The business end...

[LaRiz]

Scolopendra heros castaniceps, my female. These seem to be one of the more popular species of obtainable centipedes. True?
This one is not all that ballistic. Every other segment seems to have a sort of pore. Are these spiracles for a respiratory system?
john

 

[LaRiz]

The business end eating...

Scolopendra heros castaniceps eating a late stage Blaberus discoidalis (cockroach). Yummy.
john

 

[Weapon-X]

re

awesome is an understatment, fantastic pics john---Jeff

 

[Mister Internet]

John,

Spiracles would be correct.... AWESOME pics...

 

[Alonso99]

Awesome pic. Its kinda being hard for me to get an adult of those.

 

[petitegreeneyes]

Thanks for the nice pics and now I have learned something new about my pedes!!!! That's what I like to do is learn new things I didn't know!!!!

 

[Alonso99]

Did you raise her from a baby or did you buy it as an adult?

 

[LaRiz]

Thanks for the kind words people...

Centipedes are just so fascinating. I've neglected their presence long enough.
Alonso, I purchased her wild caught. She was the one I acquired at a show here in PA, Glades Herp. had about 10 on the table for $18. One already had laid eggs in one of the deli cups on the table. So I figured, it's that time of year (late spring), and picked the biggest, fattest one. Two months later, she would lay eggs. 79 in all, all hatching, and all becoming little centipedelets.
john

 

[Hamadryad]

The business end huh?

:} That sure does remind me of when I was into pedes John! I used to look at the fangs on my big Viets and my 10 inch Malyasian and shudder...they had some nasty fangs to be sure.It is interesting that the fangs on centipedes are actually modified legs called prehensors and are not true mouth parts...they serve only as venom injection apparatus...I thought that was strange and I used to love to watch the pedes work their fangs back and forth when they were killing a fuzzy mouse...obviously they were pumping the mouse full of venom...really nasty to watch...sure glad it was not my finger or something you know?!!!!!!=D



Spider Hunter