Giant Centipede Handling

[cacoseraph]

I handled my 6"+ S. polymorpha with out incident.

i finally got the pictures of this. sorry that they are kind of blurry, if i remember correctly this girl never stopped moving as long as i held her... and she was usually moving FAST!

This is Mortal Sin. I bough her has "Arizona Blue-Banded Centipede"

i like this one cuz she looks longer than she is:

this one is the clearest shot my wonderful girlfriend could get.

heh, my girlfriend was very nice about the whole thing, considering i was explaining that i had seen three pics of ppl handling giant centipedes on the whole internet after looking for a while, and *that* was why i wanted to her to take pics

 

[Galapoheros]

That's nuts! It makes me think of that religious group that handle the Timber rats. Maybe you could start one and handle centipedes. Found two H. h. castaneiceps today. Small ones, but good to find what you are looking for.

 

[cacoseraph]

LARGE IMAGE SIZE: 6 pics, total ~330KB

rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb rhubarb

I recently got three "Tanzanian Blue-Ringed" centipedes, S. morsitans?

They are super calm, easily the calmest giant centipedes i have. I felt comfortable enough to handle one while unpacking them, and did not regret it in the least

I got access to a digicam and operator in the form of my gf and so got to take some pics

First of all, I'd like you to observe that i practice HAPPY HANDLING:

Next, here is one of the huge number of reasons i love my gf. This was taking with a nice enough, but starting to age cam. It has macro mode, but sometimes we use a hand magnifying lens to take even closer pics, as zoom and macro mode do not seem to play nice. For this pic, she was holding a double maginfying glass so close she actually *touched* one of the centipede's antenna!

Oh, and just so you don't think i'm holding the rare and mangled (i am STRONGLY AGAINST DEFANGING FOR HANDLING) defanged, check this out:

Now the rest are pics that i thought were a little better than the rest. For pretty much all the pics i have, my gf takes the pic while i hold and/or wrangle the bugs

The Big Picture:

Nice Profile. I gave the pede a cricket to munch on while holding. I don't think Blue-ringed really care though... mellow!

Head Plate Marbling. I really like the coloration of these guys.

 

[MarknMiami]

Wow...I have to say that all of you are either crazy or belong in a looney farm because if you got the nerve to handle one of those big boys then you got some steel in the lower abdominal region..LOL...Fantastic photo's gentlemen. :clap: ..I'm fixing to get my first pede ever and it went out in the mail today, Scolopendra subspinipes de haani 'Mau Chau' ...It's just a baby i'm getting from vincent but trust me on this, I will not be handling that big un anytime soon!

 

[Jürgen]

hey!

i say not WOW or so...i say they are stupid boyz!

its not good for an newbe to see how you and others takes the pedes on our arms and so.

no respect of me..

regards Jürgen

 

[cacoseraph]

hey!

i say not WOW or so...i say they are stupid boyz!

its not good for an newbe to see how you and others takes the pedes on our arms and so.

no respect of me..

regards Jürgen

Hi, I'd just like to remind everyone that there is a companion thread here:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=48719
where dissenting opinions and comments and flames can go. I am trying to keep this thread purely first hand information on centipede handling.

Thanks for looking.
Andrew/cacoseraph

p.s.
if someone decides to alter their handling habits based on my actions i feel that they are stupid, deserve to get bit, and will get bit. I don't know how i can make it any more clear: I AM AN EMPIRICIST EXPLORER, NOT A ROLE MODEL

 

[cacoseraph]

Purpose of the thread: first hand knowledge

Please read and respect:
I understand giant centipedes are venomous, defensive, and potentially aggressive animals. Please do not post on this thread to tell me how stupid i am, how bad of an idea this is, or how i am going to "ruin" the hobby for the rest of you. If you feel you must vent, *warn* me, or otherwise make a cross-purpose contribution please have the courtesy to post it to this thread:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=492451#post492451

this is from a buddy of mine. i told him something like that was too good to waste on just my old and failing eyes.

lo and behold, someone even crazier than me:

higher res and bigger size:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b287/cacoseraph/pals/yikes/Dscn0267.jpg

 

[Galapoheros]

Crack. That guy is on crack. Or some really good beer. "I'll have what 'he' is having!"

