha.


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## MrCrackerpants (May 21, 2013)

Galapoheros said:


> I acquired them when they were around 5 to 6 inches, they were really fast and spastic back then.  I thought to myself that this is probably not a good centipede for people just getting interested since they are so fast and nervous acting.  But like other older pedes, they mellow out as they get big.  I think it's probably a genetic thing to slow down a bit because their number of predators would become less and less as they get bigger, as they become the predator of what used to chase them down.  Also the physics of their size and gravity prob slows them down.  They can still be very fast though, it just takes more for them to freak out like that.  They are also not a good pede for adrenaline junkies either, they just tend to bite.  If they spaz out and run into a cricket or something, they bite it, let go and keep running.  I picked one up behind the head and barely got scratched by the bitey parts and I did feel some pain lol, it would prob hurt pretty bad if a person got a full blown bite from these, ...duh haha.


Thanks for the added info. How are the babies doing? Did you get a final count on them?


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## beetleman (May 22, 2013)

very impressive! i like    i love the wide bodied centipedes.


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## Galapoheros (May 24, 2013)

Awwwe maaaaaan, I missed it.  I can definitely see some growth, but this is the smallest one I have.  The interesting one to see molt again will be the one you see on the right.  btw, I only put them in delis when I want to observe something going on, ..lift a rock and see they are about to molt for example.  The plings are in delis of course.

Reactions: Like 7


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## beetleman (May 24, 2013)

wow!!!............nuff said. oooh i want.


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## MrCrackerpants (May 25, 2013)

Man! That's fat!


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## dactylus (May 26, 2013)

Wow, wow, wow!!  Beautiful creatures and great work on your end!  Thanks for the continual updates.

David


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## Galapoheros (May 26, 2013)

No problem David, it's not like I have better things to do.  There are a lot of other things I "should" be doing though, A LOT!  Here are the same two, darkened up a lot, still very soft though.  I tell ya, that one on the right, if it lives to molt again, call me weird but I'm looking forward to seeing that esp., I think that one will be a a monster.  btw, you can see how the head is noticeably bigger now on the freshly molted one.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Earth Eater (May 27, 2013)

Absolutely beautiful. During my time in the Galapagos it was only on Santa Cruz that I witnessed the marvel that is these guys. I saw a bike nearly roll over one, the pede proceeded to chase it down and attempt to run up the moving tires (mind you it was rolling fast downhill). Must have been at least 16 inches. Such fast, large, and beautiful critters!

Best regards,

Bodhin


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## Galapoheros (May 28, 2013)

How long were you in the Galapagos?


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## josh_r (May 28, 2013)

I smell fish.... You think something fishy is goin on??     fast as a bike speeding down hill? 

Galapoheros, You say they calm down quite a bit as adults and are spastic as youngsters. Are the younsters spastic like heros? Where they flop violently like a fish out of water and spastically slither like a snake? When they calm down as adults, do they develope a more fluid, controlled, intentional like movement? 

I had a nice sized Scolopendra gigantea (the really pretty variety with the nice red and dark maroon contrast and white legs) and it was very calm compared to a heros, even when it was freaking out. It always had a very intentional movement that was fluid and controlled. I have never seen any other pede move like this, aside from Haitian giants ,Scolopendra (alternans?) 5 and 6 inchers and large 9 or so inchers... they moved similar to what I speak of.

How is galapagoensis in this regard?


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## Galapoheros (May 28, 2013)

Hey Josh, yeah, sounds just the same as you describe your gigantea behavior.  They flop around really fast sometimes like a fish out of water, like you said, or a broken lizard tail getting attention.  Run really fast, often try to to bite when spooked.  Kind of like how young alligators run around, but the adults tend to sit on the bank and "blaaaaaaaaahhhhh, whateverrrr"  But they can still move really fast if they want to, just takes more for them.  But I've seen really big heros act kind of like that too, but not so fluid I guess.  Even with the antennae they have what looks to us to be more deliberate movements, maybe might look like that to most people anyway.

Oh yeah, haha, some flags there for sure.


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## Earth Eater (May 29, 2013)

Galapoheros said:


> How long were you in the Galapagos?


I was in the Galapagos for about two and a half weeks. The rest my time in South America was in the Bellavista Cloud Forest for another two weeks chasing t's (or taking hummingbird pictures when not looking for spiders). 
I'll have to post some pictures up


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## Giantipede (May 30, 2013)

Wow!!! this is awesome! ..I love galapagoensis ...


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