Galápagos centipede

Scolopendra galapagoensis · Order: Scolopendromorpha · Family: Scolopendridae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Galápagos centipede
Photo: Juan Carlos Caicedo Hernández, CC BY

The Galápagos centipede can grow up to about 30 cm long, making it one of the world’s largest centipedes. It preys on crickets, newborn rodents, the Galápagos rice rat and even a Floreana Racer snake. Birds of prey such as the Galápagos hawk, mockingbirds and the common black rat hunt this centipede.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

It shows two colour morphs.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Specimens have been recorded as long as 30 cm.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It is the only Scolopendra species on the Galápagos Islands, among twelve other centipede species there.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

Its diet includes crickets, newborn rodents, the Galápagos rice rat, and a Floreana Racer snake.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Galápagos centipede photo 3
Photo: John G. Phillips, CC BY
Galápagos centipede photo 4
Photo: John G. Phillips, CC BY

Questions people ask

How large can a Galápagos centipede get?

It can reach lengths of up to about 30 cm.

Source: Wikipedia

What does the Galápagos centipede eat?

It feeds on crickets, newborn rodents, the Galápagos rice rat and even a Floreana Racer snake.

Source: Wikipedia

Are there different colour forms of this centipede?

Yes, it occurs in two colour morphs.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Scolopendridae)

Common Desert CentipedeCommon Desert CentipedeScolopendra polymorphaCan biteGiant Desert CentipedeGiant Desert CentipedeScolopendra herosCan biteEastern Bark CentipedeEastern Bark CentipedeHemiscolopendra marginataMediterranean Banded CentipedeMediterranean Banded CentipedeScolopendra cingulataCan biteRed-headed CentipedeRed-headed CentipedeScolopendra morsitansCan bitePacific Giant CentipedePacific Giant CentipedeScolopendra subspinipesVenomous

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_galapagoensis

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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