Chinese red-headed centipede

Scolopendra mutilans

Eats: Other bugs and small animals Centipedes and millipedesForests and woodsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The Chinese red-headed centipede is a giant centipede from East Asia, about as long as a pencil. It has a red head, a long dark body and lots of legs. It likes damp, hidden places and is a fierce hunter.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.

Lives in

East Asia, including Japan, China and Korea, in damp places

Length

20 cm (7.9 in)

Top speed

about 3.9 km/h (2.4 mph)

On foot, estimate

Can it hurt you?

Dangerous: look, do not touch

Watch out! Read about its close cousin on Venom Wiki →

Photo of Chinese red-headed centipede — Picture by Yasunori Koide. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

as long as 6 toy building bricks in a rowas long as 1 bananas end to endcould run across a dinner table in 0.9 seconds

How big is Chinese red-headed centipede compared to YOU?

Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

How fast is it?

Chinese red-headed centipede about 3.9 km/h (2.4 mph)

A person walking about 5 km/h (3.1 mph)

A kid running fast about 13 km/h (8.1 mph)

A grown-up on a bike about 25 km/h (16 mph)

cool stuff

Fun facts

The mother wraps her long body around her eggs and guards them until they hatch.

Unlike most giant centipedes, it is quite peaceful with others of its kind.

In China and Korea it has been used in old traditional medicines for a long time.

you asked

Most asked questions about Chinese red-headed centipede

?How big is the Chinese red-headed centipede?

It is about 20 centimetres long, as long as a pencil.

For bug experts

Scientific name: Scolopendra mutilans
Group: Centipedes and millipedes
Family: Scolopendridae
Classification: Chilopoda > Scolopendromorpha > Scolopendridae
Lives on: Asia
Also known as: Chinese red head

Where the facts come from

Chinese red-headed centipede (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
Picture by Yasunori Koide. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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