Tricks for catching S. heros in the field?

[DubiaW]

I missed a beautiful 8-9" S. heros last night. I didn't bring gloves with me and it was in some grass. I tried to spook it out and it darted into a hidden burrow under a clump of grass a few inches ahead of it. What are some of the tricks you use for catching S. heros in the wild? Gloves, tongs, rods, cups, towels, flooding? This is the third one I have missed in a week but the first one that I even had a chance of catching. It was right in front of me but I lost it. I need some advice from field collectors.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

I missed a beautiful 8-9" S. heros last night. I didn't bring gloves with me and it was in some grass. I tried to spook it out and it darted into a hidden burrow under a clump of grass a few inches ahead of it. What are some of the tricks you use for catching S. heros in the wild? Gloves, tongs, rods, cups, towels, flooding? This is the third one I have missed in a week but the first one that I even had a chance of catching. It was right in front of me but I lost it. I need some advice from field collectors.

Well I've never caught an Scolopendra heros but I have caught other large centipedes before. flooding can work, bug I wouldn't recommend it. If you're willing to wait, make some pit traps and make sure anything that falls in has a place to hide once it gets trapped. You might even try enticing the centipede into the trap with a Dubia roach

 

[RTTB]

Gloves and a 5 gallon bucket to do a quick snatch and grab. I've only caught polymorpha and found they won't sit and wait for proper tong/tweezers capture and damaging them is a concern.

 

[DubiaW]

I've been carrying a square five gallon bucket and some mechanic's gloves, but not that night. I've also been fast grabbing S. polymorpha with bare hands and putting them in deli's. The problem was that the pede was in grass and I didn't want the grass to cut it as I pulled it out. I'm thinking that I should have just plunged my hand into the sand underneath it and grabbed the pede with the grass as it was unrooted. This would have had the effect of collapsing it's burrow in the process.

I've also heard of using a cardboard tube that is blocked at one end. The pede will run into the dark hole and trap itself. So it goes.

 

[Galapoheros]

I live in Texas, it's easier because of the terrain. I know west of here, all the way to AZ, they are likely to be under boulders that aren't moveable and if a centipede is on rock and goes in a hole, the rock is probably connected to the planet so you can't turn it over. I haven't been hunting in some years but I would have a container ready, look under a rock and run it into the container. If real desperate, I'd pin it with my hand. That's risky and a little rough even if it doesn't bite you, all those legs scratch but it's not too bad. I've gotten them to run in back packs too. I'm sure it looks like I'm going to get bitten to other people but I never have out in the field and I've never damaged one in the field either.

 

[DubiaW]

How many pitfall trap successes has anyone had? If so, what design works best? Placement? Number of traps? etc.

 

[Galapoheros]

I've never liked the idea of pitfalls and pedes because if two fall in there, probably one or both won't make it. But yeah, you're not likely to get two in a night anyway I guess. They are such good climbers, I don't know if they would let go of what they are walking on enough to fall in but maybe so.

 

[RTTB]

I've heard right after a rain is a good time to look. Like right after.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

I've never liked the idea of pitfalls and pedes because if two fall in there, probably one or both won't make it. But yeah, you're not likely to get two in a night anyway I guess. They are such good climbers, I don't know if they would let go of what they are walking on enough to fall in but maybe so.

I've never had any problems using pitfalls. Maybe it's just because of there's too few centipedes around. Then again, I was watching a show where they were trying to catch a kind of froglet using pitfalls but ended up with lots of froglets and lots of funnel webs, so you probably would run into problems if the animals are quite common in your area

 

[DubiaW]

At my hotspot S. heros arizonensis are pretty common. I am considering using carrion bait by pitfalls that are under boards. I'm setting multiple pitfalls and then making a large trail loop that I can return to several times in the night instead of once in the morning. It gets to be 120F plus in the daytime here (50C) so leaving pitfalls to be checked when the sun comes up is a bigger problem than multiple pedes in a trap. If I check them several times a night and then just go home as the sun comes up I can hopefully evert both problems (and leave the pitfalls in place to check the next night). That way I get the joy of being tagged while fast handing pedes and hopefully come home with a haul anyway. The monsoons have yet to arrive but the pedes are out (probably hungry and ready for bait). Thank you all for helping formulate a plan. A four day weekend is coming up and I'm going full nocturnal. If I come back with a bouquet of centipedes I'll be sure to throw it out as a pic on this thread.

The only question left: Have you all had better luck with fresh meat or carrion?

 

[Nephila Edulis]

At my hotspot S. heros arizonensis are pretty common. I am considering using carrion bait by pitfalls that are under boards. I'm setting multiple pitfalls and then making a large trail loop that I can return to several times in the night instead of once in the morning. It gets to be 120F plus in the daytime here (50C) so leaving pitfalls to be checked when the sun comes up is a bigger problem than multiple pedes in a trap. If I check them several times a night and then just go home as the sun comes up I can hopefully evert both problems (and leave the pitfalls in place to check the next night). That way I get the joy of being tagged while fast handing pedes and hopefully come home with a haul anyway. The monsoons have yet to arrive but the pedes are out (probably hungry and ready for bait). Thank you all for helping formulate a plan. A four day weekend is coming up and I'm going full nocturnal. If I come back with a bouquet of centipedes I'll be sure to throw it out as a pic on this thread.

