Giant Centipede Handling

[324r350]

big ass ham, doesnt that belong to Golden Phoenix Exotica?

 

[cacoseraph]

big ass ham, doesnt that belong to Golden Phoenix Exotica?

ya
that was Darrin the owner operator (i think...) who posted earlier... gphx.

VERY knowledgeable about all things bug.

read his post here
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?p=497081#post497081

 

[gphx]

Hello,

When I was about 13 I was bitten on the last joint of the index finger by a neighbor's cat. Minor penetration, tiny wound. In the morning my finger was a bit stiff and swollen. By nightfall I was in the hospital unconcious with an iv in my arm. I was out for two days and in the hospital for a week. The doctor said the bacteria causing the infection likely wasn't from the cat, it'd likely been on my own skin and gotten pushed in by the bite. He also said if I'd waited much longer I'd probably have gotten to take my finger home in a bottle, provided I survived.

In the pictures you posted your hand is turning funky colors. That's a sign of impaired blood flow. This makes it so your body can't fight off even simple infections. That's what happened to me with the cat and that's what happened to Billy.

You indicate confidence because of the symptoms you've read with regard to centipede bites and the single reported fatality. Yet secondary infections are common with centipede and probably all other bites. Infections can easily be very serious to fatal left untreated. In my opinion anyone whose hand and arm looked as yours did in the photograph and who did not seek medical attention for at least a course of antibiotics would be pushing their luck to the extreme. Just for the record my cat bite was cleansed very carefully with disinfectant but that matters little because the contaminants were injected. I'd submit that in the event of infection insurance and time off work are the least of your worries and I hope should you experience such a bite in the future you'll be safe rather than sorry.

I'm not a physician either. Your interpretation of the same events could vary considerably and you could be right but why take the chance.

Cheers.

pictures speak louder than words

this is approximately 18 hours after receiving two bites for a total of about 4 seconds of "pump time" bites from a ~5"BL "african yellowleg centipede", i believe from tanzanian shipment

swollen left arm:

Hi-Res

normal right arm for comparison:

Hi-Res

side by side, both arms:

Hi-Res

edit:

oh yes, the venom is swelling my lymph nodes. most dramatically and slightly painfull in my left armpit this is not unusual at all for a centipede envomation and should resolve itself with no apparent lasting effects.

 

[gphx]

P.S. Please don't think I'm telling you what to do I just don't want to see you lose anything.

 

[cacoseraph]

P.S. Please don't think I'm telling you what to do I just don't want to see you lose anything.

no no
i'm like, honored that you're taking time out of your day.

i *know* who you are man!

 

[cacoseraph]

Hello,

the funny thing is i mostly agree with you

for immediate (like, within a month time frame) i definitely think secondary infection is my greatest worry.

i believe from my readings i can tell venom action and infection apart. if i pick up an infection i should get the classic red streaking. my arm is red, for sure... but i think it is an effect of the swelling on my skin. i actually have like, these funky stretch marks from the swelling.

i'm tracking the swelling (which seems to always precede the redness, that's why i think it's causing it) with markers on my arm. they, ah, rate of growth is slowing i think... so this phase of what i believe to be venom action should be peaking.

i've read a fairly good amount of medical stuff... used to sort of be a hobby of mine. obviously that must taken with a huge grain of salt... but i do think i have thought this through er, *moderately* well.

honestly the way i see it... i'd rather read a report from *me* than some random person. i've tried to educate myself enough to be safe and render a fairly enlightened bite report.

certainly this is not risk free... but i guess i feel like the potential gain for the hobby is worth it...

what if i can provide a centipede species or three that are almost certifiably handleable? i believe one of the reasons that centipedes lag behind tarantulas is that they really aren't even tacitly acceptable as handleable.

by all rights, a tarantula bite or scorp sting has the same chance of passing on and infection... but there isn't *categoric* resistance to handling them... cuz over time ppl have demonstrated some can be handled a lot and some maybe you should pass on.

there is NOTHING like that in my centipede world! i desperately wish for it... i readily admit that!

thanks again for taking the time Darrin,

Andrew

 

[gphx]

Hello Andrew,

I used to believe the same thing. To some extent its true but with consequences. When you think about it the same is true of tarantulas but its also true with venomous snakes, dogs, or, in my case, cats.

I'd say the pictures you posted effectively destroy any argument you might make that centipedes are routinely handleable. Any work I was doing along those lines was effectively trashed the moment you posted those photographs. I wish you'd thought through what kind of effect your photos might have.

I just noticed the part in your previous post where you indicated you prompted the centipede to do this to you on purpose. Given the risks, it seems about as sensible to me as the guy who called me the other night scared after he'd coerced a bark scorpion into stinging his phallus three times. At best you've done centipedes a disservice in the act of coercing one to bite you.

Like the conversation the other night I can see this one has just turned ridiculous, so I'm bailing. I hope you don't wake up tomorrow with some serious health issues. Take more care of yourself.

