Giant Centipede Care, Feeding, Supplies...and Warnings!

[Truffs1178]

I'm sorry Frank; but was not referring to "weight lifting" or "bees" in my post. My fault for typing the word "stinging" instead of "biting" .

To be honest Carlos I don't know what the correct word is because a centipedes forcipules are not fangs or mouth parts. They are modified legs which are hollow and inject venom. But I still usually say bite as well.

[Bruce]

I quite literally think my mother would kill, and I mean legitimately kill me if I EVER brought something like this home... that being said, they are interesting. Is there a species that isnt as toxic as others?

[Truffs1178]

Maybe I'll get some velvet worms or a trapdoor spider instead...just something that isn't going to put me in hospital. If I don't die of the centipede bite then I'll probably get out the hospital doors and be killed by my mother for not telling her I was harbouring a dangerous psychopede in my bedroom.

[Beardo]

If you are afraid of any animal, you should not keep them thats for sure.

I have kept thousands of venomous animals.....centipedes, scorpions, spiders, snakes.......never been bit by any of them, not even close. If you are careful then you CAN keep them without incident.

[Truffs1178]

I'm not afraid of them...just the bite. I definitely wouldn't handle it and it would be kept very safe. I have to be careful with my tarantulas so they don't harm my dogs.

[findiviglio]

I'm not afraid of them...just the bite. I definitely wouldn't handle it and it would be kept very safe. I have to be careful with my tarantulas so they don't harm my dogs.

Well said...even with care, bites will happen (basing this on 30+ years working in zoos, with trained, experienced keepers)...in private collections, treatment is usually not readily available...zoos have elaborate safety protocols, police to transport to hospital, others to assist so that venom is not spread by victim trying to re-capture animal or obtain help, antivenin extremely expoenisve, and cannot be administered at home; venoms of many inverts unstudied...and so on; there are countless fascinating non-venomous species to work with, many undiscovered, etc. Enjoy, best, Frank

[Beardo]

There is no antivenin for centipedes or tarantulas, so working at a Zoo wouldn't help in a bite case from those, except for the possible workman's compensation lol.

I've got 20+ years of dealing with exotics, and I know many people who have worked in Zoos with venomous animals for very long periods of time without getting bit. The old "its not IF but WHEN" saying is not applicable all the time.

[findiviglio]

There is no antivenin for centipedes or tarantulas, so working at a Zoo wouldn't help in a bite case from those, except for the possible workman's compensation lol.

I've got 20+ years of dealing with exotics, and I know many people who have worked in Zoos with venomous animals for very long periods of time without getting bit. The old "its not IF but WHEN" saying is not applicable all the time.

The support care is there...connections with specialists etc..but I have been through similar discussions for decades now, have responded to numerous bites and stings..realize most will do as they see fit, so will leave you with my best wishes...

[Truffs1178]

Are there any large centipedes that's bite wouldn't be bad at all?

[Cap10Squirty]

Are there any large centipedes that's bite wouldn't be bad at all?

The problem with this question is you are going to require someone with personal experience (having been bit) or knowledge of the species, and just because a bite was not bad in a certain case does not mean that it will be the same in yours. You mentioned velvet worms, now those are some interesting creatures there! I came across a post on a forum somewhere where a guy mentioned keeping them and having to keep them cool. He did so by keeping them in a small wine chiller. Not sure if that is an absolute requirement though...

[Truffs1178]

Sorry I meant to say with not very potent venom.

Velvet worms do require cool temperatures so he was keeping them fine. BugzUK has got a lot of velvet worms in stock at the minute so I may get them instead but m still currently deciding. I have researched both for a few weeks and will continue to do so until I make up my mind. Have you seen the way velvet worms catch their prey? It's by far the coolest prey trapping method of any creature I have seen.

[Beardo]

Any of the centipedes in the S. heros family would be a good sized species with less-than-high toxicity. But, again....levels of toxicity mean nothing if you......don't.....get.....bit. lol

Sorry if I sound like a broken record.....but keeping venomous animals and getting bit are NOT always hand-in-hand.

[Truffs1178]

I know, I know but it's just in case.

I cant ant seem to find any Scolopendra Heros.

