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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.
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.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?
I am sorry but I am not convinced that S gigantea is the biggest.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?
Haha, don't get as big as gigantea??? Well, here's a surprise for you then.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.
Now only the question raises,...Haha, don't get as big as gigantea??? Well, here's a surprise for you then.
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.Looks to me like your is a gigantea and not viridicornis. Your link shows a picture of a Viridicornis.
maybe you should read this topic i once startedto me galapoensis and viridicornis look the same. Probably the sames species, just found in different parts of S. america.
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.
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.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?
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)