Giant Redheaded Centipede — Fact Sheet

Scientific name: Scolopendra heros Girard, 1853 (specifically the castaneiceps color variant in Texas) Common names: Giant redheaded centipede, Texas redheaded centipede, giant desert centipede, giant Sonoran centipede, Texas black-tailed centipede, Arizona desert centipede. Class: Chilopoda (Order Scolopendromorpha, Family Scolopendridae). Status in the San Antonio / Boerne corridor: Native and locally common in the Hill Country — this is the largest centipede in North America. According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, it is indeed the largest centipede found in North America.

At a glance #

Size	6.5–8 inches (170–200 mm) typical; up to 9+ inches in captivity
Color	Red or rust-orange head, dark green-black body, yellow legs, yellow-tipped black caudal legs
Body type	Long, segmented, 21 or 23 body segments, one pair of legs per segment (42 or 46 legs total)
Lifespan	Slow-growing; over a decade in some individuals
Sting mechanism	"Bite" is actually venom injection through forcipules (modified front legs); walking legs may also pierce skin
Active period	Year-round in Hill Country; nocturnal; emerges in cloudy/wet weather
Habitat	Under rocks, logs, leaf litter; occasionally enters homes during weather extremes

Why this fact sheet exists #

Giant redheaded centipedes are arthropods, but they aren’t insects or arachnids. They fall under a different class called Chilopoda, which branched off from insects and arachnids hundreds of millions of years ago. I’ve seen these critters around, and they definitely belong in our pest fact sheet series because:

• Customer queries about "stinging things in Texas" often include centipedes.
• The visual is unforgettable — spotting an 8-inch red-headed black-and-yellow segmented monster creeping across your tile floor at night can be a real nightmare for homeowners.
• The bite/sting is genuinely painful and it's important to understand what you're dealing with medically.
• The species is iconic Texas wildlife — Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine has labeled it "the stuff of nightmares," and knowing how to identify it helps homeowners tell it apart from less harmful centipede species.
• They genuinely enter homes during extreme weather, leading to a lot of calls for service.

This is about a stinging pest that's quite different from the others in this series. It stands out because it's easy to recognize, commonly found in the Hill Country, and often causes real fear—whether that fear is warranted or not.

Identification #

The giant redheaded centipede stands out. You won’t confuse it with anything else in North America.

Diagnostic features:

• Length: 6.5 to 8 inches in the wild, and yes, I've seen them even larger; that's much longer than any other centipede in the US.
• Bright red or rust-orange head that stands out against the dark body — that’s what gives it its name.
• Dark green-black body segments that add to its unique look.
• Bright yellow walking legs — some folks call them "yellow-orange," but they definitely grab your attention.
• Black caudal legs (rear) with yellow tips — they resemble antennae pointing backward.
• 21 or 23 body segments with one pair of legs per segment (so, 42 or 46 legs total — nowhere near the "100" suggested by the name "centipede").
• Long, undulating movement — the body bends side to side as it slithers along.
• Two genuine antennae on the head, plus those rear "antenna-like" caudal legs that can confuse predators.

The bright colors of black, yellow, and red act as a warning to predators that this creature could be venomous.

What's the "stinger" on the back? #

Common confusion: the appendages on the rear are not stingers. They are called caudal legs, or rear pseudoantennae. These modified walking legs look like the front antennae. They can pinch since they’re prehensile, but they don’t deliver venom.

The venom delivery system is located at the front of the head — the forcipules, or maxillipeds. These are modified front legs that have turned into structures for delivering venom from glands. When a centipede "bites," it’s really using these legs to stab and inject venom from those glands.

This trick is a smart evolutionary move. Predators often go for the rear, mistaking the caudal legs for the head, which means they're targeting the safer end. Meanwhile, the real head, armed with those dangerous forcipules, gets to strike from the other side.

Distinguishing from other centipedes #

Texas hosts several centipede species, but only one looks like this:

• **House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata):** These can grow up to 1.5 inches long and are gray with long, delicate legs that you can see from above. They're common in homes, and their bite is mild.
• Soil centipedes (Geophilomorpha): These are long and very thin, usually pale, and can reach a few inches. You'll find them in soil and leaf litter. Their bite is typically too small to break human skin.
• Stone centipedes (Lithobiomorpha): They grow up to 1 inch and are brown and fast-moving. You’ll often spot them under rocks and bark.
• **Giant redheaded centipede (Scolopendra heros):** These can reach 6-8+ inches in length and have a distinctive color that stands out.