 

[JIMSONWEED]

Hi,

i'm agree with gphx, ....play with bugs but don't play with your health....and it's not a very good way to follow for beginners. The danger of anaphylactic shock is always here and dealing with it can be deadly.

gphx, i have the same story with a cat, it nearly cost me two of my fingers.

Ciao.

 

[danread]

what if i can provide a centipede species or three that are almost certifiably handleable? i believe one of the reasons that centipedes lag behind tarantulas is that they really aren't even tacitly acceptable as handleable.

I'm not going to pile in with my dissaproval on the general handling issue, i've learnt from being on messageboards long enough that there are some issues that people will just have a difference of opinion on (i.e feeding live mice, handling etc) and that there isn't much common ground to discuss. I do however have a problem with this quote, as it sounds like you are trying to convert other people to handling pedes, which i really do have a problem with. Fair enough if you want to handle them yourself, you seem like an intelligent guy and you have assessed the risks. The problem with 'proving' that some species are safe to handle is that you will have only proved that the venom has minimal effect on you. You haven't proved the safety of the venom for everyone else, and it's not impossible that a bite to someone else could cause serious harm, either through the venom or secondary infection. Anyway, just my two pence, it's not my intention to start an argument, i just feel it's important to get the other side of the argument across.

Cheers,

 

[beetleman]

I'm not going to pile in with my dissaproval on the general handling issue, i've learn't from being on messageboards long enough that there are some issues that people will just have a difference of opinion on (i.e feeding live mice, handling etc) and that there isn't much common ground to discuss. I do however have a problem with this quote, as it sounds like you are trying to convert other people to handling pedes, which i really do have a problem with. Fair enough if you want to handle them yourself, you seem like an intelligent guy and you have assessed the risks. The problem with 'proving' that some species are safe to handle is that you will have only proved that the venom has minimal effect on you. You haven't proved the safety of the venom for everyone else, and it's not impossible that a bite to someone else could cause serious harm, either through the venom or secondary infection. Anyway, just my two pence, it's not my intention to start an argument, i just feel it's important to get the other side of the argument across.

Cheers,

i agree 100% i too was accidently bit by a very large hongkong giant,and all i can say it was really bad,i'm a healthy adult and reaction of the venom was....just let's say "DO NOT HANDLE THESE ANIMALS! i have over 20 centies,mainly large ones,and i would'nt even think of picking them up with my hands,i got bit by mistake,buy changing it;s water dish,it came out of the substrate so fast. again just my 2cents just be careful with these aggressive bugs.

 

[Galapoheros]

I'll leave the controversy as it is. I'm staying away from that since most of what can be said has been said. I have a question about venom concentration. I've been stung by C. vittatus approx 6 or 7 times. The size of the dose always varies I know. Venom concentration in centipedes was mentioned by gphx. That's what made me remember this. Two of the times I have been stung by C. vittatus were incredibly more painful than the rest. One sting had me yelling 4 letter words in front of my 70 year old, church going dad. It was right up there with the pain I felt when I passed a 6 mm kidney stone. My right arm swelled up more than Caco's you see in the picture there. Has venom concentration been proven in scorpions? It's got to be so. Even genetics would determine 'some' degree of concentration it seems. The C. vittatus sting is underrated in my opinion.

 

[JIMSONWEED]

Hi,

concentration, strenght and so toxic effects of the venom can be linked to the time between two bites of the pede. The longer this time the highter the concentration and the worst the physiologic effects. This is only an hypothesis to explain the variability of pede's bites effects. Sorry but i haven't any reference to give.

Ciao.

 

[gphx]

Hello,

To my knowledge such concentration in scorpions hasn't been proven but it certainly makes sense. There are additional factors to consider though. As you likely know, sometimes a scorpion will just push at an intruder with the back its tail as if to slap it away gently without administering a sting at all. Other times it will use the front and there will be slight penetration but no injection, in other words, a dry sting. It has been found that there are two types of venom, prevenom, and the typical venom. Prevenom is a much milder type that seems to be used in circumstances less dire, such as a scorpion administering a sexual sting as part of breeding behavior or when it is only moderately disturbed by an encounter with an intruder. Venom of full strength is only administered as a last resort. This makes sense because venom requires resources both to produce and to replace. A scorpion that used venom indescriminately may not have it when it really needed it.

What this has meant to me in practice is that stings I've received from scorpions such as Centruroides exilicauda have been extremely variable in their effects as have bites from tarantulas such as Poecilitheria regalis.

In other words the experience of someone else or your own previous experience is by no means to be considered a future guide.

Sorry to hear you really got tagged. I've been hit a lot by C. exilicauda in particular and for myself as well one incident stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Cheers.

 

[cacoseraph]

pictures speak louder than

this is approximately 18 hours after receiving two bites for a total of about 4 seconds of "pump time" bites from a ~5"BL "african yellowleg centipede", i believe from tanzanian shipment

+46h
my arm has almost completely lost the red color and the swelling is receding. if this plays out like i expect the swelling will be gone by tomorrow but resurface at around +96h (+/-12h)

we shall see

 

[JIMSONWEED]

Cool, it's seems to be on the good way and i'm glad for you. I hope it's definitively finished.
But remember, the community needs your knowledge and you .....alive.

