Talk:Centipede/Archive 1

What in the world
why is that man labeled centipede? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.161.207.101 (talk) 06:55, 26 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Your mom's labeled a centipede.... Seriously though he's got one in his hand man. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.253.36.46 (talk) 08:17, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

Meaning of Chilopoda
What is the meaning of Chilopoda (I don't mean the definition; I mean the meaning (e.g. "centipede" means "100 feet".) 66.245.108.234 19:51, 6 Aug 2004 (UTC)

- It means "lip foot;" this is a reference to their front pair of modified legs, which dispense the venom. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.12.137.241 (talk) 17:54, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

100 legs
I heard that nobody has ever actually found a centipede that had 100 legs, yet that contradicts "they only rarely have 100 legs". Anyone know of a source for either side? violet/riga (t) 23:11, 4 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I think what the writer means is that centipedes rarely have *as many* as 100 legs.

I know that's what it's trying to say too but I think Violet is tring to say that since no centipede has ever been reported to have that many legs that it's an incorrect statements. It should proably say "Centipedes never have as many as 100 legs" or "A centipede has yet to be found with 100 or more legs". Maybe some species' do though? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.253.36.46 (talk) 08:19, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

How can centipedes have between 20 legs (10 pairs) and 300 legs (150 pairs) if they can't have an even number of pairs? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.166.72.194 (talk) 18:10, 22 February 2010 (UTC)


 * There are plenty of odd numbers that are between 10 and 150. 213.249.135.36 (talk) 21:22, 18 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Oh yeah? "can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 384. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs." Make sense of that In other words it includes 30 and 384.

Odd number of legs
''Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs.'' If it is odd number, number of legs range from either 29 or 31 to either 353 or 355. It can't be 30 to 354. 213.149.51.127 (talk) 12:56, 17 July 2017 (UTC)

Yes, agreed. These two sentences completely contradict each other. Very confusing.
 * 30 legs (even number of legs) = 15 pairs of legs (odd number of pairs of legs); no contradiction. Ewulp (talk) 01:59, 27 February 2018 (UTC)

Harmful to people
Are centipedes harmful to people? They creep me out, especially after reading this article. I just found one in my bathroom sink. It came up the drain, but could not climb the sides of the sink. I managed to trap it in a pickle jar and release it outside. If me a a note on my talk page, if you when you reply to my questions. I normally don't read these kinds of articles --whicky1978 June 29, 2005 02:44 (UTC)
 * I came here to ask the same thing. I know centipedes are -harmful-, in that they can inflict a nasty wound if you're bitten (witnessed it firsthand in a biology class I took a few years ago in college, I LOLed though), but is there a species of centipede that is deadly to humans?  I figure a centipede couldn't possibly do more harm than a black widow spider (if you're healthy and not a child or elderly I think you have about a 95% chance of surviving a widow bite), but then again, I wouldn't rule out some freaky deadly centipede species being a possibility in Australia, where it seems every animal there is a hardcore version of what you'd find everywhere else.  --69.234.223.139 21:40, 27 August 2005 (UTC)

Centipedes are not deadly to people, even elderly and young. The venom instead inflicts pain and is designed to paralize the victims. The giant centipedes are by far the most poisonous, the scolopendra subspinipes from china/thailand /malaysia/ vietnam region having the worst bite. Reports of bites often involve extreme pain which requires hospitolization for pain control (though percocet and morphine are known to have little effect on centipede venom) as well as local swelling and sometimes skin necrosis. The exception is severe allergic reaction to the venom which is rare. Regardless, i am told it is not a pleasant experience. A good rule of thumb is that strength of the venom scales with the size of the centipede. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.17.100.227 (talk • contribs).


 * I beg to differ...check out this article..towards the bottom of the page....> http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/sheros.html
 * Good Lord! That thing looks downright diabolical.
 * A rare instance perhaps, but proof that these hideous creatures are indeed potentially dangerous.

I object to "hideous". Centipedes are venomous: the very big ones can kill a young child, although it takes a long time and deaths are very rare. Deaths from allergic reactions are more common.