 

[cacoseraph]

Crack. That guy is on crack. Or some really good beer. "I'll have what 'he' is having!"

not to be out done by my "crack smoking" friend, i decided to hold one of the biggest centipedes i own. this ones name is Patches O'houllihan, on account of the ol' nigromycotic patches on the back oh its head.

i had some like, misgivings, about holding a S. h. castaniceps, so i have been heavily feeding this pede in particular, prior to handling. it is my feeling (and others, for sure) that a fat pede is a happy pede and thin pede is a vicious pede :evil:

This brute is something like 6-7"BL (15-18cm). Bear in mind when you see the pics, i am a biscuit under 6'3" (er, 190cm, i think) and my hands are 7.5" (19cm) from wrist to tip of middle finger. I bought it as a B-grade, do to missing driver side terminator & 2 farthest back legs on same side. Hoping the myco will molt out, know the legs will, eventually

For myself, one of the most ticklish parts of holding the centi is putting back in it's cage. I keep all my giant giants in large jars. This guy was reluctant to go back home, at first

good shot for showing the length of the centi:

good shot for showing girth of centi (this is my fattest pede):

 

[Galapoheros]

WOOOWWW! That's a nice one! Ticklish? Would another molt get rid of the acne on it's head or is that actually dark pigment? I would like to see it if it molts again(?). I can see the little claws holding tight to your skin there. Makes me a little nervous. That is a big S. h. castaneiceps. It does look calm and full. No reason to eat your finger. I would only pick them up if they were full too. And I've done it. I haven't been bitten.....yet.

 

[cacoseraph]

WOOOWWW! That's a nice one! Ticklish? Would another molt get rid of the acne on it's head or is that actually dark pigment? I would like to see it if it molts again(?). I can see the little claws holding tight to your skin there. Makes me a little nervous. That is a big S. h. castaneiceps. It does look calm and full. No reason to eat your finger. I would only pick them up if they were full too. And I've done it. I haven't been bitten.....yet.

i don't actually *know* know what those dark spots are. i have a bad tendency to call them fungul spots (mycotic) i was just joking by callig them nigromycotic, cuz that just means "black-fungus caused"

all my bugs that i've bought with black spots have never molted in my care (an ultimate male Hadrurus arizonensis and this guy) but i've read they can molt out of them.

for now i'm keeping it drier and well fed

 

[Galapoheros]

Yes. Several years ago, I was catching these and keeping it too moist and not getting rid of leftovers. I gave up back then because of deaths due to mite infestations. Really glad I found this site. Reading the different experiences people have had on this site has gotten me fired up again. I'm confident I can keep them alive now. That S. h. castaneiceps in the picture just ate a scorpion, a large spider and a small gecko. No more food for maybe a few weeks for this little monster. Don't want to over feed...hehe, too late I guess, but interesting to watch.

 

[cacoseraph]

Alipes!

Alipes are awesome! I had heard these were supposed to be semi-communal, but of a slightly worse than average attitude than "normal" centipedes. I only got three (thanks Senor Ocho!), but i have handled all three without ill effect. This is my second largest Alipes. I was going to take pix of handling the largest, but when i was getting it out of it's container the lid slipped and bashed it in the head and sort of upset it ;p

To handle everything except my most peaceful babies, i have a standard operating procedure... and as i haven't been tagged yet, i would say it is at least a decent strategy.

1) Lift the centipede from the substrate CAREFULLY using your standard manipulation paint brush:

2) Next, transfer the centipede from brush to hand. With an actively moving centipede this pretty much happens automatically... and FAST sometimes. This particular Alipes took a little convincing to leave the brush

3) Now let it do as it will

p.s. stay tuned for handling pics of Egyptian Emerald Centipedes... they aren't that big but they are smoking hot looking!

 

[cacoseraph]

Alipes part2!

