Giant Redheaded CentipedeScolopendra heros
Quick facts
- Rarity
- Rare
- Active during
- Night
- Found in
- Dusty Canyons
- Length
- 10 in
- Wingspan
- 2 in
From the field notes
Diet
These centipedes are the ultimate desert hunters. They use their lightning speed to chase down everything from crickets and lizards to even low-flying bats, helping to keep the arid ecosystem perfectly balanced.
Defense
They do not actually bite with their mouths. Instead, their first pair of legs has evolved into powerful, venom-injecting claws known as forcipules. Their bright colors warn predators about their venom.
Nocturnal Habits
To survive the harsh desert heat, they spend the hottest parts of the day hidden under rocks or logs, emerging at night to patrol the ground.
Fierce Matriarchs
The female centipede will find a quiet, damp burrow and coil her long body entirely around her eggs. She guards them fiercely, constantly grooming the eggs to keep them clean until the young finally hatch.
Field Marks
They are easily spotted by their uniquely fiery red head and those two extra-long "tail" legs that act like a second pair of antennae to feel what is behind them in the dark.