Giant Centipede Handling

EbonyKatana1664

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
91
EK, Your reply has been sent back in time to the op. Hovvever, technology vvasn't comparably as advanced at that time so expect an extra long vvait period for a reply..........

Just kidding, but hope the bite victim's life has returned to normal!

T
Ha, whats a forum without a few slowpokes.
 

Greenjewls

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
388
I found this vid on youtube, thought you fellas on this thread might find it interesting...

[video=youtube;vC3lxW8t6C4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC3lxW8t6C4&feature=plcp[/video]
 

Mastigoproctus

Centiman
Active Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
303
I know this is a long dead thread but I am new on archnoboards and have been working with a few species of Scolopendra for about 6 years now and I must say I love socializing with my pedes. From what I have found, Centipedes are highly misunderstood and most pedes even wild ones are rather docile when handled with respect and care. It should also be took into consideration that most giant centipedes care for there young heavily for the first part of their life and therefore centipedes must possess the compassity for a vary primitive level of affection. Now I'm not saying it's gonna come up to you and act like a puppy dog of course but I have a few Centipedes at the moment that will crawl around in my hand but once I start petting down their backs they will stop moving and then proceed to relax as I continue to pet them. This is a behavior I see in Polymorpha and Ethmostigs heavily. Heros tend to be a bit flightier but will calm down if picked up gently and shown you are of no harm. I also want to add I see distinct behavioral differences between specimens which further assists in my hypothesis that centipedes are not mindless killing machines. Now I can't say every species I have worked with is all roses and Lilly's though, Dehaani showed me that some species do have more aggressive tendencies, though I am not saying they are monsters or anything. I have been invenomated a few times and all but one have been due to carelessness on my part (accidental poke or too hard of a squeeze). The one uncalled for and unexpected invenomation was from a 6" Dehaani which I have a pic of in my hand here and that was 4 years ago. It was acting totally normal in my hand like always when I was showing it to someone and I'll add this was an exceptionally docile Dehaani that had never previously shown any agression toward me. Out of nowhere it it reared up in my hand from its resting state and came back down slowly inserting its mandibles into my finger and letting go immediately after and becoming docile acting once more. Long story short, I set it down right away and within 1 minute the pain was beyond any I have ever experienced and it stayed that way for roughly 8 hours until it slowly subsided. No pain medication helped at all and the pain lasted about 16 hours total and the aching lasted a week or so, the swelling lasted even longer on my finger, like a month. Let's just say I still happily handle my Polymorphas, my Ethmosigmus and my Heros but none of they Dehanni ever get held these days because I won't even risk that ever again. At any rate I felt this was some more proof towards the fact that we can socialize with our many legged friends on a personal level like many other exotic pets. I will also say, the experience of bonding with a centipede is unlike any other animal in my opinion because they are such majestic powerful cretures, size for size possibly the best preditors on the planet. Well that's my 2cents.
 

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BobGrill

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2011
Messages
1,669
I know this is a long dead thread but I am new on archnoboards and have been working with a few species of Scolopendra for about 6 years now and I must say I love socializing with my pedes. From what I have found, Centipedes are highly misunderstood and most pedes even wild ones are rather docile when handled with respect and care. It should also be took into consideration that most giant centipedes care for there young heavily for the first part of their life and therefore centipedes must possess the compassity for a vary primitive level of affection. Now I'm not saying it's gonna come up to you and act like a puppy dog of course but I have a few Centipedes at the moment that will crawl around in my hand but once I start petting down their backs they will stop moving and then proceed to relax as I continue to pet them. This is a behavior I see in Polymorpha and Ethmostigs heavily. Heros tend to be a bit flightier but will calm down if picked up gently and shown you are of no harm. I also want to add I see distinct behavioral differences between specimens which further assists in my hypothesis that centipedes are not mindless killing machines. Now I can't say every species I have worked with is all roses and Lilly's though, Dehaani showed me that some species do have more aggressive tendencies, though I am not saying they are monsters or anything. I have been invenomated a few times and all but one have been due to carelessness on my part (accidental poke or too hard of a squeeze). The one uncalled for and unexpected invenomation was from a 6" Dehaani which I have a pic of in my hand here and that was 4 years ago. It was acting totally normal in my hand like always when I was showing it to someone and I'll add this was an exceptionally docile Dehaani that had never previously shown any agression toward me. Out of nowhere it it reared up in my hand from its resting state and came back down slowly inserting its mandibles into my finger and letting go immediately after and becoming docile acting once more. Long story short, I set it down right away and within 1 minute the pain was beyond any I have ever experienced and it stayed that way for roughly 8 hours until it slowly subsided. No pain medication helped at all and the pain lasted about 16 hours total and the aching lasted a week or so, the swelling lasted even longer on my finger, like a month. Let's just say I still happily handle my Polymorphas, my Ethmosigmus and my Heros but none of they Dehanni ever get held these days because I won't even risk that ever again. At any rate I felt this was some more proof towards the fact that we can socialize with our many legged friends on a personal level like many other exotic pets. I will also say, the experience of bonding with a centipede is unlike any other animal in my opinion because they are such majestic powerful cretures, size for size possibly the best preditors on the planet. Well that's my 2cents.
Hate to break it to you but that's not how it works. These aren't animals that bond with humans or other animals. No invertebrate is. To them you're either a threat or your food. Don't mistake the animal being tolerant for it liking the contact. I don't get why people attribute human characteristics to animals that rely on basic instinct for survival.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk
 

Mastigoproctus

Centiman
Active Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2015
Messages
303
I never at all said they bond with me, I bond with them and I thought I made that real obvious. I said I like handling them and the fact of the matter is that centipedes do posses mothering instincts and that can be attributed to, like I said a primitive form of affection which is the basis of all PRIMITIVE mothering instincts in all life forms. Now they defiantly don't have the ability to feel compassion towards us but I never said that either But think how you will, don't handle you're pedes if you don't want to but socializing with them is neither bad for them nor wrong to do as long as it's done gently and with care as I stated. I posted my experiences with pedes over the years and my own opinions, they are not for anyone to take as facts that is why I used the word "Hypothosis" in my last post. Oh well I am going to continue keeping and breeding centipedes and I'll continue to handle them when I feel like it as well but to each their own.

---------- Post added 09-11-2015 at 02:34 PM ----------

Oh and I would also like to add I am a herpetologist by trade and many people in my field of work claim snakes and other reptile have no mental compassity for feelings of affection and I will say anyone who claims that either don't keep Herps or keep Herps they don't handle. Same with centipedes, if you think they act 100% on instinct and nothing else, you're wrong. Oh and you also said all inverts survive only on instinct, you are also wrong there because you are obviously unaware of Cephalopods intelligence level which in some species rival primates. I just wanted to add those few tid bits of info, have a great day.
 
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