Please ID this centipede

ButhidaeBomb

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so the story behind how i aquired this pede is pretty tragic. one of my very best friends lost his life a little over a week ago. he had a few critters at his house....as do i. his fiance called me to tell me about his death and if i would be able and willing to take his animals since noone else she knew could deal with them. i recieved a few things. a colorado sidewinder rattlesnake, a malaysian pit viper, a black trap door spider, and this pede. she nor i know anything about pedes so im seeking the advice of you experts out there.
if you could, PLEASE lend a hand and give me some expert advice on the species of this pede. im sorry about the horrible pics but he wouldnt stay still very long at all. the pede, as you can see next to a quarter, is only about 3-4". has a really nice greenish/blue hue to this body. has the start of a orange or yellow head. and also brilliant blue spots on some of his millions of legs. he is not very aggresive but he is very fast and really active. im not sure of anything more than that. thanks alot for your time and please post or pm me with some details. thanks alot. rowdy.
 
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Gnat

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looks like it may be a hemiscolopendra marginata but im no expert
 

ButhidaeBomb

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cool. thanks for the reply. i did a google search on the species you thought it might be...looks really similar but doesnt look exactly like it. can we automatically assume it is a US native or an exotic species?? maybe that way i could start to narrow it down further.
 

J Morningstar

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Now this one you have is a Blue Ring Ethmostigmus species, trigonopodus.
...NOT a blue leg, but they are both from Tanzania in Africa. It will max out at about 5-7 inches. I have had several and the care sheet here should do.


Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede
(Scolopendra sp.)
by Jon Fouskaris
*Information provided by Frank Somma


UNSEXED ADULT
Specimen provided by Frank Somma.
Photo taken by Jon Fouskaris.
The Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede is a rarely-imported sapphire treasure of the centipede world. These centipedes have exquisite coloration and the potential to get considerably large! The photo to the left doesn't do this species justice. The overall color is a greenish-blue, with a brighter blue color around the legs. This azure coloration is unique in centipedes, which adds to its' appeal. Unfortunately the scientific name past genus remains a mystery for the Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede, like many of the Scolopendra centipedes recognized by this hobby. The Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede is not a tropical species, so a nicely set-up savannah terrarium with an organic peat moss substrate will do. The only factor stopping the Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede from making a perfect display animal is its' habit of burying itself under the substrate. For viewing, you might have to dig up your centipede (this requires great skill, not to mention courage). The Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede is hardly available in the pet trade, and it is not a starter centipede. Huge, fast, and fearsome, like many of the Scolopendra centipedes, the Tanzanian Blue Leg Centipede must be treated with caution.

Range Savannah and grassland areas from Tanzania through Kenya.
Type Burrowing.
Diet Babies will eat pinhead crickets, or other small insects. Adults will consume almost any creature that is not larger that itself, including large crickets, cockroaches, small mice, and even fuzzy rats.
Full Grown Size Up to 9 inches.
Growth Medium speed.
Temperature 75 to 80° F.
Humidity 75 to 80%.
Temperament Aggressive and nervous.
Housing Babies can live in a roomy clear plastic container with air holes. Adults can live in a 10 to 15-gallon tank. The tank should be twice as long, and at least as wide as the individual. Floor space is as important as height. In this case, the height is not important for climbing, just to prevent escapes by the centipede running up the side of the tank.
Substrate 4 to 6 inches of peat moss.
Decor No decorations are really needed.
Other Names Blue Leg Centipede, Blue Legged Centipede, Tanzanian Blue Legged Centipede, Tanzanian Giant Blue Leg Centipede, and Tanzanian Giant Blue Legged Centipede.

*Please note that ALL centipedes have a certain amount of venom. Although most people would not die from this species, some people may be allergic to the venom, or just more sensitive, making it a dangerous situation. This is one of the reasons that people should not handle this centipede. Affects of this centipedes' natural defenses may vary between people. All centipedes should be considered dangerous, so be careful, because you don't want to find out if you are allergic or more sensitive the HARD WAY!
 