GCH#1 alipes
Here are some new pics of my handling my largest Alipes centipede. It is probably just a hair under 4" (10cm) in body length. With antenna and feathers it's over 7" (17cm).

 

[cacoseraph]

Neon Blue Leg centipede. Handling. I fed it a relatively large cricket the day prior to this, and it seems to have calmed it down a LOT.

Terminal legs

Hi-res zoom

Profile

Hi-res

 

[cacoseraph]

Egyptian Emerald centipede

GCH#3 egyptian emerald
I picked up four of these, this is the largest The smaller ones have slightly more dramatic coloration No scientific names.

Hi-res

Knuckle roll:

terminators:

 

[cacoseraph]

Scolopendra polymorpha tags me (pics!)

GCH#4TAGGED
Well, it finally happened From the first pinch to getting this guy out of me and into his container, i would say ~4minutes passed. It

was vigorously "chewing" to drive the fangs further in. For the first minute or so there was virtually no pain. It really only

started to hurt (.5 out of 5) when he managed to drive his fangs through my skin and i started to bleed. Aside from some local reddening

around the punctures and some local swelling there was no effects of venom (like pain) present

All is going well here:

Starting to bite. The fangs have only entered my hand a little bit here:

Hi-res zoom

You can kind of see the tip of the fang is under/entering my skin here:

I am starting to bleed a little:

Hi-res

You can get an idea of how much of my skin is pinched between it's fangs here:

And the after shots the first is from about 5 minutes after, and the second is from about 15 minutes after. Right now (10 hours

later) my hand is sore, but i imagine that is mostly from mechanical damage. No bruising, reddening, or other gross external evidence

Hi-res zoom

 

[Galapoheros]

Why do you think the centipede was biting you. I guess allot of people would say that the centipede was biting because that's what they do! Ha! But that would be an emotional response coming from fear. So do you think it was biting you because it was hungry and thought you a giant roach (maybe a giant pinkie in this case) or do you think it was a defensive response? Maybe real thirsty and sensed moisture?

 

[cacoseraph]

Why do you think the centipede was biting you. I guess allot of people would say that the centipede was biting because that's what they do! Ha! But that would be an emotional response coming from fear. So do you think it was biting you because it was hungry and thought you a giant roach (maybe a giant pinkie in this case) or do you think it was a defensive response? Maybe real thirsty and sensed moisture?

actually i am at a loss. normally it's pretty easy to see why something bites or stings me... i squeezed it to much or startled it or whatever.

this particular cent is extremely well fed and normally much more docile. i was handling it earlier in the day (i was trying to pick a centi for my gf to hold... i have some doubts about that now =P ) and also for no apparent reason it bit my middle finger. i let it chew for about 5-7 seconds then flexed my finger and popped it's fangs out of my skin.

i was handling him again to get a pic of me holding the centipede that bit me... little did i know how true that was going to become.

and the second time, that centipede purely meant to do as much damage as possible. at around 5 minutes when i pried it off it showed NO indication it was going to stop


not only was the centipede constantly "chewing" with is fangs (i.e. trying to close it's mouth on my skin, rhythmically) but it also thrust and thrashed with the whole front half of it's body.

i *was* ripping up crickets to feed to my masses of baby bugs, and so possibly had cricket juice on my hand... but i've done that probably 100 times previous and it never made a difference...

both times that centi bit me that day, it was just wandering around and SUPER deliberately and slowly lowered it's head to my skin, took a pinch of skin between it's maxillopeds, and started chewing

oh yeah, it took about a minute to fully pierce through my skin

EDIT: also, if my corroded culo memory serves, this centipede "test bit" me when i captured it... don't know

my secret hope is that this is a female and she's gravid, and cranky cuz of that. on the off chance it is a female, i'm goign to transfer her into one of my centipede brooding containers

she sort of looks fem to me, in the thickness of her body and stuff, but i've recently discovered my centipede sexing powers are MUCH less well defined than i hoped =P

 

[TheMachete]

you are my new hero.