# Scolopendra subspinipes eating (C. vittatus)



## TheMachete (Sep 3, 2005)




----------



## cacoseraph (Sep 3, 2005)

certainly more unusual than seeing it eat an A. domestica  ;P


----------



## GATORGAR56K (Sep 3, 2005)

this is the same machete from waterwolves, i was told not to let my emperor get near your pedes  :}


----------



## Galapoheros (Sep 4, 2005)

Nice, clear, crisp pictures.  Really good resolution.  Nice shot ....would have liked to have seen a full shot of the centipede too.  I've never had one of those but plan on it.  Just fed a S. h. castaneiceps one of those that was missing part of a leg.  I'm mailing the other scorps.  Found two more today by accident.  So I got rid of an injured one.  Anyway, it stung the centipede.  Easy to tell where.  It just made the pede more aggressive and it chased the scorp down.  The pedes handle the venom well.  The area twitched for a while but that's it.  I wonder how there bodies handle that sting.


----------



## Wisdom16 (Sep 4, 2005)

Damn Machete, you could have sent the C. vittatus to me... :}


----------



## CedrikG (Sep 4, 2005)

im sure theres lots of other thing for feeding a pede... but the picture are awesome


----------



## Greaper (Sep 4, 2005)

I dont wanna sound like a jerk, but why would you do that?


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 4, 2005)

Greaper said:
			
		

> I dont wanna sound like a jerk, but why would you do that?



why not? Is the scorpion any different then a cricket?

 Where I live, C.vittatus are very common. They are in peoples houses and yards. When I find one in the house, it is food for a number of my pets. I dont see a problem with it at all. If for some reason these pics offend, I will stop posting them. No big deal.


----------



## Bayushi (Sep 4, 2005)

being a scorp guy, i'll say that i think it's kind of sad to see a scorp being used as a feeder.  Although i understand that they are a "pest" species where you live and can fully accept the fact  you will use them as feeders when they intrude into your home.

It is a cool pic, though.


----------



## nightbreed (Sep 4, 2005)

Wow those are awsome pics  I've never seen the business end of a pede up close before, thanks for sharing


----------



## Androctonus_bic (Sep 5, 2005)

Machete :evil:    It is sad for me, scorpions are not food are nice creatures for keep and breed. This image hurt me.


----------



## Trace (Sep 5, 2005)

Machete, those are stunning pictures.  I completely agree, if it is acceptable to feed crickets or other invertebrates to predators than it is acceptable to feed common scorpions to predators.  In my eyes it is not morally wrong to feed off common animals.  I wouldn't hesitate to feed off dogs, cats or even chimps if I could figure out an equally effecient way to raise them the same as I raise my mice and rat colonies.  Keep the pictures coming, don't listen to these other bleeding hearts.


----------



## Billdolfski (Sep 5, 2005)

Nature's rough.  You could argue that it's not natural, because it was offered... but, I say, if the predator took it... it's natural enough.


----------



## Stylopidae (Sep 5, 2005)

In his defence, he DID post it in the myriapod forum and not the scorpion forum.

Amazing pic. It's so cool to see the business end of the centipede up close and in action.

Keep up the good work


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 5, 2005)

Thanks guys. I dont want to start any trouble, just showing some pics. I would think that scorpions make up some of the diet of wild scolopendra.  
Anyway, here is one from today, look how you can see one of the mandibles pierce all the way threw the body of the scorpion.


----------



## Galapoheros (Sep 5, 2005)

I like scorpions too.  But I feed S. h. castaneiceps and S. h. heros C. vittatus every once in while too.  They share the same territory where I live and chase down these scorpions like anybody's favorite food.  C. vittatus is very prolific here.  They are a "weed" scorpion around here.  But they are interesting.  Just so many of them.  I have been stung allot.  I find them in my house pretty often.  I don't let them go.  I mail them to people that don't have them around and want one or two, or feed it to my centipedes.  The centipedes I have get stung and just shake it off, rub the area with a leg, groom it for about 15 seconds and move on.  It's amazing how they can blow off a sting.  Evolved to adapt to the sting while capturing these for food is my guess.  These scorpions run as fast as they can away from a pede as soon as they touch it.  And if they can't escape, they freeze.  Instinct.  A predator and prey relationship that has gone on for millennia comes to my mind.  I haven't seen these scorpions behave quite like this around any other arthropod.  I feel like I'm getting more interested in scorpions.  They are VERY interesting.  I've kept them before but it's really coming home to me now.  Especially since I found this forum.  I plan on getting a few.  I saw one that caught my attention on the internet...Parabuthus transvaalicus.  Are these available in the US?  I guess the scorp forum is a better place to ask.


