Scolopendra gigantea

Distribution

It is naturally found in southern South America. Countries from which verified museum specimens have been collected include Aruba, Brazil, Curaçao, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad. Records from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Honduras are assumed to be accidental introductions or labeling errors.

''Scolopendra gigantea'' can be found in tropical or sub-tropical rainforest and tropical dry forest.

Behavior

It is a carnivore that feeds on any other animal it can overpower and kill. It is capable of overpowering not only other invertebrates such as large insects, spiders, millipedes, scorpions, and even tarantulas, but also small vertebrates including small lizards, frogs , snakes , sparrow-sized birds, mice, and bats. Large individuals of ''S. gigantea'' have been known to employ unique strategies to catch bats in which they climb cave ceilings and hold or manipulate their heavier prey with only a few legs attached to the ceiling.

Habitat

It is naturally found in southern South America. Countries from which verified museum specimens have been collected include Aruba, Brazil, Curaçao, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad. Records from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Honduras are assumed to be accidental introductions or labeling errors.

''Scolopendra gigantea'' can be found in tropical or sub-tropical rainforest and tropical dry forest.

Food

It is a carnivore that feeds on any other animal it can overpower and kill. It is capable of overpowering not only other invertebrates such as large insects, spiders, millipedes, scorpions, and even tarantulas, but also small vertebrates including small lizards, frogs , snakes , sparrow-sized birds, mice, and bats. Large individuals of ''S. gigantea'' have been known to employ unique strategies to catch bats in which they climb cave ceilings and hold or manipulate their heavier prey with only a few legs attached to the ceiling.

Predators

Animals that prey on giant centipedes include larger snakes, lizards, scorpions, birds, and mammals such as mongooses.

Defense

At least one human death has been attributed to the venom. In 2014, a four-year-old child in Venezuela died after being bitten by a giant centipede which was hidden inside an open soda can. Researchers at Universidad de Oriente later confirmed the specimen to be ''S. gigantea''.