Giant Desert Centipede

Scolopendra heros · Order: Scolopendromorpha · Family: Scolopendridae

Also called: Blue-tailed Centipede, Giant Arizona Desert Centipede, Giant Black-headed Centipede, Giant Black-tailed Centipede

Can bite. Its bite causes sharp, searing pain and swelling, but it has never caused a confirmed death. In one test bite the pain eased after 15 minutes and most symptoms were gone in 3 hours.

Source: Wikipedia, arthropod.uark.edu

Giant Desert Centipede — Photo: gilaman, CC BY

Adults are usually about 6.5 inches long but can grow to 8 inches or more, especially in captivity. They live in deserts, rocky woodlands and other arid to semi-arid areas from the southwestern United States into northern Mexico, reaching as far east as Arkansas and Missouri. At night they hunt insects, other invertebrates and small vertebrates such as rodents, reptiles and amphibians, even grabbing flying insects in the air.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The species shows many color forms; the castaneiceps variant has a red head, chestnut-red first two segments, a black-green trunk, yellow first 20 leg pairs, and black legs with yellow tips on the 21st pair. Its bright aposematic colors warn predators.

Source: Wikipedia, arthropod.uark.edu

Size

Average length is 6.5 inches (170 mm), with a maximum of about 8 inches (200 mm) in the wild.

Source: Wikipedia

Is it a pest in the house?

Often found in rocky woodland near human habitations, but evidence does not describe damage to structures or stored goods.

Source: arthropod.uark.edu

Does it bite or sting?

Bites are very painful to vertebrates. A 1920s experiment showed a bite lasting about four seconds with the fangs left inserted.

Source: Wikipedia, arthropod.uark.edu

How to get rid of it

Females lay eggs in cavities of decayed wood and guard the clutch, winding their bodies around the eggs with legs directed toward them.

Source: arthropod.uark.edu

Where it lives

Found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts as well as rocky woodland areas in states like Arkansas.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

A nocturnal predator of insects, other invertebrates and small vertebrates such as rodents, reptiles and amphibians. Can reach into the air to catch small flying insects.

Source: Wikipedia

Life cycle

Hatch from eggs and grow slowly, living more than ten years.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment attached to the sides, unlike millipedes which have two pairs per segment. They belong to the class Chilopoda, which is divided into four orders.

Source: arthropod.uark.edu

Where it is found in the US

Recorded in 16 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri.

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Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.

Source: GBIF

Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist

Months it is reported in the US

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Source: GBIF

More photos

Giant Desert Centipede photo 3 — Photo: Jordan Zylstra, CC BY

Giant Desert Centipede photo 4 — Photo: Cody Stricker, CC BY

Giant Desert Centipede photo 5 — Photo: avocat, CC BY

Giant Desert Centipede photo 6 — Photo: Reid Hardin, CC BY

Questions people ask

Do they bite?

Yes, their bite is very painful and causes sharp, searing pain and swelling in humans.

Source: Wikipedia

How large can a giant desert centipede get?

Adults average about 6.5 inches long but can reach up to 8 inches, especially in captivity.

Source: Wikipedia

What do they eat?

They hunt at night, feeding on insects, other invertebrates and small vertebrates like rodents, reptiles and amphibians, and can even snatch flying insects.

Source: Wikipedia