The only question left: Have you all had better luck with fresh meat or carrion?

Well centipedes will take both dead and alive. You could probably manage with any freshly dead feeder, different sized food would probably attract different sized centipedes. Another thing is that pitfalls will attract many different animals, you might end up with lots of smaller animals. Watch out for ants, they scare away most larger animals

 

[DubiaW]

Great forethought.

 

[Staehilomyces]

Well, I have just returned from an 11 day school trip up North Queensland to help the indigenous people who live up there. During the trip, I found five large Ethmostigmus rubripes (the stunning tiger variant). From that experience, I can say that there is one method which to me would seem the most promising, and that is laying down hiding places. I suggest that you lay down piles of logs/tiles in a liable area and leave them for a few days. I imagine they would fill up with an all manner of inverts, and as giant centipedes are about as high on the food chain as it is possible for a bug to be, I daresay they won't fall prey to any other inverts that hide in the same place. I will now go into exactly where and how I found each pede.

The first one I found was when we were doing Aboriginal paintings. I saw a small huntsman in the box of paintbrushes (which was left in a shed), and while I was trying to get it out, a big (15cm) pede dropped off one of the brushes. After a lengthy argument with my teachers, who were having trouble accepting that I am an experienced centipede handler, and who wished to kill it by throwing it in the campfire, I was allowed to release it by one of the staff members after handling it for a few minutes, though one particular teacher remained unconvinced, and treated me like I was a danger to myself for the rest of the trip.
The second one was the biggest, at around 23cm. I found it wandering around at night after heavy rain. I handled and released it, without any of the teachers knowing what had just happened.
The third was a little smaller than the first, and was found in a pile of wooden posts that were laid down the day before. I was now known as being experienced with these creatures, and was allowed to release it by hand as per usual.
The fourth and fifth were both found under the tents of my fellow classmates, which were pitched the night before. They were released, after a demonstration to my classmates showing how I handled them.

The conclusion I can draw is that the best method seems to be laying down suitable hiding places in pede-prone areas, and checking them after several nights, especially after rain. Pitfalls seem to have too many drawbacks to be useful, such as the aforementioned ants and the fact that pedes usually wouldn't drop right in, but maintain a grip on the edge with their rear legs.

Hope you find this useful.

 

[Galapoheros]

I've heard the same from the residents of the rocky desert areas. I would go there looking for heros, other color forms other than castaneiceps that are around here. I would ask where to find them and all basically said, "To find those you should look under old trash like boards, mattresses, stuff like that." It's not practical to put that stuff out unless you own the property though. Maybe you could find a trash pile at ends of roads. But again I've had the best luck in desert areas along the side of the road, at night in riparian areas with a good headlamp where short cliffs have been cut in the road. What you do is park your car, get out, walk a mile or so down a good cut, like looking for snakes. It's illegal in Texas to do that now, maybe there also. Don't attract attention or you will catch yourself not being able to do it. They use common sense, if it doesn't look like a problem, they will let it go but if they(game warden, border patrol) see it's causing them some confusion, they will start more stringent enforcing.

 

[Nephila Edulis]

Well, I have just returned from an 11 day school trip up North Queensland to help the indigenous people who live up there. During the trip, I found five large Ethmostigmus rubripes (the stunning tiger variant). From that experience, I can say that there is one method which to me would seem the most promising, and that is laying down hiding places. I suggest that you lay down piles of logs/tiles in a liable area and leave them for a few days. I imagine they would fill up with an all manner of inverts, and as giant centipedes are about as high on the food chain as it is possible for a bug to be, I daresay they won't fall prey to any other inverts that hide in the same place. I will now go into exactly where and how I found each pede.

The first one I found was when we were doing Aboriginal paintings. I saw a small huntsman in the box of paintbrushes (which was left in a shed), and while I was trying to get it out, a big (15cm) pede dropped off one of the brushes. After a lengthy argument with my teachers, who were having trouble accepting that I am an experienced centipede handler, and who wished to kill it by throwing it in the campfire, I was allowed to release it by one of the staff members after handling it for a few minutes, though one particular teacher remained unconvinced, and treated me like I was a danger to myself for the rest of the trip.
The second one was the biggest, at around 23cm. I found it wandering around at night after heavy rain. I handled and released it, without any of the teachers knowing what had just happened.
The third was a little smaller than the first, and was found in a pile of wooden posts that were laid down the day before. I was now known as being experienced with these creatures, and was allowed to release it by hand as per usual.
The fourth and fifth were both found under the tents of my fellow classmates, which were pitched the night before. They were released, after a demonstration to my classmates showing how I handled them.

The conclusion I can draw is that the best method seems to be laying down suitable hiding places in pede-prone areas, and checking them after several nights, especially after rain. Pitfalls seem to have too many drawbacks to be useful, such as the aforementioned ants and the fact that pedes usually wouldn't drop right in, but maintain a grip on the edge with their rear legs.