----------



## Anthony (Sep 6, 2005)

Excellent clear pictures, what size is the pede?


----------



## Androctonus_bic (Sep 6, 2005)

If you love animals you will never catch wild animals to feed your pedes. It is inmoral and non ecological. But it seems that for you and other people is not important. We live in a world where the life is the most important thing. Respect the wild life. If you want give scorps or other animals to your pede, better if you buy it. Breed c. vittatus and after that give it to your pedes, but never go to catch bugs to feed your pedes. Buy it!! It is heathy, moral ecological and cheep.

But like always, do what you want. I preffer respect the things I love. 

No only in this hobby is get the better and awsome pictures. Be a human and no a beast without brain.

( My action try to give a lessens to protect nature, not to make angry anybody. Sorry If i've too rude)


----------



## Galapoheros (Sep 6, 2005)

Androctonus_bic said:
			
		

> If you love animals you will never catch wild animals to feed your pedes. It is inmoral and non ecological. But it seems that for you and other people is not important. We live in a world where the life is the most important thing. Respect the wild life. If you want give scorps or other animals to your pede, better if you buy it. Breed c. vittatus and after that give it to your pedes, but never go to catch bugs to feed your pedes. Buy it!! It is heathy, moral ecological and cheep.
> 
> But like always, do what you want. I preffer respect the things I love.
> 
> ...



Yea, I understand your point of view and don't think you're being rude.  I like to catch natural foods in my backyard and by my porch light.  I've had some big problems with buying crickets and mealworms that are infested with mites from the pet stores around here.  I don't trust their product anymore.  I should breed my own crickets.

And sorry I got of the topic thread.  I too would like to know how big that centipede is.  I don't know how big that scorpion is but it makes that centipede look fairly large.  How big?


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 6, 2005)

Androctonus_bic said:
			
		

> If you love animals you will never catch wild
> 
> But like always, do what you want. I preffer respect the things I love.
> 
> ...



 You dont want to be rude, yet in one sentence, you tell me to be a "human" and not a "beast without a brain"? Ok.

 So by your "logic" (For lack of a better word) You do not harm nature? Do you kill flys that are in your house? mosquitos that land on you? Ants? Roaches? Or is it only the things you "love" that are worthy of life?

I promise, those were the last feeding pics I post.


----------



## nightbreed (Sep 6, 2005)

TheMachete said:
			
		

> You dont want to be rude, yet in one sentence, you tell me to be a "human" and not a "beast without a brain"? Ok.
> 
> So by your "logic" (For lack of a better word) You do not harm nature? Do you kill flys that are in your house? mosquitos that land on you? Ants? Roaches? Or is it only the things you "love" that are worthy of life?
> 
> I promise, those were the last feeding pics I post.


Dude, I really don't think he was trying to be rude, English is not his first language so you have to cut him a bit of slack 

Don't get sore and don't stop posting great pics 

Take care.


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 6, 2005)

Heh, well you give me the translation to "not being a human or a beast without a brain." Thats pretty clear in any language.
Trust me. I got tough skin, this is just amusing. Not enough to post more feeding pics though, I guess that was a mistake. No biggie.


----------



## nightbreed (Sep 6, 2005)

TheMachete said:
			
		

> Heh, well you give me the translation to "not being a human or a beast without a brain." Thats pretty clear in any language.
> Trust me. I got tough skin, this is just amusing. Not enough to post more feeding pics though, I guess that was a mistake. No biggie.


I agree man not the best choice of words  but I get the feeling he types a lot of his posts into an online translator, and they are notorious for being a little too "literal" if you know what I mean 

Take care man


----------



## Beardo (Sep 6, 2005)

I keep C. vittatus as pets and I still think those pics were pretty darn cool.


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 6, 2005)

oh, I have never measured the pede. maybe 9"


----------



## Bayushi (Sep 7, 2005)

Like i said, i'm a scorp person... but i can see feeding a "pest" species to your pede... Hell i toss cellar spiders into my Scorp tanks when the population in the house gets too much.


