Amazonian Giant Centipede

Scolopendra gigantea

It may not be obvious from the picture, but today's animal is an absolutely massive Centipede. It can grow to be a foot long!

Amazonian Giant Centipedes can be found in locations outside the Amazon- they live throughout northern South America, as well as on several different Caribbean Islands. These Centipedes have around 23 different red body segments, each with a pair of yellow-ish legs. They use all those legs to move about quickly, but also to hold on to their prey.

And what, you may ask, does a Centipede this large eat? Well, they do munch on small insects, but they can also go after birds, mice, lizards, frogs, and even bats! Amazonian Giant Centipedes are venomous, and they use that toxin to subdue prey. The venom is even strong enough to do serious damage to humans, so watch out!

Despite their toxicity, Amazonian Giant Centipedes are a welcome addition to farms and gardens, as they keep the damaging insect populations at bay with their voracious appetites.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : South America and Caribbean Islands
Size : Length up to 1ft (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Subphylum : Myriapoda -- Class : Chilopoda
Order : Scolopendromorpha -- Family : Scolopendridae -- Genus : Scolopendra -- Species : S. gigantea

Yellow-spotted Millipede

Harpaphe haydeniana

Not all Millipedes are gigantic like the big, 15in long African Millipedes. Today's animal is one of those Myriapods on the smaller side of the scale-- it doesn't get much bigger than 2in long!

The Yellow-spotted Millipede is found along the Pacific coast of North America. They are very important members of their ecosystem, as they help to break up leave litter and release nutrients.

As adults, have these Millipedes have predominantly black bodies with yellow patches that run along the sides. When full grown they have 20 body segments. Females have 31 pairs of legs, while males only have 30. The difference in number has to do with the placement of the males' reproductive organs.

Did you know that Yellow-spotted Millipedes have very few predators? Though they live in an area with lots of invertebrate-eating creatures, they remain very safe. This is because they have the ability to secrete Hydrogen Cyanide! The species is sometimes called the Almond-scented Millipede, due to Cyanide's almond-like smell.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 2in (5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Superclass : Myriapoda -- Class : Diplopoda
Order : Polydesmida -- Family : Xystodesmidae -- Genus : Harpaphe -- Species : H. haydeniana