Sorry if this is a stupid question but these are the pedes I could get. Could you list them in order of how dangerous the bite is? Again sorry for asking something so dumb.

Scolopendra Dehaani
Scolopendra Mortisans
Scolopendra Subspinipes dehaani
Ethmostigmus trigonopodus
Scolopendra polymorpha
Hemiescolopendra platei
Rhysida longipes

[Beardo]

Honestly, if you go into the situation mentally prepared to take a bite or thinking you will......I believe you are setting yourself up for failure. This may sound weird, but I never not once thought about what would happen if I got bit. I simply kept the thought out of my mind & focused on doing things intelligently. And its not like I kept furry pet rocks like Rose Hairs and Emperor Scorpions......I worked with everything from Giant Centipedes, to Israeli Deathstalker Scorpions, African Assassin Bugs, Poecilotheria species, and even kept Sicarius for a while (google them if you're not familiar.....the TRUE "most toxic" spider on the planet)......I had stuff that would RUIN someone's day.....but it was never an issue because I was careful and I kept them because I enjoyed interacting with and observing them. Nothing more.

[Cap10Squirty]

Sorry I meant to say with not very potent venom.

Velvet worms do require cool temperatures so he was keeping them fine. BugzUK has got a lot of velvet worms in stock at the minute so I may get them instead but m still currently deciding. I have researched both for a few weeks and will continue to do so until I make up my mind. Have you seen the way velvet worms catch their prey? It's by far the coolest prey trapping method of any creature I have seen.

Yeah they are pretty awesome. They are like little slug like versions of Spider Man. My opinion - get the velvet worm haha. You said you have not yet convinced or have tried to convince your parents on a centipede? I'm sure convincing them about a Velvet worm would be far easier. A Velvet worm would seem to meet the carnivorous aspect of the animal that you are looking for.

[Truffs1178]

I saw a video of a harvestman about to attack a velvet worm but the velvet worm shot it with its glue and ate the harvestman.

They're so cute as well and apparently soft to hold.

[findiviglio]

Honestly, if you go into the situation mentally prepared to take a bite or thinking you will......I believe you are setting yourself up for failure. This may sound weird, but I never not once thought about what would happen if I got bit. I simply kept the thought out of my mind & focused on doing things intelligently. And its not like I kept furry pet rocks like Rose Hairs and Emperor Scorpions......I worked with everything from Giant Centipedes, to Israeli Deathstalker Scorpions, African Assassin Bugs, Poecilotheria species, and even kept Sicarius for a while (google them if you're not familiar.....the TRUE "most toxic" spider on the planet)......I had stuff that would RUIN someone's day.....but it was never an issue because I was careful and I kept them because I enjoyed interacting with and observing them. Nothing more.

Trust someone with more years in the world's leading zoos and museums, and the field, than many net-experts have on earth, and quite a bit of time working for the leading supplier of wildlife to zoos, back when there were few regs....it is an issue! I suggest you subscribe to a prof journal, i.e. Toxicon, if you wish an accurate understanding of the status of our knowledge on venoms, treatment, etc.

[Beardo]

Just wondering.....since we seem to be straying off topic a bit and I'm not trying to have an argument on the justification of keeping venomous animals in captivity, but exactly how much personal experience do you have with keeping centipedes, findiviglio?

[findiviglio]

Just wondering.....since we seem to be straying off topic a bit and I'm not trying to have an argument on the justification of keeping venomous animals in captivity, but exactly how much personal experience do you have with keeping centipedes, findiviglio?

I'm not going to go into this any further...no offense, hopefully you are careful and will be fine. I mainly commented not to change your views, but because less experienced people might be unduly influenced. Good luck with all, Frank

[Beardo]

I'm not going to go into this any further...no offense, hopefully you are careful and will be fine. I mainly commented not to change your views, but because less experienced people might be unduly influenced. Good luck with all, Frank

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you probably have never kept centipedes before, based on that response. I have been keeping centipedes for 15 years. I base my statements on real-time personal experience, rather than what someone *else* did. That, IMO holds more weight when talking about husbandry advice....but again thats just MY opinion.

Jack, I would rank those species you listed in potency in this order from weakest to most potent:

S. polymorpha
E. trigonopodus
H. platei
R. longipes
S. mortisans
S. suspinipes