If you're stupid enough to disturb the poor thing when it's just going about its own business, you deserve to be bitten. If it's an accident, fair enough, just get yourself to hospital. Only the really big ones are of any importance: mostly it's just dead painful. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.209.74.243 (talk) 10:50, 30 April 2009 (UTC)

I read that before but the case has no documentation and happened over 100 years ago. It sounds very much like an allergic reaction as well. The Heros type of centipede is one of the less venemous giant centipedes, though they have a very aggressive disposition. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Tservo100 (talk • contribs).

I disagree extremely to having the centipede under the "kept as pets" category. The ones people usually keep as pets are the kind that can be extremely tempermental. It is a bad idea to have it there, as it might promote the use of them as pets.


 * the above link has changed.. the new link ===> http://entomology.uark.edu/museum/sheros.html

Në&#359;&#924;&#466;&#324;&#287;er Peace Talks 20:55, 8 July 2008 (UTC)

In the article, centipedes are referred to as poisonous. I believe venomous would be more accurate since they can inject venom directly into the bloodstream. Poison refers to objects which are dangerous when consumed. I believe it also applies to inhalants and substances harmful to contact. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.80.36.95 (talk) 07:58, 31 August 2009 (UTC)


 * I have a secondary source for potential citation in the " Harmful to People" section. A Springfield, Missouri man was recently bitten on the finger by a red headed centipede while hiking in the rural Ozarks. The pain was excruciating and the swelling extended from the bit on his finger all the way up to his biceps.  He described his elbow becoming the size of his face. The man was hospitalized for 3 days in Cox Medical Center where he received antibiotics, pain medication and close observation.   Sierraparis (talk) 21:51, 29 July 2013 (UTC)

Centipede infestation
HI...My house is infested with centipedes, and I was just wondering if you knew if the size of the centipede determines the intensity of the bite? Our centipedes are pretty large...maybe averaging at about 3 inches or so....do you think those are harmful? Thank you


 * Depends on the species: how do they look like and by the way, where do you live (Europe, America, Africa, Australia?) Kaarel 20:13, 30 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Could they be house centipedes? If so, they don't often bite humans, but when they do it is similar to a bee sting. They can actually be beneficial, eating other pests, but I think they look creepy as all hell and in your position I'd call an exterminator. Gary 20:30, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

I think they are house centipedes...but they are just huge and creepy. I am from the US...I know they eat other pests...but frankly I would rather have the other pests I think. We are trying to get over the counter bug killer stuff because we are just college kids renting an old house and our landlords won't do anything about them. Do you know any good over the counter stuff? We have tried home defense max and it seems to have helped a little, but I really am hoping to find something that will get rid of the problem completely if at all possible.


 * I just read that if you sprinkle borax around the edges of rooms, centipedes will go away. You can find borax in the laundry aisle of supermarkets.

Thank you very much...I will have to try that.

Silk
I have seen centipedes (6" or so in length, orange in color) hanging from silk strands in Florida forests. Can anyone offer any information on their silk-producing abilities? – Autodidact 20:21, 17 August 2006 (UTC)


 * That sounds bizarre. Did you take a picture? I live in Florida, and I've never seen them do that. I've seen all sorts of insects hanging from Spanish moss, and there's a lot of spiders making webs, but I rarely encounter a centipede, let alone a hanged centipede. Gary 15:09, 18 August 2006 (UTC)


 * Alas, no pictures. But I have dug up a few mentions of centipede silk-spinning online:
 * "Silk-spinning appears to be an adaptation of terrestrialized—that is, land—arthropods. Modern spiders, pseudoscorpions, some insects, most centipedes, some millipedes, and spider mites produce silk."


 * "Male centipedes usually spin a small web onto which they deposit a sperm packet for the female to pick up."


 * "Some centipede species can produce silk. Mainly they use silk only during mating and capturing prey."
 * – Autodidact 21:50, 18 August 2006 (UTC)


 * So maybe they hang upside down and grab insects and things that fly by? I know praying mantids can catch hummingbirds in flight, maybe centipedes can do something similar? Gary 02:58, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

It doesn't sound like they are actually centipedes - perhaps you are thinking of another type of arthropod, which hangs from silk threads to catch its prey, the name of which I can't think of at the moment... Centipedes normally anchor themselves to something when they catch something in flight, like the way giant ones that catch bats in caves anchor themselves to the wall. Centipedes probably wouldn't be capable of producing silk in a strand that would support them, nor would they particularly need it. They also would be too exposed hanging in the air, as they are chiefly burrowing animals, aren't they (I could be wrong)? (Excuse me for not referencing.)