Ciao.

 

[Galapoheros]

Hmm, interesting. Don't want to blow your ammo. I've heard that and like you said, it just makes sense. Nature is smart. But I have never heard about prevenom in scorpions. I'm guessing a slight chemical difference between prevenom and typical venom? Yea, that's interesting. You fully answered that question, and more. Thanks. Sorry everybody, I got on the subject of scorpions...but still talking about venom. Well since I quit that spirit crushing office job I had for almost 15 years, I'm learning more about my life-long arachno interest. ROCK!

:liar: I liked that job a whoooole lot:liar:

 

[xenesthis]

Florida bite by Vietnamese Giant!

Centipede Sting Nearly Kills Florida Man

POSTED: 7:12 am EST February 13, 2006
UPDATED: 7:32 am EST February 13, 2006
A South Florida man nearly died this weekend after being stung by a rare Vietnamese centipede considered to have one of the most toxic stings in the world, according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities said the man was changing the water bowl of the 7-inch Vietnamese centipede he was keeping as a pet when it quickly stung his hand.
IMAGES: Click for larger image and more strange photos
MOST POPULAR: 'Sex'Soda Promises To Arouse Drinkers
The victim, who was not identified, was in stable condition at Baptist Hospital in South Florida, according to a report.
Since the Vietnamese centipede is so rare, anti-venin is not kept readily available.
Officials said because of its large fangs and toxic venom, the centipede's sting can be 10 times worse than a scorpion.
This is only the second case of a Vietnamese centipede bite in the United States.
============================================
Feb 11, 2006 10:37 pm US/Eastern

Rare Attack By Man's Pet Vietnamese Centipede

Jawan Strader
Reporting

(CBS4 News) KENDALL A South Florida man is recovering after he was stung -- not by a snake, but by his pet Vietnamese centipede -- considered one of the deadliest in the world. Experts say the victim is very lucky. He's in stable condition at Baptist Hospital.

The animal is just 6 to 7 inches long. The owner was changing its water bowl when the centipede quickly attacked.

Doctors were puzzled by the creepy crawler. Then, they realized they were dealing with one of the deadliest centipedes in the world.

This incident was actually just the second case of a Vietnamese centipede bite in the U.S. It's so rare that anti-venin is not kept on-hand.

And Al Cruz of Miami-Dade's Anti-Venom Unit told CBS4 News the pain can be 10 times more severe than a scorpion's sting because of the centipede's large fangs and toxic venom.

 

[cacoseraph]

Centipede Sting Nearly Kills Florida Man

POSTED: 7:12 am EST February 13, 2006
UPDATED: 7:32 am EST February 13, 2006
A South Florida man nearly died this weekend after being stung by a rare Vietnamese centipede considered to have one of the most toxic stings in the world, according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities said the man was changing the water bowl of the 7-inch Vietnamese centipede he was keeping as a pet when it quickly stung his hand.
IMAGES: Click for larger image and more strange photos
MOST POPULAR: 'Sex'Soda Promises To Arouse Drinkers
The victim, who was not identified, was in stable condition at Baptist Hospital in South Florida, according to a report.
Since the Vietnamese centipede is so rare, anti-venin is not kept readily available.
Officials said because of its large fangs and toxic venom, the centipede's sting can be 10 times worse than a scorpion.
This is only the second case of a Vietnamese centipede bite in the United States.
============================================
Feb 11, 2006 10:37 pm US/Eastern

Rare Attack By Man's Pet Vietnamese Centipede

Jawan Strader
Reporting

(CBS4 News) KENDALL A South Florida man is recovering after he was stung -- not by a snake, but by his pet Vietnamese centipede -- considered one of the deadliest in the world. Experts say the victim is very lucky. He's in stable condition at Baptist Hospital.

The animal is just 6 to 7 inches long. The owner was changing its water bowl when the centipede quickly attacked.

Doctors were puzzled by the creepy crawler. Then, they realized they were dealing with one of the deadliest centipedes in the world.

This incident was actually just the second case of a Vietnamese centipede bite in the U.S. It's so rare that anti-venin is not kept on-hand.

And Al Cruz of Miami-Dade's Anti-Venom Unit told CBS4 News the pain can be 10 times more severe than a scorpion's sting because of the centipede's large fangs and toxic venom.

ahahhaha!

i love the news... i only watch when i want to laugh at something

no hard documentation of any deaths.... and they sure are deadly!

excellent quote "Officials said because of its large fangs and toxic venom, the centipede's sting can be 10 times worse than a scorpion."

i better go tell all the 1000's and 1000's of ppl who got killed by scorpions that they were obviously mistaken and it's the CENTIPEDES they should have watched out for!

oh man, good read, thanks

 

[Steven]

rehousing a big one

 

[cacoseraph]

rehousing a big one

that thing's terminal legs are bigger than some whole centipedes i have!

also, i'm working on a grab technique like that to pick up wild centipedes... kind of a behind-the-head-capsule grab... do u pick stuff up like that a lot?


amazing pics as always