BMc 1,048 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Had an close encounter with one of these 14" beauties that was living behind a 4ft. wall of rotted sand bags we pulled down as we were rebuilding bunkers in Vietnam. I stomped on it as hard as I could (wearing jungle boots with metal insert), which didn't faze it. Had to chop it in half with the edge of an E-tool to kill it. Beacoup #10! (Very Bad!) (not me in photo) 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Au Seeker 3,195 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Mac, great story and I'm sure it was a BIG surprise when ya'll moved those sandbags and a big and fast centipede came running out. I would however be cautious when grabbing a photo from the internet, the photo of the soldier holding the centipede is for certain Photoshopped, since the centipede when compared to his arm would be well over 24" long if not longer, which would certainly be a world record for the biggest centipede ever found, I can believe around 14" even thought the biggest ever officially record was only 12" long. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Morlock 1,771 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Those are supposed to be good eating over there. yum yum. 😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,192 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Here is what an 8" centipede looks like crawling in a marijuana plant. I didn't need a shovel to kill it nor photoshop to make it seem bigger. This is the real McCoy just like I found it. It is a big centipede but about the average size for the Southwest mountains. He stretches from the tip of your middle finger down to just past your wrist. Keep in mind the largest one recorded in SE Asia was 12". Only 4" longer than this one. Even at 16" (twice as large) it is still a heck of a lot smaller than the one in the doctored photo. That would be from the tip of your middle finger about half way to the elbow. Just keepin' it real in a world stuffed full of hype and fantasy. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMc 1,048 Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Au Seeker said: Mac, great story and I'm sure it was a BIG surprise when ya'll moved those sandbags and a big and fast centipede came running out. I would however be cautious when grabbing a photo from the internet, the photo of the soldier holding the centipede is for certain Photoshopped, since the centipede when compared to his arm would be well over 24" long if not longer, which would certainly be a world record for the biggest centipede ever found, I can believe around 14" even thought the biggest ever officially record was only 12" long. Yeah, I know Skip. I saw the 12" record on the internet and I wasn't taking the photo at face value, that's why I included a couple more for comparison, and of course, anyone interested in exploring the subject further has plenty of research material available on the net. The centipede that I whacked with an E-tool had wrapped its body around my boot, ankle and lower leg when I stomped on it and was doing its best to gnaw my leg off. And, we did measure it after it was dead so it was a confirmed 14". (Body length-feelers not included) The Vietnamese ARVN's we were working with said it was about average for the area we were in, but not the biggest they had seen. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMc 1,048 Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Morlock said: Those are supposed to be good eating over there. yum yum. 😉 Don't know about good eating, but they seem to be good eaters . . . 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,192 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 minutes ago, BMc said: Yeah, I know Skip. I saw the 12" record on the internet and I wasn't taking the photo at face value, that's why I included a couple more for comparison, and of course, anyone interested in exploring the subject further has plenty of research material available on the net. The centipede that I whacked with an E-tool had wrapped its body around my boot, ankle and lower leg when I stomped on it and was doing its best to gnaw my leg off. And, we did measure it after it was dead so it was a confirmed 14". (Body length-feelers not included) The Vietnamese ARVN's we were working with said it was about average for the area we were in, but not the biggest they had seen. Awesome story Mac! Your nerves of steel and quick thinking were the only thing that saved your foot from that monster! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BMc 1,048 Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 17 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: Awesome story Mac! Your nerves of steel and quick thinking were the only thing that saved your foot from that monster! Yeah, sure Bob, that's probably what happened, but it also could have been the stench of hot urine running down my leg that made him let go . . . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,192 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 23 minutes ago, BMc said: Yeah, sure Bob, that's probably what happened, but it also could have been the stench of hot urine running down my leg that made him let go . . . Oh man! I can almost smell it! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stillweaver hillbelli 348 Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Wife pointed one out to me 12 mi NNW of Rich Hill, one day. It must have been 6" long. It turned and scurried towards me when I kicked sand at it. When it got another dose of sand in its face , it reared like a cobra while running on its hind legs. Freaked me out so it got the heel of my boot...they're aggressive when messed with. I should have got a jar, collected it, and taken it to Spider Pharm in Yarnell. I think Mike Rowe did a segment on them for Dirty Jobs a few years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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