October 22, 2009 05:23 by
AlanAfter 2 years of living ‘behind the scenes’ at the Melbourne Museum, our impressive Rainforest Centipede (Ethmostigmus rubripes) has made its new home in Bugs Alive! With its many legs, elongated body and rapid movement it already impresses our visitors as much as it does us.
It is a massive 10 cm long and is one of the largest species in Australia. In the wild they come out at night, wandering the forest floor in search of other invertebrates, they have even been recorded to feed on small vertebrates including frogs and reptiles. It has only tiny eyes and instead uses its antennae to sense its way through the environment. Once prey is detected the centipede will quickly grab the prey with its many legs and inject venom into its victim.
If you are lucky you may get to see our centipede feeding on crickets or cockroaches. When hungry it can catch up multiple insects at a time and holds them along the length of its body – so it may have entrée, mains and dessert all at once!
Our Rainforest Centipede resting upon a log. Photo: Alan Henderson Source: Minibeast Wildlife
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