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It's a Scolopendra heros castaneiceps found in S. Austin Tx. They can turn brown like that when they get older.
What is the second biggest pede???
- Thread starter jayer10
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very nice i haven't seen one get that size very impressive
scolomonster
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Hmmm, i was wondering cuz most don't look like that. I thought it was gigantea at first. You seem to know a lot, do most pedes get close to that thickness?
scolomonster
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would a mau chau get about that thick?
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No, I don't know a whole lot. They are just interesting to me and I mostly pay attention to the local species. I don't read a lot of scientific data about them. But I do watch them a lot. I saw my first one somebody caught with snake tongs in 1985 on a field trip and I couldn't believe the school was going to kill it as a specimen
. But that's what the field trip was for. I knew I had to get some after that:drool: . When I'd get a collection going, I'd get mites and the centipedes would slowly die. Then I found this site and learned about mite control. So my pede world is going ok now. I have read that, in general, pedes will widen as their length growth slows. I know what you mean, most don't look like the one in the pic. I'm hoping to get babies next year to see what they look like. That would be interesting.
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I am sorry but I am not convinced that S gigantea is the biggest.
Some years ago I had a presumed S galapagoensis with bodylenght of 13'' (330mm). (well, at least I know for sure it was not a gigantea. The animals body was black, black/white banded legs and red antenae. Very alike to the pic on this thread http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=7850 ). She died short after het latest molt. I still have the skin. As requested by Steven yesterday
I will post a pic tomorrow. Ofcourse, the skin size is not the same as the true animal but it will give an idea.
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scolomonster
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i think the one your talking about is a scolopendra viridicornis. i've heard they don't get as big as gigantea but they sure look bigger.
Haha, don't get as big as gigantea??? Well, here's a surprise for you then.
This is the picture I promised.
I apologize for the bad quality. I don't have a hi-tech digital camera.
Anyway, the pic shows the skin (which shrunk a bit during drying) and unfortunately it's already damaged (eaten) by very little beetles. It's about 10 years old and I couldn't prevent these critters from eating the skin. Nevertheless it still gives an idea of the size of the centipede. The ruler measures a body of 315mm (12,5") which is a lot bigger then a big gigantea! The life animal was even a bit bigger (as I said.. 330mm !)
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Well, someone put their money where their mouth is.
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Now only the question raises,...
what if yours was a rare colorform of Sc.gigantea ?
If the Id of it was based on colors only, we have a problem no ?
Geert,... please bring along that skin next SIT-meeting :}
i really would love to see it in "life"
that must have been a really impressive Scolopendrid alive
:worship: :worship: :worship:
scolomonster
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Looks to me like your is a gigantea and not viridicornis. Your link shows a picture of a Viridicornis.Haha, don't get as big as gigantea??? Well, here's a surprise for you then.
This is the picture I promised.
I apologize for the bad quality. I don't have a hi-tech digital camera.
Anyway, the pic shows the skin (which shrunk a bit during drying) and unfortunately it's already damaged (eaten) by very little beetles. It's about 10 years old and I couldn't prevent these critters from eating the skin. Nevertheless it still gives an idea of the size of the centipede. The ruler measures a body of 315mm (12,5") which is a lot bigger then a big gigantea! The life animal was even a bit bigger (as I said.. 330mm !)
Yes but it only looks that way. I think any big Scolopendra skin is reddish. I assure you, the pede was completely black and looking a lot like the link I mentioned. If for sure that's a viridicornis, well, then this is a skin of a viridicornis then. I only presumed it's a galapagoensis because I couldn't believe that viridicornis could get that big.
Maybe Steven van determine the skin when I send it? :?
To Steven: A black color form of gigantea??? That's the same as discovering a UFO in your back yard. I don't think black gigantea's exist. Anyway, I will give you the skin. I hope you can identify the specie then.
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scolomonster
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Oh, i missed the part where you said it was black before, sry. I thought that was the original color. To me galapoensis and viridicornis look the same. Probably the sames species, just found in different parts of S. america. Very excellent picture though. I can only imagine how big it was when it was alive. I bet you were devestated when it died huh? Do you have any pictures of it when it was alive?
