Talk:Scolopendra gigantea

My Questions

 * How do these creatures eat their pray?
 * Lifecycle questions:
 * How long do these animals live in the wild? in captivity?
 * How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?
 * How long from hatching until it is full grown?
 * Which enemies do they have?

Yuck!
Oh my god! Sarah crane 18:36, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

These videos aren't necessary. Indeed, some would consider offensive. Many zoos do not allow live rodents to be used as food.


 * "Offensive" content is allowed on Wikipedia...this is all part of nature's cycle. JD79 18:39, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

The first video shows the predatory capabilities of the centipede.

The second, however, is not a Scolopendra Gigantea - it's a Scolopendra Viridicornis, and probably doesn't belong in the article.

Puerto Rico
The article says this kind of centipede appears in Jamiaca and in Trinidad, but I'm pretty sure I've seen it in my home country of Puerto Rico on various occasions (including, quite comically, during a wedding). If anyone has a reference to this fact please post it.

By the way, on a personal note, these are tough critters. When they invade homes, you either trap it with a bucket and carry it to safety, or kill it by chopping its head FIRST then the rest of the body. Chopping the body alone will not kill it.

DO NOT STEP ON IT. It's shell is very hard and the sting is quite painful, requiring immediate medical attention. Mtmelendez 13:13, 5 May 2006 (UTC)

From what I've heard, its pretty hard to identify a centipede just based on coloring. Those Gigantea centipedes dont get up as far as PR, but Ive heard you can find the Haitian centipede there which is nearly as large

They live in Puerto Rico as well. Im in here and very recently killed one. It was one tough critter, its shell was very hard. I had to hit it with a knife and burn in to kill it.--Deltasama (talk) 07:13, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

I think I would simply flee my house, never to return, if I saw one of them. 24.224.143.211 02:57, 24 July 2006 (UTC)


 * PS - a better and less cruel way to kill one - if you can get it in a container - is to pop it in the freezer and leave it for half an hour. NEVER try to pick one up with a stick - they are very quick and will run right up a stick and sting you. Smooth surfaced implements (like stainless steel kitchen tongs) are best to pick them up with, as they can't get a grip on them. One good thing is they don't come hunting you like some animals do - they will only attack you if you disturb them - but, if you are within their range, do be careful moving old rubbish, rotten sticks in the garden, etc. They especially like dark damp places. We used to hunt them out when I was a child in Trinidad (which is where the dead one came from my father is holding in the photo in the article). Well, we were young, and it is safer than hunting bears or leopards, crocodiles and the like - and lots of people do that! Cheers, John Hill 05:24, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

to User:66.32.230.84
Sorry I removed your colour "goldenrod". In my haste I had though you were using it to describe the colour of the centipede. Now, I notice it is for the box - and is probably some made-up colour name. Whatever, it looks fine there and if it should be "goldenrod" instead of olive that is fine by me. Cheers, John Hill 05:13, 28 October 2007 (UTC). PS If you start a User Page with a name - even a pseudonym - it is easier for someone to contact you.
 * It's easier to read dark text against a light background than to read dark text against a dark background. S'why I changed it from olive to goldenrod. Sekhem Ka 14:00, 28 October 2007 (UTC)

Video on Youtube as Reference?
I found a video on youtube showing the giant centipede preying on a tarantula. The link is http://youtube.com/watch?v=2f5gBFMMmGc.I was just wondering can I use it as a reference? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Kai.Standard (talk • contribs) 03:47, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Andaman Islands.
Upon arriving here, i have seen and heard about centipedes regularly exceeding 13 inches, it seems that these would therefore take the title of largest centipede. (if a seperate species) The bites of said Centipede causes a pain the locals equate to worse than dying, so when the rain brings them out it also brings out the locals with their Machetes. Can someone clarify? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.199.30.55 (talk) 05:10, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Spotting in North Texas
Our scout troop, Troop 928, found one of these, about a foot in length underneath a camper's tent.

Yes, as far north as North Texas. It was climbing out of a banker's box we put it in to transport it away from the other kids.

Exact markings as in the picture, without doubt. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.54.119.73 (talk) 09:54, 30 January 2011 (UTC)

My large-scale edit
Hello! I added some information and references. Please help to check if I made any mistake.

Cheers!

User:Toxic Walker (UTC)

Wording
Is "As quick as lightning..." an adequate description? How fast is lightning (and what aspect of lightning's speed are these centipedes supposedly moving)?Jtyroler (talk) 02:13, 28 September 2012 (UTC)

Picture does not appear to be gigantea or any suspected gigantea species
South American Scolopendra (as all Scolopendra taxon) is a mess, but the picture here appears to be the Barbadian locality of what's usually called S. alternans or S. suspinipes. They overlap with the type locality of S. gigantea through some of their range (ie Trinidad) and are clearly a distinct species. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:18C:8800:CF51:6D61:99FE:DDC6:8854 (talk) 01:23, 10 July 2018 (UTC)