Pede venom questions

W

Wonderella

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
27
I have some questions about centipede venom. I have to write a paper for my creative writing class and was given centipedes as a prompt, but I've only ever kept millipedes. Since I'm not too familiar with their pointier cousins, I'd like to hear from some experienced owners!

I've heard from several people that they can emit a bad smell, so how would you describe the smell of centipedes? Do they always give off a smell, or is it only when they're being defensive? I've noticed my millipedes defensive fluids have a really strange smell, but I can't seem to describe it, and I'm not sure how similar it is.
 
Elytra and Antenna

Elytra and Antenna

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Messages
2,553
Most centipedes, especially those we keep, do not produce a smelly defensive because they bite. You could write a fun paper on how nobody has ever died from a centipede bite (sans the man who died from a secondary infection in Turkey) and yet they are still among the most feared of all inverts.
 
guywithaspider

guywithaspider

Arachnosquire
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 21, 2013
Messages
54
Elytra and Antenna said:
Most centipedes, especially those we keep, do not produce a smelly defensive because they bite. You could write a fun paper on how nobody has ever died from a centipede bite (sans the man who died from a secondary infection in Turkey) and yet they are still among the most feared of all inverts.
Click to expand...
I could be wrong but I thought there was one death of a small girl from Scolopendra Subspinipes.
 
J

JZC

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2012
Messages
421
Kazaam said:
A human with an underdeveloped immune system in a third world country doesn't count, that's like saying a cold is deadly.
Click to expand...
Colds and fevers used to be pretty deadly. Sorry to nitpick.
 
S

Scolopendras

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Messages
46
Kazaam is right. Their venom are not fatal to human as long as you are not allergic you will never have to worry about dying. However, in meanwhile, scolopendra v. viridicornis got very strong venom (definitely the strongest centipede venom, there are several reports about viridicornis's venom) which possibly can be fatal.
 
Kazaam

Kazaam

Arachnobaron
Joined
Sep 6, 2012
Messages
591
Scolopendras said:
Kazaam is right. Their venom are not fatal to human as long as you are not allergic you will never have to worry about dying. However, in meanwhile, scolopendra v. viridicornis got very strong venom (definitely the strongest centipede venom, there are several reports about viridicornis's venom) which possibly can be fatal.
Click to expand...
Their venom is also used to treat vaginal bleeding and white vaginal discharge.

And cancer.
 
G

Gel

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
Messages
215
Here is my post again on the subject.

Centipede venom is not considered lethal.

Check out this link and the response from Dr. Rowland in regards to the subject of centipede bite lethality. He is an expert on myriapods.

http://bugguide.net/node/view/565413

His response starts in the middle of the page and is in response to the inquiries which start at the top of the page.
 
cantthinkofone

cantthinkofone

Arachnodemon
Joined
Apr 27, 2012
Messages
702
Hey gel! Nice to see your still representing views on centipede venom. Hate to pop back into the scene again but I'm back! More info on that in a few weeks when I get my collection all organized again along with some new additions. Back on subject centipede venom is a very painful experience. Although I've never faced a large centipede bite I've gotten a couple soil pede bites and they hurt a bit. No deaths so far however. You could write about the beauty of pedes. My favorite inverts by far (next to my scorps). Cheers!
 
G

Gel

Arachnoknight
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
Messages
215
cantthinkofone said:
Hey gel! Nice to see your still representing views on centipede venom. Hate to pop back into the scene again but I'm back! More info on that in a few weeks when I get my collection all organized again along with some new additions. Back on subject centipede venom is a very painful experience. Although I've never faced a large centipede bite I've gotten a couple soil pede bites and they hurt a bit. No deaths so far however. You could write about the beauty of pedes. My favorite inverts by far (next to my scorps). Cheers!
Click to expand...
Hi cantthinkofone. Glad you are back :)
 
Greenjewls

Greenjewls

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
388
i don't think we need to get into the lethal/nonlethal debate on this thread. centipedes are feared because they are fast, likely to bite, hard to handle, and the venom is usually very painful over a very long period of time. Though not addressed on the Schmidt pain index (which only covers insect venoms), Scolopendra "bites" would probably exceed the worst of insects; the bullet ant and the pepsis wasp. The pain is severe and sustained for up to 48 hours from what I've read, and feels like having and untreated and unset broken bone. Pain killers and even morphine injections reportedly have no effect on the pain. Like the Gila Monster, a giant centipede won't kill you but it is certainly something to be feared and respected and treated with the utmost caution unless you enjoy pain or don't mind it
 
Elytra and Antenna

Elytra and Antenna

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 12, 2002
Messages
2,553
Greenjewls said:
i don't think we need to get into the lethal/nonlethal debate on this thread. centipedes are feared because they are fast, likely to bite, hard to handle, and the venom is usually very painful over a very long period of time. Though not addressed on the Schmidt pain index (which only covers insect venoms), Scolopendra "bites" would probably exceed the worst of insects; the bullet ant and the pepsis wasp. The pain is severe and sustained for up to 48 hours from what I've read, and feels like having and untreated and unset broken bone. Pain killers and even morphine injections reportedly have no effect on the pain. Like the Gila Monster, a giant centipede won't kill you but it is certainly something to be feared and respected and treated with the utmost caution unless you enjoy pain or don't mind it
Click to expand...
1. People like to make up stories about centipede bites because they look scary and people like stories. There are plenty of stories about arachnids and insects killing horses and cows, many of which do not even have venom and some that cannot even bite.
2. Pain killers cannot treat phantom pain.
3. I have experienced bites from a few different species and while unpleasant they range from sweat bee to wasp in intensity, not more.
 
The Snark

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 8, 2005
Messages
11,570
David Burns said:
If a venom is lethal, wouldn't it have an LD 50 rating?
Click to expand...
Nope. The difference between (reliable) bite and sting reports and the actual lab test of the venom. This probably stems primarily from a medical doctor's normally unchallenged veracity* when they diagnose a bite or sting or a post mortem determination which can be 'due to lack of any other evident cause of death...'.**

* If a medical doctor makes a determination such as a patient has suffered a bite or sting from animal X and the patient later dies, the cause of death is automatically animal X or a pathologist who is medical doctor makes a contradictory determination, usually unlikely, or a medical review board which consists of doctors disputes the diagnosis, even more unlikely. IE, medical doctors exist in a rarefied atmosphere far above us lowly mortals where only their peers can challenge or contradict them. An entomologist even with a phd is always below the medical doctor in veracity when it comes to a diagnosis of a human's medical condition. LD50 tests are only considered supportive evidence in determining a cause of a human death as they are never carried out on humans and a medical doctor can always challenge and contradict an LD50 report.
In other words, this is why when it comes to human deaths, a bite or sting report from a medical doctor is always the bottom line and LD50's are never considered except as supporting evidence. Medical doctors are free to arbitrarily use or ignore LD50 tests when they make a diagnosis.
** Properly called morbidity and mortality reports.
As an ER doc once confided to me, "If Dr. H (Chief surgeon of the hospital) makes a diagnosis it's going to take a notarized letter from 3 creators of the universe to contradict him".

I hope I didn't just muddy the waters here.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top