Hope you find this useful.

I tried laying out hiding places once, I ended up with a red bellied black snake and seeing as I have several young chickens I can't really afford to risk that again. Pitfall traps have been effective for me in at least a few cases, but I put hiding places in the trap so the pede is more comfortable, less likely to leave and less likely to be eaten by nosy birds.

Also, those are some amazing finds. It must be nice to have visited a place with so many big centipedes

 

[DubiaW]

If I remember right it was a 19A non-game licence gives you the right to road hunt and hunt easements in Texas. Don't quote me on the license number, it's been fifteen years since I bought one. I had to buy it to try to get out of a ticket for collecting a diamondback water snake, (which I wasn't doing at the time, only holding it). Almost everything in Texas is private property. If private property is the issue you just need to get to know someone with a ranch and you are golden. The non-game road hunting licence gives you the right to collect non-game herps, amphibians and inverts (maybe some mammals to). You can ask for it at Walmart, but you better look it up first because they are going to look at you like you are crazy until they find it in their catalogue. It took me about tem minutes to convince the clerk that it was there after calling Game and Fish to enquire how to get one. Yup. Walmart.

 

[DubiaW]

Or pay a rancher. But trust me, it doesn't take much to convince a rancher to let you remove his rattlers, scorpions and centipedes.

 

[RTTB]

I'm a purist and have always frowned upon the use of placing artificial structure for herping. Do your research and hit the field is my attitude. Law of averages usually will get you what you are looking for.

 

[DubiaW]

Well, I have just returned from an 11 day school trip up North Queensland to help the indigenous people who live up there. During the trip, I found five large Ethmostigmus rubripes (the stunning tiger variant). From that experience, I can say that there is one method which to me would seem the most promising, and that is laying down hiding places. I suggest that you lay down piles of logs/tiles in a liable area and leave them for a few days. I imagine they would fill up with an all manner of inverts, and as giant centipedes are about as high on the food chain as it is possible for a bug to be, I daresay they won't fall prey to any other inverts that hide in the same place. I will now go into exactly where and how I found each pede.

The first one I found was when we were doing Aboriginal paintings. I saw a small huntsman in the box of paintbrushes (which was left in a shed), and while I was trying to get it out, a big (15cm) pede dropped off one of the brushes. After a lengthy argument with my teachers, who were having trouble accepting that I am an experienced centipede handler, and who wished to kill it by throwing it in the campfire, I was allowed to release it by one of the staff members after handling it for a few minutes, though one particular teacher remained unconvinced, and treated me like I was a danger to myself for the rest of the trip.
The second one was the biggest, at around 23cm. I found it wandering around at night after heavy rain. I handled and released it, without any of the teachers knowing what had just happened.
The third was a little smaller than the first, and was found in a pile of wooden posts that were laid down the day before. I was now known as being experienced with these creatures, and was allowed to release it by hand as per usual.
The fourth and fifth were both found under the tents of my fellow classmates, which were pitched the night before. They were released, after a demonstration to my classmates showing how I handled them.

The conclusion I can draw is that the best method seems to be laying down suitable hiding places in pede-prone areas, and checking them after several nights, especially after rain. Pitfalls seem to have too many drawbacks to be useful, such as the aforementioned ants and the fact that pedes usually wouldn't drop right in, but maintain a grip on the edge with their rear legs.

Hope you find this useful.

Wow! I would quit my job to take that trip. Do people in Australia think of the Southwest United States as an exotic place?

Unfortunately S. heros in AZ are not very tolerant to dehydration and they dig deep burrows. The people that I know who have found them flipping have done so in the high mountains and typically big pedes are under very big boulders. I've spent days flipping over huge rocks in the mountains and haven't found anything (but it was the dry season). Everything else I have found has been by headlighting at night, either hiking washes, or driving along roadside cut outs. I'm ready for the monsoons to come so they will venture further away from the safety of their humid burrows. I have only found one in AZ flipping debris (which I have done for years in the flats) and that was over ten years ago in the Patagonia Mountain area (on a wet year). Unfortunately I didn't know what I was looking at back then, I distinctly remember it being black wit a red head and tail (typically it is the opposite in that area). I caught it, fast hand style, and put it in a deli. Looked at it for a few minutes and then let it go thinking it was the coolest centipede I had ever seen.

Now I wish I had given up on snakes years ago, too much legal garbage goes with collecting them and you can get busted for not having a current hunting licence for snakes that you collected legally years prior or captive born gifts. Native AZ species aren't legal to sell and the legal limit is 4 snakes of one species including captive prodigy over a certain age, which must be gifted to other keepers.

 

[Staehilomyces]

Never knew it was that hard. I used to find pedes while flipping, but only small Cormocephalus species. The funny thing is, I've read so many stories on the internet of big pedes, usually heros or subspinipes, finding their way into people's houses frequently, though usually being killed. Such a paradox it is that the pede haters get them coming right into their homes, but we are stuck discussing traps and lures to no avail.