25" Galapagos
I saw the website claiming the centipede can reach that length but i don't believe it. Two individuals i know keep galapagos centipedes which are just under 8" and are adults

It's pure rumour

Mythology
"In Japanese mythology, heroes battle with giant centipedes. Even at mundane sizes, centipedes are often thought to be connected with the world of the dead." I have moved the above entry here until it's more specific, and properly referenced. Phonemonkey 17:32, 9 December 2006 (UTC)
 * The entry is legit, but that only happens in one story in Japanese folklore. So that's one hero, and one giant centipede. Not sure about the "world of the dead" thing - it applies to the story, but I'm not so sure the reference still works in Japan today. All in all, I don't think it even fits into the article as it is now, and it's certainly not too relevant, so I wouldn't bother putting it back in. TomorrowTime 08:34, 27 June 2007 (UTC)

Size
In the section "Size" we find the statement: ''Scolopendra gigantea, also known as the Amazonian giant centipede, is the largest extant species of centipede in the world, reaching over 30 cm (12 inches) in length. It is known to eat gorillas, catching them during tea partys, as well as rodents and spiders.'' I did not even know that gorillas went to tea parties! This is what WP so interesting and informative! Hi There 13:01, 3 February 2007 (UTC)
 * I removed that vandalism. Next time you come across something like that, feel free to remove it yourself. One tip: obvious spelling mistakes are often a dead give-away ("partys"). IronChris |  (talk) 18:41, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

You mean like the medical bit about "centipede butt cheeks" hurting a lot? I didn't hesitate - and I had no idea that centipedes had a fart that dated millions of years ago. I recommend uncyclopedia.wikia.com for this particular tool.

Centipede bites
I have checked the effects of centipede bites out pretty thoroughly. I have heard rumours of one person dying - in Australia - but have been totally unable to get confirmation of that. Reports on several bites by the giant Scolopendra gigantea in Trinidad (these were oral reports from my father who was a general practitioner in Trinidad for many years and had several patients come in with bites - that's him in the B&W photo on the main page holding a dead one up) were that the pain ranged from the intensity of a wasp sting to much worse - and lasted longer - up to several days. Ice-packs help relieve the pain.

I have gathered similar first-hand reports on several bites from the large Australasian Ethmostigmus rubripes where I live now, here in Cooktown, Australia. A couple of people didn't think the bites were that bad at all, whereas a couple said the pain was "severe."

However, one might expect that occasionally someone will suffer anaphylactic shock and could die (as with bee and wasp stings) - so they should always be treated with caution. It is worth remembering too that Scolopendra gigantea hunts small bats in caves which seem to die fairly quickly after being bitten.

Finally, I always recommend that people avoid poking at centipedes as they can very quickly run up a stick and bite you (this happened to a child here recently in the Botanic Gardens in Cooktown). If you must move them, use something really slippery that they can't get a grip on - like a long steel fork, tongs or a big screwdriver. They can be kept in any container with slippery sides - a large plastic storage box is great - but be sure to put some mulch and a bit of bark in for the centipede to hide under during the day. If you want to photograph them - or examine them - a spell in a refrigerator (not the freezer!!) really slows them down. However, they are not nearly as dreadful or dangerous as they look - there are many far more poisonous critters out there in the wilds - not to mention that most fierce and dangerous creature of all - humans! John Hill 08:13, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Lock for edits
Recommend this page be locked for editing to new/unsigned users. There have been several occurances of vandalism. HonoluluGuy 01:48, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

Though I am new, I concur. I just removed the so-called genus "penisface" from the "Orders and Families" section. I say lock it. Sanguinolent 22:04, 12 September 2007 (UTC)

Confusion regarding subphylum classification
Ive been poking around wikipedia regarding centipedes and particular house centipedes and im a bit confused. It seems like there must be an error somewhere, but I have no idea where the error is. The house centipede article lists the subphylum as Uniramia, stating it is a variety of centipede. In the Uniramia article it states the the subphylum contains hexapods and myriapods, including centipedes. However the centipede article lists the subphylum as myriapod with no mention of Uniramia as the subphylum at all. So im lest confused, what is the real subphylum of centipedes including the house centipede, myriapod or Uniramia, and is myriapod really a subcategory of Uniramia at all, or are they both subphylums. I'm completely confused, and thing this is a major mistake that might need fixing. Debeo Morium 07:48, 26 July 2007 (UTC)

