Is the red-headed centipede poisonous?

Everyone should have seen centipedes. They have many aliases. Since centipedes are generally dark red, they are also called red-headed centipedes. Centipedes give people a very bad impression, especially some horror movies exaggerate them, leaving people with a very bad impression. People's biggest concern about centipedes is whether they are poisonous. So, is the red-headed 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 have a clear understanding of whether the red-headed centipede is poisonous. Although being bitten by a centipede is not fatal, it is still poisonous and can cause great harm to people. When such a situation occurs, it is very important to take effective measures to resolve it in a timely manner. In addition, you should learn some methods to prevent centipedes from appearing in your home.