If you spot an 8-inch centipede in your home, you've got Scolopendra heros. No question about it.

Biology and behavior #

Predator on basically everything smaller #

Giant redheaded centipedes are aggressive nocturnal predators with an extraordinarily broad diet:

• Insects and other arthropods — these make up their main diet.
• Spiders, including tarantulas — they’ll eat these when they can.
• Small rodents — like mice and baby rats.
• Reptiles — they’ll go after small lizards and juvenile snakes.
• Amphibians — toads are also on the menu.
• Flying insects — these critters can reach up to snatch flies, moths, and beetles out of the air.

Their tropical cousins, Scolopendra gigantea from South America, have been known to prey on bats mid-flight. Here in Texas, S. heros is smaller but uses a similar hunting style. These centipedes are the top predators among ground-level invertebrates.

The hunting process of a centipede is fascinating. First, it finds its prey by sensing vibrations and picking up chemical cues. Then, its walking legs grab hold of the prey. Next, the front part of its body curves around to position its forcipules, which are specialized appendages. These forcipules pierce the prey and inject venom, paralyzing it almost instantly for smaller animals, though it can take longer for larger ones. Finally, the centipede uses its strong mandibles to consume the prey.

The forcipules are actually modified front legs. The walking legs can also deliver venom, which is what causes that painful "tracking" sensation when a centipede crawls across your skin. You might end up with small punctures and blisters from each step it takes.

The venom #

The venom from Scolopendra heros shares similarities with the venoms of other Scolopendra species, but it hasn't been well-studied. This is mainly because it's tough to extract enough of it—these centipedes have small venom glands—and it tends to break down quickly during processing.

Known components:

• Serotonin — a neurotransmitter that can cause pain.
• Histamine — contributes to pain and inflammation.
• Lipids and proteins — this includes cardiotoxic proteins.
• Hemolytic phospholipase A — disrupts cell membranes, leading to cell destruction.
• Insect-specific neurotoxins — these can paralyze the nervous systems of insects.
• Vertebrate-targeted toxins — they interfere with the autonomic nervous system in smaller vertebrates.

The venom works mainly as a cytolysin — it breaks down cell membranes and causes cells to rupture. According to Penn State Extension, that’s why you feel pain (the disruption of cell membranes triggers pain receptors) and why there can be localized tissue damage after a serious sting.

Lifespan and reproduction #

Scolopendra heros is slow to grow and can live a long time for an arthropod. I've seen them survive for over a decade when the conditions are right. That's quite a bit longer than most insects, which helps them thrive in stable environments.

Reproduction:

• Females lay 12-60 eggs in summer, either in soil chambers or under rocks.
• Females coil around their egg masses to keep them safe.
• Mothers groom the eggs all the time to get rid of fungal contamination.
• Eggs hatch after about two months of maternal care.
• Mothers continue to protect newly-hatched young during their first vulnerable stages.
• Maternal care in centipedes is one of the more notable parental behaviors in arthropods.
• The number of body segments stays the same throughout life — they grow by molting and adding length to existing segments.
• Lost legs can regrow during the next molts.

Why they enter homes #

Hill Country homeowners regularly find giant redheaded centipedes inside houses, particularly during weather extremes:

• Hot, dry summer weather: Centipedes look for cool, humid spots. They tend to hang out in bathrooms, basements, and kitchens where there's water.
• Heavy rain and flooding: When the soil gets too wet, centipedes climb to higher ground, which can mean up walls and into your home.
• Cold winter snaps: Centipedes try to find warm places. Your home offers a nice, heated refuge for them.
• Drought followed by sudden rain: This can cause centipedes to move around as their food sources change.

Centipedes typically enter through:

• Gaps under doors, especially garage and exterior doors, are a common entry point.
• Foundation cracks can let pests sneak in, no matter how small.
• Plumbing penetrations are another spot where insects can find their way inside.
• Weep holes, while designed for drainage, can also invite pests.
• Pests often crawl through stacked landscape stone and rock features right next to the foundation.

Once they get in, they look for things to eat, like insects or spiders, and try to find a good spot to hide. If there's water and food around, they can stick around for weeks, but usually, they either die or leave when food runs low.

