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Amazonian Giant Centipede Scolopendra gigantea
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Jul 9, 2025
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Amazonian giant centipede, scalopendra,
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gaganta. This is one of the largest
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centipedes in the world. It can grow up
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to 30 cm or 12 in in length. That's as
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long as an iPad. Just imagine this thing
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crawling up your arm. Yikes. These scary
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crawlers are native to South America,
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specifically Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador,
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French Gana, Guyana, Panama, and Peru.
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They prefer to live in leaf litter on
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the forest floor, but they can also be
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found in trees and under logs. Now,
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let's talk about its bite. If you
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thought a paper cut was painful, just
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wait until you hear this. The Amazonian
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giant centipede has venomous claws that
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it uses to inject a toxin into its prey.
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The pain from its bite is unbearable and
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can last for hours. And here's another
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scary fact. The venom can also cause a
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fever and swelling. So, not only will
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you feel like your whole body is on
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fire, but you'll also have a raging
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fever and your whole body will be
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swollen. This centipede really packs a
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punch. But what does this creepy crawler
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eat? Well, luckily for us humans, they
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don't eat people. Instead, they eat
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insects, frogs, lizards, birds, and even
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bats. They're also known to eat other
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centipedes.
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Their diet consists mostly of protein,
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and they need a lot of it. After all,
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they are one of the largest centipedes
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in the world. A giant Amazonian
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centipede can eat up to half its body
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weight in a single meal. That's the
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equivalent of a person eating 350 g or
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12 o of protein. And even though
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centipedes are not technically insects,
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that doesn't stop them from eating like
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one. They have a very diverse diet and
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will eat almost anything that moves.
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Just imagine a centipede buffet. There
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would be lots of protein options to
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choose from. These centipedes are also
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extremely fast. They can run up to 60 cm
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or 24 inches per second. That's as fast
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as Usain Bolt. But centipedes don't just
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rely on their speed to catch their prey.
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They're also aggressive and persistent
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hunters. They will chase down their prey
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and attack it relentlessly until it is
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too weak to escape. Once they have their
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prey, they use their powerful jaws to
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hold it down while their venomous claws
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do the rest of the work. Now, let's talk
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about their creepy crawly bodies. They
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have a hard shell that protects them
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from predators, and their many legs
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allow them to move quickly and easily.
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They breathe through a series of holes
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located on the sides of their bodies.
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This allows them to absorb oxygen
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directly from the air. If you want to
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hear about a specific creature, let me
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know in the comments. They also have two
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pairs of antenna that they use to sense
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their surroundings. These antenna are
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very sensitive and allow the centipede
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to feel vibrations and changes in air
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currents. This helps them to avoid
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predators and find food. But despite
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their many creepy features, Amazonian
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giant centipedes are actually beneficial
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to humans. They help to control
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populations of insects and other pests
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that can be harmful to us. It are also a
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source of food for some animals such as
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frogs and lizards. Plus, they're just
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fascinating creatures to observe. Their
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unique way of moving and hunting is
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truly amazing to watch. If you ever come
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across one of these creepy crawlers in
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the wild, be sure to admire it from a
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safe distance. It's an incredible
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creature that plays an important role in
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the ecosystem. Now, it's time to ask you
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a question. Have you ever seen an
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Amazonian giant centipede before? So, be
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sure to share your experience in the
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comments below. And if you haven't, then
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I hope that you get the chance to see
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one of these amazing creatures in its
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natural habitat. You watched Wild but
3:46
True with your host Malcolm Walker.
#Biological Sciences
#Ecology & Environment
#Wildlife