House Centipede

 

Here's my CCC (Cute Cuddly Critter) of the week. I found this House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) in my garage the other night, and it is probably the largest one that I've seen. At least four inches in length, counting the legs. It's hard to tell which end is which, but in the full body shot, the head is at the bottom. In the other photo, we're looking right into its face, and you can see the venom claws.

This species is endemic to the Mediterranean region but now occurs nearly worldwide and is typically associated with houses and other such structures. Centipedes are venomous and some species can issue nasty bites, but not this one. It does have a venom gland and injects venom into prey via its forcipules (venom claws), but it isn't harmful to people - if they can even penetrate skin, although this big boy might be able to. But they are nothing to worry about, although centipedes certainly wig some people out.

With some 15 sets of legs, a House Centipedes glides like a living feather across the walls. One at full tilt can cover nearly 1.5 feet a second! So, when you're awakened by the soft brush of a feather on your cheek, only to discover it is one of these centipedes, have no fear - it can't hurt you And they are working to rid your house of various insects and spiders.

As always, click the image to enlarge