They can be larger than your foot.
They are carnivorous
and prey in the dark, damp places.
They'll use their venomous pincers to bite you.
And as the venom enters your bloodstream,
you’ll feel excruciating pain.
Would you survive
this elongated monster's attack?
Giant centipedes live in tropical
or subtropical areas.
The largest in the world
can be found in South America,
can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) or even more
and can eat mice and lizards
15 times their size.
Giant centipedes are aggressive creatures.
They aren't afraid of a fight.
And if they can fight with deadly rattlesnakes,
kill them and eat them,
imagine what they can do to you.
If a giant centipede bites you
immediately apply heat or hot water
to the wound.
This will help to dilute the venom.
But you'll need to act fast,
as some centipedes
can kill prey 15 times their size
in 30 seconds flat.
A toxin in the venom closes the channels
that pump potassium in and out of cells,
which is critical to have a regular heartbeat.
The venom can also attack
your cardiovascular,
respiratory,
and nervous systems.
"All we have to do,
is give it something to chew."
"Like what?"
If you see a giant centipede
crawling on the floor
don’t come near it.
They are surprisingly fast creatures,
with long legs and many of them.
Centipede means 100 feet in Latin,
but don’t be fooled by the name.
Depending on the species,
these arthropods can have
up to 191 pairs of legs.
So when those 382 long legs
start heading for you,
you'd better start running.
And centipedes can modify their bodies
to travel even faster.
The tergites on the back of their body segments
can change to keep the body still
while they're in motion,
which helps them reach a higher velocity
as they chase their prey.
Giant centipedes are sneaky hunters
and they hide very well.
They don’t try to live in human areas
but they might take shelter
in a cluttered area of your home.
If you come in contact with one,
don’t pick it up or handle it roughly.
This will trigger it to defend itself.
It will let you know it’s ready to attack
by raising the front part of its long body,
similar to the way a cobra snake moves.
That's your cue to get the heck out of there.
And call for some help,
like an exterminator.
In 2020, in Thailand,
a giant centipede bit a 52-year old
boxing champion on the leg.
He had chills and dizziness
but he didn't seek medical treatment
until he was seriously ill.
The man had diabetes
which caused complications,
and died from a blood infection.
So if you’ve been bitten
get immediate medical care.
"Oh my god, did you just pee yourself?
Yeah..."
While you're hiking in a jungle
or any tropical forest area,
wear closed-toe shoes and proper clothes.
Remember,
giant centipedes are hunters
and if you step into their natural habitat
chances are they will attack your feet
or even your legs.
If their pincer-like tips pierce your skin,
it will feel extremely painful.
You can avoid that by covering your skin,
especially the areas near to the ground.
Well, you've managed to survive
being bitten by a giant centipede.
But while you were running away from it
you got lost in the Amazon.
Relax,
we can help you with that too