Blue Centipede
Hi, I was just wondering if there are any blue centipedes and if so can someone please tell me where I can find information on them? One of the reasons why I want to know is because I remember finding one as a kid and to me then it was huge and scary, which made it cool so i kept it for a while until it escaped. It was probably about 8cm but to me then it was massive. TeePee-20.7 06:12, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

It depends on where you live. My guess is Scolopendra viridis, the Florida blue centipede. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.12.137.241 (talk) 17:56, 23 January 2008 (UTC)


 * I live Down Under in Australia. TeePee-20.7 (talk) 04:55, 24 January 2008 (UTC)

I think I've been bitten on the thumb by one of them, hahaa. Just try googling it.

I just found one today in Fresno County, CA, and It was bigger than the giant centipede they show in that picture, Im trying to figure if their rare and what the blue color means. DJIK. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.125.133.205 (talk) 06:58, 2 February 2009 (UTC)


 * Ethmostigmus trignopodus has vibrant blue coloration. It is found across Africa. 2607:F2C0:EAC0:25:2846:FA99:F381:2ACC (talk) 13:41, 16 July 2022 (UTC)

More sections needed...
It would be good to have a section on centipedes as pets, and on centipede envenomation of humans. Does anybody have expertise of these subjects? Porlan1 (talk) 06:41, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

It;s really bizarre and sad for Wikipedia that this doesn't have a section on bites/hazards to humans. I'm tempted to throw a lame thing up there just so someone will finally get the ball rolling. Cowicide (talk) 08:23, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

A centipede ate a mouse
see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK0xNeuxkDk Kowloonese (talk) 08:49, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

We've already had this, haven't we? Scroll up —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.168.193.74 (talk) 11:45, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

So centipede's have some special relationship to gravity?
This makes no sense: "They are very fast creatures, and able to withstand falling at great speed: they reach up to 15 body-lengths per second when dropped, surviving the fall." Why would they be "falling at great speed"? And 15 body-lengths?? Wouldn't they "reach" (uh, does this mean "reach a speed of"?) more "body-lengths" if they fell from a greater height? What is the vertical air-speed velocity of a centipede when dropped from the tower of Pisa? If dropped at the same time as a tortoise and a hare, would a centipede have a leg up on the competition? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.229.62.47 (talk) 04:09, 6 August 2008 (UTC)


 * "would a centipede have a leg up on the competition?" ohhhhhhh that is bad. I think I need to take a break now. Excuse me whilst I pauropoda coffee. Chazella (talk) 01:20, 20 September 2008 (UTC)

It just means it survives being dropped from great heights or at the speed it would reach if dropped from a great height. It would have been nice of them to put that into m/s. And paurapoda is also quite terrible, thank you very much. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.168.193.74 (talk) 11:47, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

The tail-like things on the back of the last segment
What are the long wispy things coming out the back of the last body segment of a centipede (See also: house centipede)? Are they a second pair of antennae or are they legs. I'm asking because I want to make one in spore. (Any information about eye layout would also help) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.106.104.40 (talk) 00:48, 11 October 2008 (UTC)

I think they are sensory organs, grasping legs or somewhat of a cross between the two. Their eyes are degenerated or absent because of their burrowing nature, if that helps at all. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 139.168.193.74 (talk) 11:51, 10 December 2008 (UTC)

Question
How do house centipedes get in? Our house was just built about 8 years ago so it's pretty well insulated? Do they come out of the well? I just don't get it...Thanks--71.79.146.4 (talk) 19:00, 1 March 2009 (UTC)Richelle 2009
 * They are most likely breeding within your house. Even so, they are beneficial to have around. They feed on any assorted insects that may also be living and breeding in your house. Subverted (talk • contribs) 07:34, 6 June 2009 (UTC)

Splitting up the article?
Ill leave this decision up to others, but I am more than willing to do the work.