----------



## Androctonus_bic (Sep 7, 2005)

Hello the machete. I haven't make angry you. Sorry about say "beast without brain". I tryed to say that in general not dedicatet to you. It means that we must think the things that we are going to do before doing it. Maybe this sentence was unlucky. Sorry if I make you get ungry.

We are humans and we have the best/worst brain in the world. If we use it, we have better possibilities to make all the world run better than now. And without nature we aren't nothing. ( but now, just the money looks like to be important :8o )

For me the picture is great. Good resolution and differnt kind of photo. But the act is not good for me. Please post more pics of your pede feeding but now use animals breeded in captivity.

_So by your "logic" (For lack of a better word) You do not harm nature? Do you kill flys that are in your house? mosquitos that land on you? Ants? Roaches? Or is it only the things you "love" that are worthy of life?_ 

When I was young, I killed a lot of animals ( including the neighbourt's cat  ). But now, I think differnt. Why kill a fly when you can open the window and wait the fly get out of your house? Why not put courtines in the windows and doors to not get into flys and moskitos? To not get into your house moskitos close the light whent a window is open. Keep into the fridge the meal to not be invaded for ants. Catch roaches and leave it in your garden. Kill is the fast but not better solution.Easy to understand isn't it?

Machete, take care, and post more pics


----------



## cacoseraph (Sep 7, 2005)

Androctonus_bic said:
			
		

> If you love animals you will never catch wild animals to feed your pedes. It is inmoral and non ecological. But it seems that for you and other people is not important. We live in a world where the life is the most important thing. Respect the wild life. If you want give scorps or other animals to your pede, better if you buy it. Breed c. vittatus and after that give it to your pedes, but never go to catch bugs to feed your pedes. Buy it!! It is heathy, moral ecological and cheep.
> 
> But like always, do what you want. I preffer respect the things I love.
> 
> ...


you are not being rude, but you are missing the point.  in certain parts of Texas, USA C. vittatus are a pest. They get into houses and threaten small children and other pets. There are pest control methods employed by many towns.  It is quite likely that the people feeding vittatus to their centipedes live with in 10km of ONE MILLION scorpions, a lot of which are going to be C. vittatus.

Further, it does not sound like they are "going into nature" to capture these vitts, it sounds like they are going into their living room, or possibly their backyard... 

i completely agree that natural resources shouldn't be wasted, but in this case, there is truly no reason for alarm


----------



## Galapoheros (Sep 7, 2005)

cacoseraph said:
			
		

> you are not being rude, but you are missing the point.  in certain parts of Texas, USA C. vittatus are a pest. They get into houses and threaten small children and other pets. There are pest control methods employed by many towns.  It is quite likely that the people feeding vittatus to their centipedes live with in 10km of ONE MILLION scorpions, a lot of which are going to be C. vittatus.
> 
> Further, it does not sound like they are "going into nature" to capture these vitts, it sounds like they are going into their living room, or possibly their backyard...
> 
> i completely agree that natural resources shouldn't be wasted, but in this case, there is truly no reason for alarm


Wow.  That was perfectly said and completely accurate.  Sounds like you live here.


----------



## Androctonus_bic (Sep 7, 2005)

cacoseraph said:
			
		

> you are not being rude, but you are missing the point.  in certain parts of Texas, USA C. vittatus are a pest. They get into houses and threaten small children and other pets. There are pest control methods employed by many towns.  It is quite likely that the people feeding vittatus to their centipedes live with in 10km of ONE MILLION scorpions, a lot of which are going to be C. vittatus.
> 
> Further, it does not sound like they are "going into nature" to capture these vitts, it sounds like they are going into their living room, or possibly their backyard...
> 
> i completely agree that natural resources shouldn't be wasted, but in this case, there is truly no reason for alarm


Ok, ok, I have never been in USA. And I didn't know that in texas C. vittatus are a pest.

If you use quemical pest control methods, is better to give captive breed crickets because this quemical producs can damage your pede ( if it are present in C. vittatus of course).

But why it is a pest? Because in texas maybe there are too much insects in the fields, that are eaten by vitts. Control the insects and you will control the scorpions. But this is another problem.

I Know that only catching a vitt, the nature won't feel nothing. But The real problem are not 4 crazy people (Like us) that catch bugs in the fields to give it for feed their pets. The problem is the destruction of the enviroment. We can give a little help just respect our own space, and the nature that live there. We can't do many things for stop the mass buildings or roads construction, apart of manifest our disagreement. But at least look for the things we love including flyes, scorps, or grasshoppers. If you like animals you also like wild animals and also like nature.

