Giant Centipede Handling

[Stylopidae]

Thought it was high time for a bump

 

[tamjam69]

WOW WHAT SPECIES IS THAT, IM NOT UP ON MY CENTIPEDES YET? I dont know but ours seems to like being held and cleans itself while on my boyfriends arm. Do they like being handled?? how do we know.?? I assume if they bite you if they are pissed off. if they dont they must be ok with it.

 

[cacoseraph]

WOW WHAT SPECIES IS THAT, IM NOT UP ON MY CENTIPEDES YET? I dont know but ours seems to like being held and cleans itself while on my boyfriends arm. Do they like being handled?? how do we know.?? I assume if they bite you if they are pissed off. if they dont they must be ok with it.

i am pretty convinced centipedes are BY FAR the most "stupid" out of scorps, taras, and cents. they are far and away the most likely to bite you for no readily apparent reason. if you keep them well fed, well hydrated, and coolish there is probably less chance of being bitten.

i don't really think they can get pissed off. i think they bite to explore, to defend against perceived threats... and maybe just randomly. heh

 

[bistrobob85]

I've handled a sc.gigantea a few years ago and it seemed like they like to ''feel'' things with their fangs. It would just touch my skin with both its fangs and that's pretty scary . Haven't experienced a bite yet but i dont handle my pedes, only the newborn ones.

phil.

 

[cacoseraph]

well! it has been almost 4 years since this thread was started!



i have probably been bitten by giant centipedes well over 200 times now, possibly even around 300. the vast majority of those bites came from S. polymorpha. all wet bites but those by the smallest of polymorpha produced local swelling, generally very local. sometimes i am bitten but nothing happens... i suspect these are dry bites. the first time i was bitten i likely had the largest dose of venom delivered, as it was by the largest polymorpha to bite me and it bit me twice in one day... the first bite was very short in duration and produced no real noticeable affects... but the second lasted for minutes and the centipede likely dumped a huge amount of venom as it was constantly "chewing", driving its fangs deeper and deeper. it never caused any venom pain or boneache but the swelling lasted off and on for over a week... and for most of it the whole bottom half of my forearm and my hand were very swollen!

Three specimens caused me enough pain to not want to repeat: S. morsitans "Tanzanian Tiger" http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=85759 , "Thai Jewel" which i suspect is a form of S. subspinipes http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=110170 , and Ethmostigmus sp. trigonopodus "yellow legs". All three caused extensive local swelling and pronounced boneache that lasted for 24-48 hours. The yellow legs also caused lymph node swelling which was also painful. The Thai jewel caused residual bone ache for something like a week.

A species of special note is S. alternans. I have not been bitten by it, but it seems like sometimes the bites cause systemic reactions akin to a somewhat severe allergic reaction. Whether the venom is triggering an allergic reaction or causes symtoms similar to an allergic reaction has not been settled to my satisfaction yet.

Some species bit me a good many times with virtually no effect: S. morsitans "Egyptain Emerald" and Ethmostigmus sp. trigonopodus "blue ring legs".

Scolopocryptops and Hemiscolopenddra species from CA and KY seem to cause a bit of acute "venom pain" sooomewhat like a beesting.

i don't think i have been sensitized to any venom. S. polymorpha seems to have the same affect on me now as before, despite 100+ random doses. The only thing that lends itself to evidence of sensitization was a couple instances when i got bit by bluering legs. Two of the latest bites i received from them (but not the last, iirc) caused swelling about 12-24h after the bite. The swelling went away less than 24h after appearing, iirc. The swelling area was red and felt warm, so i suspect it was a minor secondary infection that produced the swelling and not the venom... as every other time a centipede swelled me it stated within an hour or less of the bite.


I still think that a cool, well fed and hydrated centipede has less of a chance to bite... but i also still think that "random" bites are a virtual certainty on a long enough time line.





I find it interesting that when i started in the hobby, over 4 years ago, it seemed like it was a pretty inviolate rule that centipede handling would always end in tears and pictures and vids of handling were quite scare. now it seems like the attitude has become slightly more relaxed and many more pics and vids can be found.






So... what has everyone else been up to in the world of giant centipede handling?

 

[Androctonus_bic]

TMO, It looks like more a Scolopendra galapagoensis "pale form". In other hand there is not S. gigantea en Perú.

Cheers
Carles

 

[SAn]

TMO, It looks like more a Scolopendra galapagoensis "pale form". In other hand there is not S. gigantea en Perú.

Cheers
Carles

I bet you the opposite.

 

[Androctonus_bic]

Ok I accept! Do you want to bet all your pedes against the mine?

Explain why do you think it is the opposite? ( I suppose S. gigantea)

Cheers
Carles

 

[zonbonzovi]

I've handled smaller species & plings: adult E. Trigonopodus, Malaysian giant pling, H. chilensis adult but I still have a healthy fear of the larger guys. The two de haani colorforms in my possession are just too hair trigger(esp. the "cherry red") and the three Chinese giants attitude & ginormous maxillipeds(sp.?) are a good deterrent. Getting a couple of S. angulata & S. Subspinipes from Barbados tonight, but I'll probably keep a respectful distance.

Incidentally, and not to threadjack, but since S. "gigantea" is being discussed: anybody get one of those $1000 'pedes from Todd Gearheart?

 

[peterbourbon]

Hi,

this is a philosophical bet, indeed.

There are a few people - me included - who (actually) don't agree with the synonymization of S. gigantea weyrauchi and S. galapagoensis.
(Distribution: Southern Peru, around Lima)

If you refer to reality and actual state of taxonomy you can maybe visit Dimitris and steal all his pedes.

I don't know if S. gigantea gigantea (the nominate with approx 9 sparsely hirsute antenna segments) can be found in Peru.:?

Regards,
Turgut

 

[SAn]

Ok I accept! Do you want to bet all your pedes against the mine?

Explain why do you think it is the opposite? ( I suppose S. gigantea)

Cheers
Carles

My gigantea weyrauchi (the one subspecie which with no research was deleted by the all mighty :worship: ) is from peru.

 

[Androctonus_bic]

Send you pedes to my address... You have a PM.

No, just joking. Nice bet... was funny, and the things that Turgut explain was very interesting.

Cheers
Carles

 

[Travis K]

Me handling my S. s. dehaani last night at a BBQ

[YOUTUBE]awoNB2DnhFI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[nissan480]

Darn cool vid Travis!

 

[Draiman]

Ballsy, very ballsy indeed! :clap:

 

[Travis K]

Ballsy, very ballsy indeed! :clap:

Awe Shucks

 

[szappan]

HOLY CR*P DUDE!
At the beginning of the video I was already thinking that's a little crazy, but by the end when you start trying to grab it's head I'd reevaluated it to "full-blown insane!" - and I mean that in the best possible sense :clap: :clap:

I agree with the "ballsy" statement... way to go! Not that I'm encouraging it, but that's got to be a rush

 

[Travis K]

HOLY CR*P DUDE!
At the beginning of the video I was already thinking that's a little crazy, but by the end when you start trying to grab it's head I'd reevaluated it to "full-blown insane!" - and I mean that in the best possible sense :clap: :clap:

I agree with the "ballsy" statement... way to go! Not that I'm encouraging it, but that's got to be a rush

Well I do know I am playing with fire. I will most definitely get bit one of these days and it will be well deserved

 

[Jonathan.Hui]

Interesting bite report... :}

 

[Julia]

Oh wow! Better be careful with that video. You could give people the impression that large centipedes have kitten-like personalities! You must be a wonderful 'pede-whisperer to be able to repeatedly grab at its head like that and not get munched. Good show!