Local context — San Antonio and the Hill Country #

Giant redheaded centipedes are present across the entire Hill Country region but are most commonly encountered in:

• Hill Country acreage (Boerne, Bulverde, Spring Branch, Comfort, Bandera, Bergheim, Helotes): This native scrub habitat has plenty of rock crevices, leaf litter, and prey populations, making it a hotspot for centipedes. Most of our calls come from these areas.
• Custom homes with extensive rock landscape features: Features like stacked stone walls, dry creek beds, and native plant beds with rock mulch create perfect habitats. We see centipede sightings on these properties year after year.
• Wooded subdivisions (Stone Oak / Sonterra / Encino Park): These areas have a native canopy and leaf litter beds along the edges of properties, which are ideal for centipedes.
• Hill Country state parks and natural areas: Places like Pedernales Falls, Government Canyon, and Hill Country State Natural Area are great for spotting centipedes during summer hikes, often hiding under rocks that hikers have moved.
• Cave systems and karst features: Giant centipedes thrive in many Texas cave systems, where they hunt cave invertebrates and the occasional vertebrate visitor.

Interior San Antonio: It's less common to find them here. The urban landscape doesn't offer the right environment. I occasionally see them in city parks with mature trees and natural areas, but they're rare in tight neighborhood lots.

A common scenario in Boerne or Fair Oaks Ranch: a homeowner wakes up to find an 8-inch centipede on the bathroom floor or in the hallway. It's alarming, and they want it gone fast. We identify the centipede, remove it, and talk about how to keep them from coming back.

When they are most often encountered #

• June through October: This is when things really heat up in the Hill Country. These months are the warmest and attract the most prey.
• After heavy rain: When the soil is soaked, you’ll see more pests on the move.
• Late summer drought: Centipedes are looking for moisture, which leads them into homes more often.
• Pre-dawn or evening: This is prime time for foraging activity.

Pet interactions #

Dogs and cats encountering giant redheaded centipedes can be bitten if they investigate too closely. Reactions vary:

• Small dogs: you might see localized swelling, discomfort, or even some systemic reactions.
• Large dogs: they usually have minor reactions.
• Cats: symptoms vary based on where they get bitten.
• Get veterinary attention if systemic symptoms show up or if the bite is on the face or throat.

Risk to humans and pets #

The bite hurts quite a bit, but for healthy adults, it’s usually not a serious medical issue.

Typical bite effects:

• Sharp, searing local pain, often worse than a wasp sting.
• Pain hits its peak within minutes and gradually eases over a few hours.
• You’ll see local swelling and redness around the bite.
• Expect to find two visible puncture wounds where they bit you.
• The pain can hang around for several hours, or even longer.
• In some cases, localized skin necrosis can occur.
• It may feel like a "bee sting," but it’s usually more intense and lasts longer.

Less common effects:

• Headache, dizziness, nausea.
• Lymphangitis (red streaking along the lymphatic vessels) — documented in case reports of S. heros bites in Texas.
• Localized lymphadenopathy.
• Eosinophilic cellulitis.
• Hemorrhagic blisters at bite site.

Rare but serious effects (documented in case reports):

• Rhabdomyolysis, which is muscle tissue breakdown, can lead to kidney failure.
• Myocardial infarction, or heart attack, has been documented in at least one case from a Scolopendra sting.
• Anaphylaxis can occur in people with allergies.
• Severe systemic responses may require hospitalization.

No confirmed deaths from Scolopendra heros bites have been reported in medical literature. According to the CDC, centipede bites are typically mild, much like bee stings, but can sometimes lead to serious reactions.

The pediatric and elderly populations face a higher risk for severe reactions. If you're allergic, take centipede bites as seriously as wasp stings.

First aid #

• Wash the bite area with soap and water right away.
• Apply ice or a cold compress wrapped in cloth for 10 minutes on, then 10 minutes off.
• Take oral acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with the pain.
• Keep an eye out for signs of infection in the days that follow.
• Seek medical attention if:

- Severe systemic symptoms can include chest pain, difficulty breathing, and intense nausea. - Watch for signs of an allergic reaction. - Lymphangitis may appear as red streaks extending from the bite. - Bites on the face, neck, or other sensitive areas need attention. - If symptoms last or worsen beyond 24 hours, it's time to seek help.

Treatment approach #

Centipede control is genuinely challenging and not a routine pest service. Reasons:

• Centipedes are lone wolves — they don’t form colonies. Each one operates independently.
• They move fast and can cover a lot of ground.
• They’re active at night, which makes spotting and treating them tricky.
• Centipedes mostly hang out outside and only wander indoors when they need to.
• There isn’t a special bait or attractant just for centipedes when it comes to treatment.
• Insecticides that take out centipedes also impact their food sources, which can mess with overall pest control efforts.

