Desert Centipede
Scolopendras heros arizonis
Fact Sheet
Status: Common
Distribution: Southwest United States, and northern Mexico
Habitat: Desert and Scrubland
Diet: Insects, small mammals
Length: 6.5 to 8 inches
Weight: [Nothing Determinable]
Reproduction: The female curls protectively around her eggs. She does not
leave them even to eat or drink for the 3 weeks before they hatch. She also
cleans the eggs, presumably to rid them of any fungus or bacteria. After the
young hatch, their mother tends them for a few days until they disperse.
Longevity: Up to 6 years
General Description: These animals are composed of around 20 segments.
They are orange in color, with black heads, and large pinchers. Unlike millipedes
these animals are venomous, have flattened body segments and their legs
protrude out from under their bodies. They have 2 legs per segment.
Behavior: Centipedes are nocturnal, as they do not tolerate heat or extreme
dryness well. They move around very quickly in search of prey, using their
pinchers to attack.
Did you know? Their name means “100 feet” but they typically have fewer than
100 feet.
Where can you find them? In zoos, as pets and in the wild
4001 E. Paisano Drive, El Paso, Texas 79905, Phone: 915-521-1850, Fax: 915-521-1857,
e-mail:elpasozoo@elpasotexas.gov, www.elpasozoo.org.
Distribution, Diet, and length from: http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/S-heros.html
Behavior, Reproduction, General Description and longevity from:
http://www.toddshikingguide.com/FloraFauna/Fauna80.htm and
http://www.sasionline.org/CENTIPEDE/pages/centipede.html
Habitat from:
http://www.cincinnatizoo.org/Exhibits/AnimalExhibits/WorldOfTheInsect/giantdesertcentipede/gian
tdesertcentipede.html
Giant Desert Centipede Lays Eggs
This giant desert centipede, Scolopendra heros was discovered to be incubating
eggs, layed sometime between 4:00 PM Saturday May 6 and 10:00 AM Tuesday
May 9. The specimen was accessioned for SASI's teaching collection on March
22, a few days after it was dug up on a construction site near Tanque Verde
Loop Road in east Tucson. SASI's Steve Prchal says "its the largest I have seen
in 30 years of centipede watching. This is only the second time we have had
viable eggs laid. At 10 days everything looks promising."
In 1987 SASI had a centipede lay eggs, also from a wild mating. It took
approximately 3 weeks for the eggs to hatch and another 3 weeks for the
neonates to molt. During this entire time, the mother was very attentive to them.
On May 31, the eggs flattened out somewhat and one could begin to see the
form of the centipede within. The mother was very protective, staying curled
around them. She had not eaten or had any water since the eggs were laid.
The eggs hatched June 12. The young centipedes were only about an eigth of an
inch long. At first the babies remained motionless, but the next day they had
almost doubled their length and were wiggling around in the protective curl of
their mother.
As of July 6, 2000, the young centipedes anterior and posterior segments had
darkened and they looked closer in coloration to their mother.
On July 8, 2000, the mother was removed from the habitat. A few days later the
young were set up in 34 separate containers. They were each fed a baby cricket
every other day and were doing very well. Two died shortly after being set up in
their individual containers; cause unknown. Unfortunately, the air conditioning
unit in the lab broke during the hottest part of the summer and we had a high
mortality due to the heat. In the wild these creatures would have been
underground where it is considerably cooler just a few inches below the surface.
In the lab they were not able to escape as the inside temperature reached almost
100 degrees in the afternoon for several days in a row. Even though the A/C unit
was replaced within a week, the effects of over-heating continued to plague the
babies. Losses were minimal during the "hot spell", but the heat seems to have
had a negative effect, causing difficulties in the centipedes moving into the next
instar. As of October 26, 2000 only four remained alive. One was "stuck" at the
same size as it was in July and did not make it. The remaining three molted twice
after their ordeal but unfortunately did not make it through the 2001 spring molt. It
was a rare experience to have these babies even though we did not get to see
them grow up.
From: http://www.sasionline.org/CENTIPEDE/pages/centipede.html