Wednesday, 15 July 2015

Giant Redheaded Centipede Photo Goes Viral, Horrifies the Internet

by Elizabeth Palermo, Associate Editor | July 10, 2015 03:04pm ET

You don't have to be a Kardashian to stand out on the Internet — all you need is at least 20 pairs of bright-yellow legs, a gleaming red head and venomous fangs.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Last week, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) posted a picture of a giant redheaded centipede to its social media pages that met all of the above criteria. The image quickly went viral. While many people reacted with horror (apparently, giant, colorful centipedes are the stuff of nightmares), this critter doesn't eat people or seriously harm them in any way (at least not usually).

However, giant redheaded centipedes (Scolopendra heros) — which can be found in certain regions of the southern United States and northern Mexico — do take people by surprise fairly often, said Ben Hutchins, an invertebrate biologist with the TPWD.

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