Our approach for properties with recurring giant redheaded centipede issues:

Identification and threat assessment:

• Confirm the species, which helps tell S. heros apart from less significant species.
• Assess how often you’re seeing them indoors.
• Identify where they might be getting in and where they’re living.

Habitat modification — primary intervention:

• Remove or relocate stacked stone landscape features within 10-20 feet of your home.
• Clear away leaf litter, woodpiles, and debris within 20 feet of your foundation.
• Trim back any plants that touch the sides of your house.
• Fix moisture problems that draw in insects that pests like to eat.
• Dethatch and rake your landscape beds during the off-season.

Exclusion:

• Install door sweeps on exterior doors, especially the garage door.
• Seal foundation cracks and weep holes, but be careful—weep holes help manage moisture.
• Repair any damaged window screens.
• Caulk around plumbing penetrations to keep pests out.
• Fix gaps under siding to prevent entry.

Chemical treatment:

• We apply a perimeter treatment using residual insecticide (like microencapsulated formulations or wettable powders) on your foundation walls and the edges of your landscape.
• We use granular treatment in landscape beds right next to the structure.
• We dust identified entry-point voids (like wall voids and plumbing penetrations) to keep pests out.
• We treat the interior of the garage on a quarterly schedule if there are ongoing issues.

Indoor capture:

• Glue traps set along walls and in corners can catch wandering centipedes.
• They have a cover for easy and safe disposal of what you catch.
• Great for keeping an eye on activity over time.

Realistic expectations:

• Total elimination isn't realistic for properties next to native habitat.
• The aim is to cut down on indoor encounters.
• Properties with active control programs usually see indoor sightings drop to 1-2 per year or less.
• Annual or semi-annual treatment is suggested for properties that face ongoing issues.

Odd, funny, and genuinely true #

• The bite isn't a bite. Centipedes don't have stingers and their "bite" isn't from their mandibles — it's a venom injection from modified front legs called forcipules. Each forcipule is a single leg that has evolved into a venom delivery structure connected to a venom gland. The animal is essentially stabbing with modified legs. This is a distinctive feature of all centipedes.
• ***Scolopendra heros* doesn't actually have 100 legs.** Despite the family name "centipede" (Latin for "hundred-footed"), this species has either 21 or 23 body segments with one pair of legs per segment — a maximum of 46 legs. No centipede species actually has exactly 100 legs; counts range from 30 to over 300 across the class.
• The yellow-tipped black "antennae" on the back are not antennae. They are caudal legs — modified rear walking legs that have evolved to look like the front antennae. The visual deception confuses predators about which end is the head, drawing attacks toward the safer rear end. The actual head with the venomous forcipules is at the other end.
• Females are dedicated mothers. Female Scolopendra heros coil around their egg masses for the entire two-month incubation period, grooming the eggs continually to prevent fungal infection. Mothers continue to protect newly-hatched young through their first vulnerable instars. This is one of the more striking examples of maternal care in arthropods.
• They can live over a decade. Most arthropods live months to a few years; S. heros individuals can live 10+ years in suitable conditions. This longevity is part of why they establish stable populations in good habitat.
• Lost legs grow back. Through subsequent molts, S. heros can regenerate appendages lost to predation or injury. Centipedes commonly regenerate legs across multiple molts.
• They can grab prey out of the air. S. heros is documented catching small flying insects mid-flight by reaching upward with the forward portion of its body — a remarkable hunting capability for a primarily ground-dwelling predator.
• Their tropical cousins eat bats. Scolopendra gigantea of South America has been documented hanging from cave ceilings to catch flying bats. The North American giant redheaded centipede is smaller but follows the same predatory adaptability.
• They can prey on small rodents and snakes. Despite being invertebrates, large S. heros individuals successfully prey on small mice, juvenile rats, small lizards, juvenile snakes, and toads. This is essentially unprecedented size-scale predation by an arthropod against vertebrates.
• The forcipules can deliver venom into prey larger than themselves. The maxillipeds are mechanically capable of penetrating the skin of small mammals and reptiles, and the venom is potent enough to immobilize prey items disproportionate to the predator's size.
• A 79-year-old Texan was hospitalized in 2017 with lymphangitis after a Scolopendra heros bite that woke him from sleep. The case was published in Annals of Emergency Medicine and documented localized lymphangitis tracking up his arm from the bite site on his hand. He recovered, but the case report exists specifically to remind clinicians that centipede bites can cause serious local and systemic reactions.
• Folk legend that centipede bites kill people is unsupported. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine notes: "this story appears to be no more than a tall tale, and giant redheaded centipede bites have never resulted in a confirmed death." Rare cases of serious complications have been documented (including kidney failure and heart attack from severe envenomation), but no confirmed fatality.
• The walking legs may also be venomous. When a centipede walks across human skin, small wounds and blisters can sometimes form along the path of the walking legs, suggesting that some venom delivery occurs through the legs themselves, not just the forcipules. This is documented behavior but not as well-characterized as the forcipule bite.
• They are slow-growing apex predators of the invertebrate world. Unlike most insects, which complete their life cycles in months, S. heros takes years to reach mature size. The slow life history and high predatory output makes them ecological keystone species in their habitats.
• Centipedes belong to a class of arthropods (Chilopoda) that diverged from insects about 420 million years ago. Scolopendra heros is more distantly related to a honey bee than humans are to fish. The body plan is one of the older successful arthropod designs, dating back to the Silurian period.
• The Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine description of the centipede as "the stuff of nightmares" was meant affectionately. The magazine's coverage emphasizes that centipedes are valuable predators and that the appropriate human response is "respectful coexistence" rather than panic — though they acknowledge that finding an 8-inch redheaded centipede in your bathroom at 3 AM understandably tests that philosophy.