I think you start to see my pont of view and it likes to me.

Just preserve the nature, for destroy it we already have enought people.


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 7, 2005)

"I admire its purity, its sense of survival; unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality."


----------



## Predator (Sep 7, 2005)

DavidBeard said:
			
		

> I keep C. vittatus as pets and I still think those pics were pretty darn cool.


I see so thats cool yet in my thread you throw a fit because I have a mantis housed with my emps.  Talking about a hypocrite.


----------



## Malhavoc's (Sep 7, 2005)

Scorp people often feed spiders to their scorps, spider people often complain, and now some people are complainging about scorps being used a feeders, Better feed another animal then die of pesticide or boots!

Nice shots Machete!, Do you use tweezers to restrain or pre wound the scorpions? Or do you just hold it up while its chomping for the shots?


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 7, 2005)

Malhavoc's said:
			
		

> Scorp people often feed spiders to their scorps, spider people often complain, and now some people are complainging about scorps being used a feeders, Better feed another animal then die of pesticide or boots!
> 
> Nice shots Machete!, Do you use tweezers to restrain or pre wound the scorpions? Or do you just hold it up while its chomping for the shots?



thanks man. I use the forceps for the pics. I just throw the scorp in and let the pede go from there. 
Odd thing, the scorpions usually stop moving quickly from the venom. I have seen crickets struggle much longer.


----------



## Malhavoc's (Sep 7, 2005)

As allready stated, perhaps the Pede has adepted for the scorp in general, would be intresting if this Species of pede activly perfers the scorpion over crickets.


----------



## Galapoheros (Sep 7, 2005)

From my personal observation with dealing with S. h. heros and S. h. castaneiceps, they do prefer C. vittatus over crickets.  Well, I think the centipedes need 'variety'.  Maybe they prefer C. vittatus over anything else, occasionally.  C. vittatus has also adapted to avoiding, specifically, Scolopendra sp. of centipedes.  Crickets avoid any threatening activity across the board, but C. vittatus has a unique reaction to coming in contact with Scolopendra sp.  And when C. vittatus does "freeze", the centipedes have a hard time sensing where the scorpion is or that it is even there.  Even when it makes contact with C. vittatus with it's antennae, it has a hard time detecting it as food...that is,.. until it moves.  Then, the chase is on!  If evolution makes sense to you, this has been going on for 100's of 1000's of years in my opinion.  Another interesting thing that I have seen is that the centipedes are VERY adapted to avoiding the stinger of C. vittatus.  And they have adapted to getting stung with little effect.  It makes sense to me.  The Solifugids I have kept seem extremely adept to avoiding the sting of a C. vittatus too. It is an instinctive priority for them to destroy the stinger of C. vittatus.  Another interesting behavior is the reaction to Mastigoproctus gigantea in presence of a Tarantula.  Guess that's another story.  I want to mention that I don't encourage "fighting" among anything.  That state of mind is usually based on personal psychological problems from ones past experiences.  One might extrapolate from what I just typed that I do this, but I don't.  I set flies free if they get trapped in my house and don't kill them!


----------



## Malhavoc's (Sep 7, 2005)

I remember from an old book, Reading of centipedes [the books lost due to my ex arg!] It actualy talked about Trap door spiders and their defenses agenst Centipedes, The trap door would mnake a secondary chamber with a second door to evade the Pede, so I think its no suprise that the Pede activly hunts venmous and other predators, think of it protein wise, witch would you get more from a cricket that is just aboe dirt or what eats the cricket?


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 12, 2005)




----------



## cacoseraph (Sep 12, 2005)

nice pic, as always


----------



## TheMachete (Sep 12, 2005)

cacoseraph said:
			
		

> nice pic, as always


thanks man. here is a close up.


----------



## parabuthus (Jan 30, 2006)

Parabuthus transvaalicus... now there is a wicked scorpion .

EDIT
I accidently posted a response to this thread instead of the "VS." thread in the scorp forum. Sorry.
Awesome pictures btw.


----------



## crashergs (Jan 30, 2006)

hey machete! 

im wondering if you can catch me like 10 scorps and ill pay for 1 dollar each to feed my vietnamese, i can paypal you if youd like! cheers

mario


----------



## gustavowright (Jan 30, 2006)

Wow..is that true?the pede got mad when it was bitten by the scorp..crap!


----------

