# Spawn of Satan?



## Mikeymike (Jul 14, 2004)

Found one of these suckers crawling under my feet when i was watchin t.v

Quite possibly the most ghastly thing i have ever seen. They run like avic avic's and they are soooo..... well, see for yourself.

This bad boy is gonna be a nice meal for my hungry rosie   

My camera aint that great, but this is what it looks like

Here it is:


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## woijchik89 (Jul 14, 2004)

It LoOkS eViL!!!!!! I want one. LoL


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## woijchik89 (Jul 14, 2004)

How big do those get?


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## Ron_K (Jul 14, 2004)

The largest I have ever seen when I still lived in Pensylvania was about 3 to 4 inches in length.


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## DracosBana (Jul 14, 2004)

I get them in my house too.  House centipedes.  I haven't seen any that were larger than 2 inches though.


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## Jeri (Jul 14, 2004)

We have them in Ohio too. I've seen them up to 3 or 4 inches. We call them "silver fish." (I don't know where the name came from, that's just what everyone around here calls them)

Jeri


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## xanadu1015 (Jul 14, 2004)

We have them here in South NJ too. They are extremely fast and if you try and catch one, they usually lose a leg or two and they twitch for quite a while. I have given them to my G. rosea and A. geniculata. I know the genic ate it. It might have escaped in the rosie's tank. I really don't think they are that ugly, they're neat little creatures. I think they eat small bugs they can find around the house. I know they are reproducing because I have seen tiny ones also.

Sharon


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## Mikeymike (Jul 14, 2004)

*its not even that theyre ugly...*

its not even that their ugly, its just that they startle me cuz ill be doing sumthin and ill see one outta the corner of my eye, and i wont expect it.

scary! also when u kill them, sometimes their legs fall off, and the legs move for like a minute after their already dead. ugh!


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## vulpina (Jul 14, 2004)

A house centipede for sure, not a silverfish.  Silverfish are actually a small 1/2" or less grayish/silver critter, if touched they leave a powder residue on your hands similar to the powder on a moths' wings, they have a habit of eating books and doing significant damage.

Andy


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## Jeri (Jul 14, 2004)

vulpina said:
			
		

> A house centipede for sure, not a silverfish.  Silverfish are actually a small 1/2" or less grayish/silver critter, if touched they leave a powder residue on your hands similar to the powder on a moths' wings, they have a habit of eating books and doing significant damage.
> 
> Andy


I had never heard that. I knew they were house centipedes, but I didn't know there was something else called a silver fish. But then again, most people around are either really suprised or become argumentative when told that harvestmen aren't spiders. 

I know Cadiz isn't very far from Wintersville, but obviously it's far enough for common names to be confused.

Jeri


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## PrincessToad (Jul 14, 2004)

We have silverfish all over the place and they are exactly like Andy describes.  We find them mainly in any file or paper storage room.


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## Jay (Jul 14, 2004)

I get the odd one too. The cat usually catches and eats them before I can save them though.


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## Cooper (Jul 14, 2004)

the silverfish around here can propel themselves like grasshopper.


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## Jakob (Jul 14, 2004)

Mikeymike said:
			
		

> its not even that their ugly, its just that they startle me cuz ill be doing sumthin and ill see one outta the corner of my eye, and i wont expect it.
> 
> scary! also when u kill them, sometimes their legs fall off, and the legs move for like a minute after their already dead. ugh!


Just because you _THINK_ they're ugly, doesn't mean they _ARE_. It's all in the eye of the beholder.  

Also, why exactly do you kill them? :? 

Later, 

Jake


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## Mikeymike (Jul 15, 2004)

*lol...*

well at first when i originally started seeing them i would leave them be, i didnt realize that they could reproduce if i didnt kill them (i was ignorant).

the VERY first time i saw i one, after taking a shower, it was crawling on the mirror, i punched it cuz there was nothing around to kill it with. The legs on my fist started twitching and such, quite possibily the most bizarre and disturbning thing ive ever seen lol.

now i just feed them to my critters when i see them 


peace

-mikey


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## Wade (Jul 15, 2004)

Size-wise, around 1.5" is the max for body length, but if you include the long antennas and legs 3" or more is certainly possible.

Wade


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## Mister Internet (Jul 15, 2004)

Something I would keep in mind... they are 100% an indoor, "pest", imported species, and as such they cannot be "release into the wild".  You only two options when dealing with a population in your dwelling are to kill them or let them be.

I would not, however, feed them to your T's... they are a highly adaptive species, and they may be carrying all manner of harmful bacteria or insecticide that may harm your T.


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## Wade (Jul 15, 2004)

Plus, they are capable of fighting back. Probably not able to actually win against a decent sized T, but they might get a nip or two in before going down.

Wade


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## Mister Internet (Jul 15, 2004)

That's true... although I don't think their mouth parts are very big at all, I have kept 2" adults that could bring down a BIG cricket no problem.  They are all bark and not much bite, I guess... *rim shot*


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## Stardust (Jul 17, 2004)

Mister Internet said:
			
		

> That's true... although I don't think their mouth parts are very big at all, I have kept 2" adults that could bring down a BIG cricket no problem.  They are all bark and not much bite, I guess... *rim shot*


hey..care 2 post pics of yours ? interesting creatures...would like to see more of them...lolx....


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## apocalypse910 (Jul 20, 2004)

Those are one of the few creatures that make me somewhat squemish.. I've had them as pets a few times but i'm still somewhat traumitized from the time a huge one came running down the wall, took a flying leap, and landed in the bathtub with me.. It immediately started shedding legs all over the tub.

Another time i found a particularly  large one running around in a pair of pants.. or more specifically a pair of pants that i had just put on.

They are facinating creatures though.


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## ChoJinn (Jul 20, 2004)

*you think THAT's gross...*

I'm kicking myself of for not remembering where I saw it (online somewhere although I've tried to find it again and failed), but I saw a picture of some southeast asian version of that House centipede that was just monstrous - dark brown with red legs - something like 6" long. God. Awful. All the legs and everything. Essentially a huge, nasty bug that makes out scolopendra look clean-cut.

While small centipedes creep most people out and large scolopendra terrify them, this particular bug was probably the most revolting thing i've ever seen in the bug-kingdom. i wish i could find that pic again.


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## Cooper (Jul 20, 2004)

I saw the same pic, I believe there are a few threads on this board with it.


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