Yofavo

Measuring at a staggering 35 cm (14”) the Scolopendra Gigantea - more commonly known as the Giant Centipede - is the biggest insect in the world. In addition to it’s unlikely size this insect hunts for what is probably an even more unlikely prey, namely bats.

Diet and Hunting

Like most of the Centipede family the Giant Centipede is a carnivore though unlike it’s insect hunting and cadaver scavenging counterparts it has a taste for larger prey. Crawling through the undergrowth of the South-American rainforests, Scolopendra Gigantea catches mice, frogs, lizards, birds, bats and other animals that match it’s size. In fact this venomous insect is so ferocious even other (venomous) hunters -such as the tarantula in the clip below - are not safe.

One of the more notable hunting tactics employed by the Giant Centipede are seen when it hunts for bats. Using it’s large amount of legs (up to 46 on 23 body segments) it is a fast runner and it is able to climb up to the roof of caves where it grabs bats out of the air instantly poisoning them before eating the entire bat. The clip below shows the Centipede’s hunt for bats with fitting commentary by David Attenbrough.

(BBC - Life in the Undergrowth)

Venom

To catch and subdue it’s pray the Centpede has two special claws in the sides of it head which are used to grab a pray and inject a mix of lethal substances adding up to a very potent potion which - though usually not lethal to healthy grown humans - will knock you out for a quite a while. A bite will result in swellings, chills and a fever causing severe pain. Sufficed to say that the much smaller usual victims of Scolopendra Gigantea won’t survive for more than a few seconds after being bitten.

Of course a - giant -  grasshopper is no more than a snack for these guys.

Habitat

Despite it’s size the Giant Centipede remains an insect and like most insects it needs a moist environment to prevent dehydration as it’s exoskeleton is not completely watertight. It can thus be found in moist caves and the rainforest’s undergrowth which is the forest’s floor thus living in only a tiny fraction of the over 40 meters high forest. In this dark environment it navigates using it’s antennas moving amazingly fast jumping on top of any unsuspecting prey it might find on it’s path.

Pets…

Being an extraordinary animal the Giant Centipede is one of the favourite pets of insect enthusiasts. People from all over the world are known to hold centipedes in terrariums and as a result quite a bit is known about the effects of it’s venom on humans… This has led to some South American countries prohibiting the export of Giant Centipedes but with the large number of them living abroad nowadays they are widely available due to the ease at which they are bread with up to 50 eggs laid at a time. A happy mother with her offspring can be seen on the picture below.