Scolopendra heros cf arizonensis (bugfair) hifi

This is a very large specimen of Scolopendra heros arizonensis that i got to play with at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum Bugfair 2007.

It belongs to my bug buddy Francisco Torres, of Insect Adventures

I don't necesarily think handling this species of centipede is a good idea... but i just love doing it and how many chances am i going to get to play with pedes this big? I get bit a lot, a lot of the time nothign happens even when i see venom dripping from my wounds... but sometimes it hurts a lot.

[4.7MB WMV FILE]

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Scolopendra
• heros
• cf
• arizonensis
• Los
• Angeles
• Natural
• History
• Museum
• Bugfair
• 2007
• Francisco
• Torres
• Insect
• Adventures

[vectoranime123]

are you still alive or you already die because the poison takes time for humans

[cacoseraph]

@vectoranime123 the alive one

[silentopinion]

I was going to ask how did you keep it from biting you but it did.

[cacoseraph]

@silentopinion so i guess my answer would be "poorly" =P

thanks for watching!

[jeehoondevil]

@portiane LOL

[cacoseraph]

@carebearnmbr46 heros are possible kidneykillers. also, gloves are kind of mixed bag. a 4-5" centipede will punch through most cloth gloves with little problem, but not leather. leather is probably too thick to safely handle a centipede, though. plus, do you really want a pissed off centipede trapped *inside* your glove? that's actually the reason i don't wear gloves for handling. sometimes i wear them for rock flipping and hill climbing, but try to fling them off to actually catch bugs =P

[cacoseraph]

@carebearnmbr46 but to actually answer your questions... don't use your hand. use a pair of tongs or a stick or something. if the pede attacks it then it's probably not a good time to try to handle it. if it "sniffs" it and starts walking up it then you can let it walk from the tool onto your hand.

but seriously, you are probably going to get bit, so try to make sure you don't have a hellbiter or a reputed kidneykiller before handling

[cacoseraph]

@carebearnmbr46 well, centipedes are tricky. to me, the are actually very stupid, even for a bug. it seems like the main factor is to handle them when it is cooler... like 60-70*F is the best. make sure they are well fed and watered, i used to only handle after a centipede finished eating a meal.

but pretty much centipedes are random when they bite, as far as humans are concerned. tarantulas generally give warning then bite. centipedes don't... or we don't know the more subtle warnings

[7muktar]

cut your nails :P

[portiane]

omg he sounds like dying from the poison.............

[silentopinion]

@cacoseraph Hurt didn't it though?