Giant Peruvian centipede (Scolopendra sp. "gigantea robusta") Quick stats: Type: Nightmare Size (approx): 3-4" length, unsexed Feeding: Large crickets Enclosure: 24 ounce plastic jar Substrate: 1½" deep pottings oil Furnishings: Cork slab Temp/humidity: 80-84°F, 70-80% humidity Temperment: Fast and mean, but fairly laid back for scolopendra Recieved from: Swift's Invertebrates on 10/26/2000 The S. gigantea robusta's photo album

Still got some growing to do...

Species Information: This is supposedly the largest species of centipede in the world... Currently there is some mystery surrounding the taxonomy of this species. It's been sold as Scolopendra gigantea robusta, but it supposedly is something else (a positive id has not been made). It's likely that it's actually S. multipalis.

Feeding: It eats small and medium sized roaches and crickets in their entirety.

Making a meal out of a little cricket.

Housing: Right now, I've got it in a round plastic jar with a slab of cork bark to crawl under. It doesn't seem to be very at home yet, but will occasionally burrow under the dirt or hide under the cork. I try to keep the humidity up around 75%.

Temperment: Centipedes are voracious predators and can inflict a painful bite. They're generally aggressive and prone to escape. I'm watching my fingers when I work in the cage, but so far, so good.

Molting: It seems to have molted several times, but the only one I was able to verify was on 01/08/2001.

Copyright ©1999-2008 Thomas Schumm