Giant Redheaded Centipede - Scolopendra heros

Giant Red Centipede in Austin, Texas

Just saw one of these in our driveway in Austin. Really fast! No way was I going to try to catch it, but I did take some photos, which I posted here...

… carol in texas, 20 September, 2014 - 5:40pm

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

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

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

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 L McCormick, 21 August, 2005 - 8:29pm