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Many of my gigantea have really black parts on their body,... so tmo totally black gigantea's wouldn't be such a discoveryTo Steven: A black color form of gigantea??? That's the same as discovering a UFO in your back yard. I don't think black gigantea's exist. Anyway, I will give you the skin. I hope you can identify the specie then.
ID based on an old skin is really hard,... are some parts of the ultimate legs still in tact ?
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Thanks for that pic! My brain can't imagine seeing that thing alive. I'm glad that viridicornis vs. galapagoensis thread was brought up again too. I was looking for that the other day. Also, the pics we see are only a few examples of the size these things can reach. There has got to be some real monsters out of the millions of wild ones in the jungles we don't see.Haha, don't get as big as gigantea??? Well, here's a surprise for you then.
This is the picture I promised.
I apologize for the bad quality. I don't have a hi-tech digital camera.
Anyway, the pic shows the skin (which shrunk a bit during drying) and unfortunately it's already damaged (eaten) by very little beetles. It's about 10 years old and I couldn't prevent these critters from eating the skin. Nevertheless it still gives an idea of the size of the centipede. The ruler measures a body of 315mm (12,5") which is a lot bigger then a big gigantea! The life animal was even a bit bigger (as I said.. 330mm !)
Yes I was devastated when it died. I tried to preserve the specimen but while drying it schrunk and deformed. On top of that, it started to rot and injections with formaldehyde didn't help. Later I 've seen prety good preserved scolopendra on fairs but I still don't know how they do it.
Anyway, the skin is all I have now.
I am so gratefull to Steven to open the treath "Viridicornis vs galapagoensis" again. The last tergite of the skin is still intact and it does not have this Mediakiel as explained by Steven. Also, as for what I remember from the life specimen, the antennae were even a bit brighter colored black/red then shown in Steven's picture.
So, its more likely a galapagoensis then viridicornis then.
However, this still doesn't prove which is the biggest specie since adult sizes vary a lot and it's always possible that individuals of any specie reach an unusual big size.
By the way, I did take a picture of the living animal but I didn't had a digital camera at that time and for my reflex camera it was too dark inside and the pic failed. It's very unclear but I try to find it back and scan it and post it here. Maybe it can give an idea... ?
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Hey Geert
thanx for checking it
I'm getting more and more convinced on the occurence of dark colorforms of gigantea's (another reason to never judge on colors/size to ID a Scolopendrid)
i've just recently seen some pictures of what's most likely the black form of gigantea with striped legs (overall look really resembles galapagoensis)
Do you remember the collection data of yours ?
*edit
PS: ik heb je zonet een mail gestuurd Geert
thanx for checking it
I'm getting more and more convinced on the occurence of dark colorforms of gigantea's (another reason to never judge on colors/size to ID a Scolopendrid)
i've just recently seen some pictures of what's most likely the black form of gigantea with striped legs (overall look really resembles galapagoensis)
Do you remember the collection data of yours ?
*edit
PS: ik heb je zonet een mail gestuurd Geert
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I'm getting more and more convinced on the occurence of dark colorforms of gigantea's (another reason to never judge on colors/size to ID a Scolopendrid)
i've just recently seen some pictures of what's most likely the black form of gigantea with striped legs (overall look really resembles galapagoensis)But now I have a serious problem.... How do I know it's not a galapagoensis but gigantea? The rear legs are destroyed by beetles... :8o
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@spinnekop (Geert) ,..
i'll post the answer in here to share it with the other members,...
yours was 99% sure a Gigantea i've examined the skin and only the amount of smooth antennae segments was the missing key to gigantea (antennae were destroyed as Geert posted earlier,...) but with its 30cm Bl lenght i'm quite sure it was the black colorform of Sc.gigantea, so it was probarly from North-East Venezuela
(i'll post some pictures later this week)
i'll post the answer in here to share it with the other members,...
yours was 99% sure a Gigantea
i've examined the skin and only the amount of smooth antennae segments was the missing key to gigantea (antennae were destroyed as Geert posted earlier,...) but with its 30cm Bl lenght i'm quite sure it was the black colorform of Sc.gigantea, so it was probarly from North-East Venezuela(i'll post some pictures later this week)