ButhidaeBomb

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so thats 2 replies saying blue leg pede. does look like one. im just trying to figure out what he is before i list him in the classifieds for sale or trade. im not a pede fan...i think they are kinda gross. haha. might someone know what the fair market value is on this guy??
 

neubii18

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pm me if you decide to sell it.i'd almost certantly be intrested depending on the price.
 

cacoseraph

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it looks a bit more like a Hemiscolopendra marginata to me. it would be an adult, if so

if you could take clearer pics (you can actually use little magnifying glasses with your cell phone to take clearer up close pictures) i would be more sure
 

ButhidaeBomb

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ya better pics would be nice....unfortunantly he wont stand still at all. and i didnt use my cell for these pics. these were taken with a canon digital camera. lol. my cell phone would suck alot worse.
 

ButhidaeBomb

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i can say this....by looking at pics on google of that hemiscolendra (spelling), it doesnt look like a 100% match. the blue ring looks alot closer. im not saying thats what it is because i dont know anything about pedes...but thus far...id have to go with malaysian blue ring.
 

Elytra and Antenna

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If you look at the top of the segment directly behind the head it will have a noticeable curved groove in it because it's H. marginata.
 

peterbourbon

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Hi,

I'd go for H. marginata as well. The cylindric coxopleural processes on pic 1 are quite diagnostic for Hemiscolopendra and Akymnopellis, if it's not an optical illusion.

BTW: The "tanzania blue leg" are Ethmostigmus trigonopodus, no Scolopendra sp.

Cheers
Turgut
 

ButhidaeBomb

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man these things are hard to ID imo. well thus far the vote is definantly in favor or the marginata. ive been looking alot ot marginata and it does appear that they have blue in their legs....like the one i have here. most of the pics i have seen of the marginata didnt look to be accurate as to the species i have. im changing my mind now. specially because you guys are saying it is marginata.
anyones intrested in buying this guy?? im not sure what its worth and/or if the cost of shipping will outrule the worthness of the pede. but if anyone is intrested in it, let me know before i post in the classifieds. like i said before....i think pedes are gross. no offence to you pede keepers. lol.
 

TheHolyToast

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Chilean Teal, don't know the latin name though. I got one from ToddGearhart not to long ago. I could be wrong, but any way thats was my guess.
 

cacoseraph

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peter isn't guessing... he is looking at anatomical features

i change my vote to almost certainly H. marginata


the little fella you got there is probably just about full grown. they don't have bad venom, though some ppl do complain of a bit of acute pain from the bites. i felt nothing beyond the pinch, however :)

they are a little less tolerant of dryness, so be sure to keep the cage at least slightly moist all the time
 

J Morningstar

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I swear my Blue ring all looked almost identical to that but taxonamy and my observations do differ. Where is that species from Cocaseraph?
Answered that myself...sorry. Okay Florida-ish? I counted the segments by size and it does look likt the Florida Blue leg. Also the Antenna aren't distinctly different colors they kind of blend where as the Blue ring always have a distinct yellw half and a distinct blue base...at least on the 20 or so I had at one time.
 
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peterbourbon

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Hi,

when it comes to IDing colour can be very confusing.
Nervertheless it's a funny pede - and finally (now) monotypic. :)

I wonder if this pede is hard to find in the USA - at least compared to S. viridis (guess they can be found in some overlapping areas?).

When you go out for a bugtrip - how many you find, compared to other pedes?
Doesn't show up that often here on AB.

Cheers
Turgut
 

Elytra and Antenna

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peter isn't guessing...
The photos provided don't allow for certainty, just near certainty.

When you go out for a bugtrip - how many you find, compared to other pedes?
It depends where the bug trip is. Hemiscolopendra is a very common animal in Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas and much of the southeast. S. viridis is very hard to find and I've only seen people find them in Florida.
 
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