Is the red centipede poisonous?

Animals like centipedes and snakes are the types that people are more afraid of, mainly because they look quite scary. People's fear of centipedes is also influenced by certain horror movies. In places with relatively humid environments, it is easy to encounter centipedes. For such reptiles, whether they are poisonous is a matter of concern to everyone, mainly because people are afraid that they will hurt themselves. So, is the red centipede poisonous? Let’s take a closer look below.

Centipede belongs to the class Myriapoda. The first pair of legs are hooked and sharp. There is a poison gland opening at the tip of the hook, generally called palatine teeth, tooth claws or poison limbs, which can excrete venom. After being bitten by a centipede, its venom glands secrete a large amount of venom, which is injected into the subcutaneous tissue of the bitten person through the venom gland opening of the palatine teeth and causes poisoning.

Centipedes are poisonous, especially those with long bodies (centipedes as small as a pen core are non-toxic, but those larger than the ring finger are poisonous). These centipedes have many small legs and walk very fast. The urine of centipedes is the most poisonous. When biting objects, the centipede will also bend its tail and inject urine. If bitten by a centipede, you must seek medical treatment immediately. Never eat food that has been crawled or eaten by centipedes. Centipedes like to urinate on the food they have crawled or eaten. People who eat this food will be poisoned and die.

In addition, centipede teeth are also poisonous. The dead centipedes must be buried deeply or burned. Centipede teeth piercing the skin can also cause poisoning, and if not treated in time, it can be life-threatening. This is the same as the teeth of poisonous snakes.

The toxicity of different species of centipedes is different, and size also has an impact. The house centipede is only more than 10 centimeters long and its toxicity is very weak. The bite of a small centipede will only cause local redness, swelling and pain, while the bite of a large tropical centipede can cause lymphangitis and tissue necrosis, and sometimes purpura of the entire limb. Some may experience systemic symptoms such as headache, fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and even slurred speech, convulsions, and coma.

I think everyone should be clear about whether red centipedes are poisonous. Centipedes are poisonous to a certain extent, and centipede bites are common in some places. However, the toxicity of centipedes is quite limited and will not endanger human life. The hidden danger can be eliminated as long as it is dealt with in time. In addition, centipedes are also an important medicine, and they are very effective in treating many diseases.