Giant millipedes

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IraHayes
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Giant millipedes

Post by IraHayes »

Do you find that locals are able to differentiate between millipedes and centipedes?

I picked one up to show my children and it was walking all over my hand. Which they found amusing as it tickled. I explained what they ate, why they are harmless and how centipedes and millipedes are different.

Got a few odd looks from locals mind.
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Freightdog
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Re: Giant millipedes

Post by Freightdog »

IraHayes wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:19 pm Do you find that locals are able to differentiate between millipedes and centipedes?

I picked one up to show my children and it was walking all over my hand. Which they found amusing as it tickled. I explained what they ate, why they are harmless and how centipedes and millipedes are different.

Got a few odd looks from locals mind.
It’s a creature, it’s a toy,
Ignorance says; play, then destroy…
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Kammekor
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Re: Giant millipedes

Post by Kammekor »

IraHayes wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:19 pm Do you find that locals are able to differentiate between millipedes and centipedes?
They can, the millipedes are harmless but considered dirty, the centipedes killed because of their extremely painful bite.
IraHayes wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:19 pm I picked one up to show my children and it was walking all over my hand. Which they found amusing as it tickled. I explained what they ate, why they are harmless and how centipedes and millipedes are different.

Got a few odd looks from locals mind.
The odd looks are because the millipedes are considered 'dirty'. Even chickens don't eat them, I can not think of one animal preying on the Asian millipedes (as opposed to the centipedes which are a nice snack for the chicks).
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Kammekor
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Re: Giant millipedes

Post by Kammekor »

Freightdog wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:22 pm
IraHayes wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 5:19 pm Do you find that locals are able to differentiate between millipedes and centipedes?

I picked one up to show my children and it was walking all over my hand. Which they found amusing as it tickled. I explained what they ate, why they are harmless and how centipedes and millipedes are different.

Got a few odd looks from locals mind.
It’s a creature, it’s a toy,
Ignorance says; play, then destroy…
Better not play with the centipedes, but destroy instantly. They're dangerous f#ckers with a nasty bite, even when small. They've got a pair of forcipules, which are the modified, pincer-like, front legs used to inject venom.

Image

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forcipule ... Bonato.jpg
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IraHayes
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Re: Giant millipedes

Post by IraHayes »

Did some reading up on Asian millipedes and it seems they secrete a chemical as defensive mechanism and this can be slightly irritating but not harmful unless it gets in your eyes, apparently.

This could explain why chickens won't eat them.
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John Bingham
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Re: Giant millipedes

Post by John Bingham »

IraHayes wrote: ↑Sun Sep 03, 2023 6:24 pm Did some reading up on Asian millipedes and it seems they secrete a chemical as defensive mechanism and this can be slightly irritating but not harmful unless it gets in your eyes, apparently.

This could explain why chickens won't eat them.
Came here to say the same. They are slow and can't bite but they have a nasty substance they excrete from pores all over their shells that could cause a rash. Don't ever pick up hairy caterpillars either.
Silence, exile, and cunning.
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