'Horrific' First Amphibious Centipede Discovered
This giant, venomous creepy-crawly is as comfortable swimming and walking underwater as it is on land, in a finding that surprised scientists.
Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water—look out for giant, swimming centipedes!
Scientists have recently described the world’s first known amphibious centipede. It belongs to a group of giant centipedes called Scolopendra and grows up to 20 centimeters (7.9 inches) long.
Like all centipedes, it is venomous and carnivorous. Thankfully, this new water-loving species appears to live only in Southeast Asia. The creature’s description was published last month in the journal ZooKeys.
“Wherever I go in the world, I always turn over rocks beside streams, and that’s where I found this centipede, which was quite a surprise,” says Beccaloni.
“It was pretty horrific-looking: very big with long legs and a horrible dark, greenish-black color,” he says.
When Beccaloni lifted