FAQ hooks (for LuperIQ / SEO) #

• The giant centipede in Texas, known as Scolopendra heros, can grow up to 8 inches long and is often found in wooded areas and under rocks.
• A Texas redheaded centipede bite can be quite painful, similar to a bee sting, but it typically isn’t life-threatening for most people.
• Giant centipedes in Texas are venomous, but they’re not considered poisonous in the sense that they can harm you if ingested.
• To keep centipedes out of your house, seal cracks and gaps, reduce moisture, and keep clutter to a minimum.
• If you find a centipede in your house, it's best to catch it in a jar and release it outside, preferably away from your home.
• A centipede is unlikely to kill a person; however, their bites can cause severe pain and allergic reactions in some individuals.
• Texas centipedes can reach lengths of up to 8 inches, making them one of the largest centipede species in the U.S.
• The main difference between a centipede and a millipede is that centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment, while millipedes have two.

We consulted a variety of sources for this information, including the Wikipedia entry on Scolopendra heros, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine's article "Giant Redheaded Centipedes Are the Stuff of Nightmares," and the natural history coverage from the 101 Highland Lakes. We also looked at guidance from the American Association of Poison Control Centers regarding centipede stings, the 2017 Annals of Emergency Medicine case report "Lymphangitis From Scolopendra heros Envenomation: The Texas Redheaded Centipede" (Essler et al.), and venom characterization research from ScienceDirect. Additionally, we referenced the A-Z Animals comprehensive species profile. Information on maternal care behavior stems from general scolopendrid biology documented in Lewis 1981, while predation behavior documentation is based on multiple species accounts, including Shelley 2002 and Mercurio 2011.

Frequently asked questions #

How can I identify a Giant Redheaded Centipede? #

The Giant Redheaded Centipede is easily recognized by its long, segmented body, which can reach up to 8 inches in length. It has a bright red head and large, prominent pincers. The rest of its body is usually a yellowish or reddish-brown color.

What is the behavior of Giant Redheaded Centipedes in San Antonio? #

These centipedes are nocturnal predators, often hunting for insects at night. They prefer moist environments and are commonly found under rocks, logs, or in leaf litter. In San Antonio, they may also be spotted in gardens and near water sources.

Are Giant Redheaded Centipedes dangerous to humans? #

While their bite can be painful and cause swelling, they are not considered life-threatening to healthy adults. However, individuals with allergies or compromised immune systems may experience more severe reactions.

When is the best time to control Giant Redheaded Centipedes in the Texas Hill Country? #

Giant Redheaded Centipedes are active year-round, but their populations tend to peak during warmer months, typically from late spring through early fall. It's a good idea to address any pest issues before the summer heat increases their activity.

What treatment options do you offer for Giant Redheaded Centipedes? #

We offer a comprehensive inspection and treatment plan tailored to your property. Our treatments focus on reducing moisture levels and eliminating hiding spots, along with targeted pesticide application if necessary. We'll also provide preventative measures to help keep them from returning.

Last reviewed April 25, 2026 by Travis Lambert (Owner).