Bug card No. 0580 of 1,500
Giant desert centipede
Scolopendra heros
Eats: Other bugs and small animalsCentipedes and millipedesDeserts and dry placesLots of legsNot an insect, but a bug cousin
The giant desert centipede is the biggest centipede in North America, as long as a pencil. Some have a red head and a dark greenish body, so they look very bold. It is a fast night hunter with lots and lots of legs.
Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.
Lives in
Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, in deserts and rocky woods
Length
17 to 20 cm (6.7 to 7.9 in)
What does it eat?
It hunts insects and even small animals like mice, lizards and frogs. It can reach up into the air to grab flying insects.
How big is it?
How long is it?
🧱as long as 6 toy building bricks in a row🍌as long as 1 bananas end to end🦶it has about 42 legs🍽️could run across a dinner table in 0.9 seconds
How big is Giant desert centipede compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast is it?
Giant desert centipede about 3.9 km/h (2.4 mph)
A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)
A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)
A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)
cool stuff
Fun facts
1
It has 21 or 23 pairs of legs, so 42 or 46 legs in all.
2
On hot days it stays underground and comes out when the weather is cloudy.
3
It grows slowly and can live for more than ten years.
you asked
Most asked questions about Giant desert centipede
?How big is the giant desert centipede?
It is usually about 17 centimetres long and can grow to 20 centimetres.
?What does the giant desert centipede eat?
Insects and small animals such as mice, lizards and frogs.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Scolopendra heros
- Group
- Centipedes and millipedes
- Family
- Scolopendridae
- Classification
- Chilopoda > Scolopendromorpha > Scolopendridae
- Lives on
- North America
- Also known as
- Arizona desert centipede, Giant Sonoran centipede, Texas redheaded centipede, Giant redheaded centipede
Where the facts come from
- Scolopendra heros (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by John. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.
If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at hello@bugwiki.app and we will fix it.
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