What is the second biggest pede???

jayer10

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I know the scolopendra gigantea is the biggest, but which is considered the second biggest? Is it the mau chau or the haitian giant? I want to puchase the second biggest, since i can't find the gigantea anywhere. Can anyone help me out with this?
 

CopperInMyVeins

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Probably another South American species that would be extremely hard to get, there are a few pretty different looking centipedes that are referred to as either S. gigantea or S. galapagoensis. The latter are usually greenish black with striped legs, and get huge, not in the trade much though, at least not in the US.
 

CopperInMyVeins

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Funny enough I was just browsing that page without seeing you post it here, really interesting, so many species on there that I want to see more of.
 

sick4x4

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yeah i know im waiting till he starts getting a few!!! i had to pass on a S.g and im still kicking myself for it...it was 10" just the price was to much!!!:wall: now the price doesnt seem that high lol!!!! i probably would of paid more>>>>>>>>:mad:
 

jayer10

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which one (that is affordable) is the second biggest? not including those viridicornis or galapagoensis species. I know those get huge. Viridicornis is my fav. Wish i could get one of those but i know that will never happen.:8o
 

Blackrose

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Hi

You ask about the second biggest pede, but what about the biggest?
Do you know for 100% that gigantea is the biggest?

Regards
Andi
 

jayer10

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well, that's what everybody says. I don't know that for sure. I heard that rumor about the galapagoensis thought. 16-20?? " or something like that. Just looking for something that big and not tooo expensive and rare.
 

Steven

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mmmm,

hard to tell,... as size can vary much in the same specie.

I think "officially" Sc.heros is on the second place right after gigantea
then Sc.subspinipes dehaani and then Sc.alternans,... "officially" i said ;)

(according to Attems' Scolopendromorpha keys 1932)
 

Steven

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Do you know for 100% that gigantea is the biggest?
Attems stated gigantea to be the biggest scolopendra spec. (265 mm BL)
a more up-to-date publication say 300 mm but the table with records on different locations (in the same publication) the total BL of specimen found is between 140mm and 240mm, Sc.galapagoensis between 130mm and 200mm

ref.
(Shelley, R. M. and S.B. Kiser, 2000. Neotype designation and a diagnostic account for the centipede, Scolopendra gigantea L. 1758, with an account of S. galapagoensis Bollman 1889. Tropical Zoology 13: 159-170, 2000)


I think if all people who are claiming to have seen or have a 350mm Sc.gigantea should post a picture of it next to a ruler :p
(same goes for other spec. too :rolleyes: )

ow yeah,... measuring a Scolopendrid goes from headplate
without the antennae to the last tergite without the ultimate legs !
= BodyLength = BL
 

Nlneff

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They always shrink when a ruler shows up.

Seriously, I imagine its not possible to know for sure which is biggest, there is probably a lot of overlap in size, some may have smaller average sizes, bigger maximum sizes, geographic variations etc. I think the best you can do is check the reported sizes in the literature (with a grain of salt) and say one is more likely to be bigger etc.

They are all way too big for me.
 

jayer10

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i was hoping that the mau chau would come in second, but i guess not. what the biggest mau chau has anyone ever heard of? and how thick?
 

Steven

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i was hoping that the mau chau would come in second, but i guess not. what the biggest mau chau has anyone ever heard of? and how thick?
a big sc.subspinipes dehaani is bigger then a small gigantea or a medium heros (if that helps ya out :rolleyes: )

why don't ya just look out for a specie with nice coloration ?
instead of buying them for their size ? :?
 

jayer10

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i like the big size for some reason, althought i do like certain ones because of color (like the malaysian bronze). i wonder how big those get.
 

scolomonster

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mau chau is the second biggest (not including all those others rarities). Heros is big also mostly skinny though not in thickness
 

236260

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jayer10

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I get it. There are a number of unique features I would like to have in my collection, and impressive size is among them. That said, Steven, I have never coveted an animal more than the red and blue pede you posted here:

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=69192&highlight=red+blue

I'd rather have that than a fire breathing dragon.
I couldn't have said it any better. Impressive size is my #1 priority for the moment. I would like some other ones also later on though.
 

Galapoheros

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Sc heros can get pretty large. I've posted this pic before. But here it is again because your eyes are easier to believe than words. It's an S h castaneiceps that is 24 cm head to tergite. I've looked around allot, the big ones are hard for me to come by. I showed this pede to someone here and he said, "yea that's pretty big. I've seen bigger ones at....." I wonder if there is a "giant" gene floating around in the species or if it's environmental or what:? . The big ones are kind of rare, ...to me anyway. I read about an old theory someone had about there being many subspecies. From what I read, there were so many subtle differences in his collected specimens, that he just gave up trying to prove it. I read something like that years ago.
 
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scolomonster

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that's an amazing picture, that is a gigantea right? one of the most amazing pictures i've seen yet! very nice
 
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