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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Centipedes (Chilopoda) » Tropical Centipedes (Scolopendromorpha) » Scolopendridae » Scolopendra » Giant Redheaded Centipede (Scolopendra heros)
Photo#29121
Giant Redheaded Centipede - Scolopendra heros
Copyright © 2005 Terry McCormick

Giant Redheaded Centipede - Scolopendra heros
Russellville, Pope County, Arkansas, USA
August 18, 2005
Size: approx: 15cm
This specimen was hunting on my patio. I placed him in a white translucent bucket for this photo, so as to emphasize it's physical characteristics. I released him in the woods a short time later. An image taken in its normal habitat is also online here. This the fourth one of these we've seen since moving to west central AR from PA in Sept 2003. We live in the woods and I suspect there's a nice population nearby. Two days later we found a two inch long juvenile (#5).

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Giant Redheaded Centipede - Scolopendra heros Giant Redheaded Centipede - Scolopendra heros
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Contributed by Terry McCormick on 21 August, 2005 - 6:16pm
Last updated 13 October, 2005 - 6:11am

centipede
hi
my name is russell
i have seen a centipede 12feet long at ologah lake in ologah oklahoma.
it crawled under my truck and scared everyone there.it was orange and black and yellow.it was to fast to take a photo.it crawled into a hole by a huge boulder.

thanks russell "hoppy_1965@yahoo.com"
… hoppy1965, 6 September, 2007 - 5:39pm login or register to post comments

Scolopendra heros
Same color variant of Scolopendra heros Girard, 1853, as the photos from Oklahoma. It is the largest-bodied centipede in North America, growing up to 7 inches or so. It ranges from Kansas & southern Missouri to Louisiana, and westward through Texas & New Mexico/eastern Colorado to the Colorado River in Arizona. It ranges southward about 1/4 of the way into Mexico, and has not been authentically found west of the Colorado River in California.
… Rowland Shelley, 7 March, 2007 - 8:44pm login or register to post comments

beautiful colors!
I keep having visions of images like this blown up to poster size and displayed on the walls of an art gallery.
Where IS that art gallery?
… Robin McLeod, 21 August, 2005 - 6:43pm login or register to post comments

 
GRHC
Thanks Robin!

I too have had such visions since taking the photo.
I really didn't expect it to come out this nice.

That said, if there IS a deep pockets, heavily endowed art museum out there that is interested, have them get in touch with me! ;-)

BTW, I'd love a poster size on my own walls, but my wife will have none of it...
… Terry McCormick, 21 August, 2005 - 8:29pm login or register to post comments

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