Should the article be split up into subpages related to each subgrouping of centipede?(Scolopendromorphae, Lithobiomorphae, etc.)? I figure it may be a decent idea to have the main article as simply general information about anatomy, range throughout the world, and other info, and let subpages handle the specifics of each grouping. Subverted (talk • contribs) 07:30, 6 June 2009 (UTC)

characteristics?
How about having a separate "characteristics" section like the one in Diplopoda? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.228.104.161 (talk) 22:20, 11 June 2009 (UTC)

Why didn't the centipede die when I cut it with a shovel?
I live in Hawaii and recently found a centipede crawl out the back door of my house and onto a screened in porch. I quickly grabbed a shovel and severed the head from the body and ran back in the house. That was last night and this morning I went out to the porch to dispose of the centipede. I thought I was coming outside to a DEAD centipede but both severed pieces were both ALIVE and moving when I went to pick them up with the shovel and dispose of them.

Was it still alive.....both pieces? Why was this thing still moving and alive?

I have never seen a centipede up close and was mortified that this thing was in my house. I am just grateful it did not bite me. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.91.202.12 (talk) 21:05, 5 November 2010 (UTC)

Source check on even number of pairs of legs
The first paragraph of this article says "Except for one species having 96 legs (48 pair), centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs—for example, 15 or 17 pair (30 or 34 legs)." But the source cited says "Within the Geophilomorpha, this means that, while almost all odd numbers of segments from the 27 minimum to the 191 maximum can be found in one or more species, no even number has ever been found, with the exception of a single specimen of Strigamia maritima that had 48 leg-bearing segments." (Emphasis mine). This is a huge error and I have corrected it but it's a bit scary that such a big misconception could have been there! There was also another problem in the previous sentence claiming that there were centipedes with under 20 legs - the cited source states that the minimum is 27 segments, or 54 legs that is the minimum.

Actually the more I think about it, the source could have meant that Geophilomorpha, not all centipedes, have 27 segment minimum. More research on this is required.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.253.38.43 (talk) 20:12, 4 August 2015 (UTC)


 * The Centipede in the first PICTURE at the Wiki page seems to have exactly 30 legs. -- SwiftFast (talk) 09:25, 1 August 2017 (UTC)


 * My previous comment can be ignored. I was confused. -- SwiftFast (talk) 09:30, 1 August 2017 (UTC)

Eating centipedes
There should be some mention of centipedes in culinary use. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.249.41.89 (talk) 20:33, 9 April 2011 (UTC)

Red links.
Shouldn't someone clean up the red links? Scientific Alan 2 (talk) 02:35, 7 January 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm assured by The Men Who Know that redlinks to taxa are good things, as taxa (if real) are certainly notable, and the redlinks spur us to fill in the gaps. FWIW I've tried to avoid them by linking to e.g. parent taxa which did exist, only to have it pointed out this could be misleading... so the correct fix is to add the missing articles. So, since you care about it, you know what to do! Chiswick Chap (talk) 10:36, 7 January 2013 (UTC)

Telson article makes no mention of centipedes or their taxonomical branch
Since I don't know enough to expand the telson article, i have removed the link to it, which speaks only of the term with regard to other branches in Arthropoda. --Dhugot (talk) 05:03, 22 April 2013 (UTC)
 * I have expanded the article telson to include centipedes and millipedes.--Animalparty-- (talk) 17:25, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Poorly phrased
This part:

Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of legs (with one exception[1]), e.g. 15 or 17 pairs of legs (30 or 34 legs).[2][3] Therefore, there is no centipede with exactly 100 legs

Last I checked, 25 was an odd number. So saying there are no centipedes with exactly 100 legs because of odd pairs makes no sense. Instead, just say there are no centipedes with 100 legs exactly. Actually, that's the edit I'm going to make. Graidan (talk) 13:54, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

Centipedes template
I removed the Centipede nav template for the time being since all the links redirect to the same page, it seemed a bit premature. --Animalparty-- (talk) 06:10, 24 October 2014 (UTC)

Question 2
Is it true that nonvenomous centipedes exist? if yes which kind of centipedes? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.186.6.124 (talk) 01:15, 23 June 2016 (UTC)


 * No, as predators, all species of centipedes are venemous., Edward-Woodrow (talk) 23:39, 15 November 2022 (UTC)