Specimens average about 6 ½” in length, and they may reach nearly 8” in some instances. Giant redheaded centipedes are not frequently observed or collected, but those that make themselves known attract a great deal of attention because of their size and fierce appearance. Most Scutigeromorpha (of which there is only one North American species) and Lithobiomorpha have eyes similar to the compound eyes of insects, each consisting of up to 200 optical units similar to ommatidia, and adults in these two orders have only 15 pairs of legs. The closely related Geophilomorpha lack eyes. Giant centipedes are in the Order Scolopendromorpha, which is distinguished by having 21 or 23 pairs of legs and, usually, four small, individual ocelli on each side of the head.
They comprise the Class Chilopoda, which scientists divide into four orders. Centipedes are distinguished from millipedes by the presence of only one pair of legs per body segment, and their legs are attached to the sides of the body segments rather than near the ventral midline. However, there are individual cases of severe symptoms and injury (including kidney failure due to rhabdomyolysis, and heart attack) in humans resulting from Scolopendra bites.These fast moving and aggressive titans are among the largest of the many-legged centipedes and millipedes, the group collectively known as the Myriapoda.
Scolopendra heros prismatica skin#
heros bites are known to occasionally cause nausea, headache, and localized skin necrosis. heros usually causes sharp, searing, local pain and swelling, but has never caused any confirmed deaths. heros in the leg showed signs of excruciating pain, followed by soreness, but returned to normal after five hours. heros bites are very painful to vertebrates. The exact effects and makeup of the venom have not been thoroughly evaluated, in part because it is difficult to extract in significant quantities and quickly deteriorates when processed. heros venom also contains toxins targeted to its prey: one toxin numbs the nervous system of insects, rendering them unable to sense or escape, while another toxin interferes with the autonomic nervous system of vertebrates to make small vertebrates easier to subdue and devour. The mixture is known to act as a cytolysin, compromising cellular membranes and rupturing cells. heros is similar to the venom of other Scolopendra species, although much more potent than that of other species, including components such as serotonin, histamine, lipids, proteins (including cardiotoxic proteins and enzymes such as hemolytic phospholipase A), and other substances. These arthropods can live up to 5 years and even longer depending on environmental conditions. During these growth stages they tend to grow more legs, starting with around 10 legs and growing up to 18 or more after each successive molting. Each time they molt they enter a new stage of its life cycle called an instar. As they grow and mature, like all arthropods they shed and molt away their exoskeleton. The immature centipedes are known as nymphs. The centipede uses its venom to subdue prey. It is capable of reaching into the air to grab small flying insects. heros is primarily a nocturnal predator and hunts invertebrates and small vertebrates, including rodents, reptiles, and amphibians. It remains underground on warm days, emerging in cloudy weather.
heros is also found in rocky woodland areas, such as in Arkansas. Although this species is commonly referred to as the "giant desert centipede" because of its presence in the Sonoran Desert and other arid habitats, S.
heros is found in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, from New Mexico and Arizona in the west to Arkansas, Missouri, and Louisiana in the east. The castaneiceps variant found in Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and other nearby areas is commonly known as the "giant redheaded centipede" or "Texas redheaded centipede" because of its distinct red head and greenish black body and tail. It is aposematically colored, to warn off potential predators, and a number of color variants are known in the species. Its trunk bears either 21 or 23 pairs of legs. It has an average length of 6.5 inches (170 mm), but can reach up to 8 in (200 mm) in the wild, and even longer in captivity. heros is the largest centipede in North America. castaneiceps found in Oklahoma, with red head and black body
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