Giant Scolopendra

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0:00:01 > 0:00:05On Deadly 60 I've had loads of incredible animal encounters.

0:00:05 > 0:00:08Here's just one of my many favourites.

0:00:08 > 0:00:11This is Deadly 60 Bites.

0:00:15 > 0:00:17I'm in Venezuela.

0:00:17 > 0:00:20I'm about to have a really creepy encounter with a toxic terror,

0:00:20 > 0:00:24the longest centipede on Earth.

0:00:24 > 0:00:27We've just had a spot of real Deadly 60 luck.

0:00:27 > 0:00:31We've just been told that some locals have actually found

0:00:31 > 0:00:34a giant scolopendra in their back garden.

0:00:34 > 0:00:35I'm going to have a look now.

0:00:35 > 0:00:37Hola. Como estas?

0:00:37 > 0:00:39- Puero bella. - HE REPLIES IN SPANISH

0:00:39 > 0:00:41Si.

0:00:44 > 0:00:45No way!

0:00:45 > 0:00:49No way, that's enormous!

0:00:49 > 0:00:50Muchas gracias!

0:00:50 > 0:00:54OK, I'd rather take this away from his family before I take it out,

0:00:54 > 0:00:58because this is an animal that certainly could do a child

0:00:58 > 0:01:01an enormous amount of damage.

0:01:02 > 0:01:05I have to admit I'm a little bit shaky about this.

0:01:05 > 0:01:09I've handled scolopendra many, many times in the past,

0:01:09 > 0:01:12but nothing of this kind of size.

0:01:12 > 0:01:16This is absolutely formidable.

0:01:16 > 0:01:20Look at the size of it.

0:01:20 > 0:01:22That is just extraordinary.

0:01:22 > 0:01:29It's incredibly strong, harder to handle certainly than any snake.

0:01:29 > 0:01:31Look at that, look at the strength of it!

0:01:31 > 0:01:35It's actually just sunk its claws right into the thumb of the glove,

0:01:35 > 0:01:39and I'm very, very glad that these are really... Look at that!

0:01:39 > 0:01:42It's almost puncturing the leather.

0:01:44 > 0:01:48In fact, I'm not entirely sure that these gloves are strong enough!

0:01:48 > 0:01:49Woah!

0:01:49 > 0:01:53That is a true living monster.

0:01:53 > 0:01:56So this is scolopendra gigantea,

0:01:56 > 0:01:59the largest species of centipede found on Earth.

0:01:59 > 0:02:01Woo-er!

0:02:01 > 0:02:04It can get to be nearly 30 centimetres in length,

0:02:04 > 0:02:07which is as long as my forearm.

0:02:07 > 0:02:12And at the front of the head you can see those curved claws,

0:02:12 > 0:02:16they're actually adapted legs, but they're linked to a venom gland,

0:02:16 > 0:02:20which means that they can inject an absolutely ferocious toxin

0:02:20 > 0:02:23and overpower even quite decent-sized mammals.

0:02:23 > 0:02:27And there is no doubt that if this actually got to exposed skin,

0:02:27 > 0:02:31it would definitely bite, and if it did, it probably wouldn't kill me,

0:02:31 > 0:02:33but I really don't want to take that chance.

0:02:36 > 0:02:39Wow!

0:02:39 > 0:02:40You horrible thing!

0:02:40 > 0:02:42You're horrible! I hate you!

0:02:42 > 0:02:46Can I put it back in the bucket now, please?

0:02:50 > 0:02:52Wugh-ha-ha-ha-ha!

0:02:52 > 0:02:55Oh! Holy Moly!

0:02:55 > 0:02:58Giant scolopendra. Definitely deadly.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd