What in the living HECK is this thing?!

I caught this thing making laps in the tub a few days ago- This is the best I can do for a picture of it. And yes, somehow, amazingly, it is STILL alive. And moves like it has a jet engine (it got loose twice while I was trying to get a shot.) UGH! EW! GAK!

It has well more than 6 legs, a tiny bulbous head, and honestly looks like the love child of a centipede and a tiger fish. It seems to 'sit' on it's rear end when resting.

I don't think the 'Cryptology' forum is a good spot for this monstrosity- as it is an actual beastie, and not a 'mythological' creature.

ANYONE have an idea what the heck it is?

Just to help people figure it out, Please mention what part of the world you are in.
Interesting little thing though, Are you going to let it back out?

Ick. Glad it was in your tub, not mine....

it's a centipede. they are common, won't hurt you and eat alot of bugs.
hope that helps.

It's merely a type of centipede





[edit on 17-6-2009 by 12m8keall2c]

Thats an alien if ever i saw one!

Looks cool though for a bug.

CX.

I believe what you've captured is a common house centipede.

Perhaps you can snag Raven -- she's really well versed in Zoology, so I would guess also Entomology.

cheers

p.s. in the link, scroll down more than half the page, past the drawing of house centipede.

[edit on 17/6/09 by argentus]

reply to post by DJDOHBOY


Oops. NC in the USA.

Not a one line post! just a correction! Honest!

Ah, what a cutie... yes be sure and let the little guy go when your done adoring his specialness.

Christ!!! Isnt that the thing from the faculty? I could not handle coming up against that kind of beast everyday. That thing should have its own health bar.

[edit on 17-6-2009 by Majestic23]

Thanks for helping me clear that up. I didn't know what the heck it was- I just hope the cats haven't been harassing them. Have not seen but 2 of these in twice as many years, before that, never knew they existed.
After a short jail sentence, I am pleased to report his little belegged bottom is free outside.

They were not common in the south east till about ten or so years ago but now Georgia is covered up with them I run across them or they run across me in crawl spaces

i used to have a few of them in my house- just left them alone(eat alot of flies and other insects). and funny you mentioned cats because a few years ago i got a cat and haven't seen one since!

Thats a beast wow, i hate bugs lol

yeah centipede I get those a lot

Those little multi-legged fellows are very cool. They will eat the other insect residents of your home, including arachnids... Nice photo.

Those things freak me out. I live in central OH and see them occasionally in my house. I saw one about that size the other day. Its the only insect/critter that makes me jump and I have no idea why...

in fact centipedes when passing on human skin release a toxin which can be very painful.so watch out. they are cool though they eat cockroaches, spiders,etc.

I found one of these on the wall on the way to the basement, it had to be 2-3 inches at least. Never seen such a big and nasty bug before.

Yeah they can grow HUUUGE and do inflict a quite painful bite as well.
Scientifcally known as "Scutigera coleoptrata ", but more commonly "The house centipede or Silverfish"

The house centipede is capable of biting a human...When it does, it is no worse than a minor bee sting. The worst one can usually expect...is some pain and a slight swelling...symptoms generally disappear within a few hours. However, the bite can cause health problems for those few who are allergic to the extremely mild venom of its bite...a rash may develop and many minuscule bumps can form, an allergic reaction which might be comparable to a bee sting, in terms of pain, or simply itchy, as with a mosquito bite.

I kill em on sight, that is if I can catch em, they have some sort of omni direction turbo thrust units attached to them, so consider yourselves warned.