Insect identifier · Indoor insects
How to identify a Giant desert centipede
Scolopendra heros
· Also called giant centipede, scolopendra, red-headed centipede, giant centipede bite, red headed centipede
Thick, colorful, six-plus inches: giant desert centipede. Not the gray long-legged house centipede. It bites with fangs, it does not sting with the tail.
Six to eight inches, warning colors, red head often, under a Southwest rock. Bites with fangs by the head. Two punctures, severe pain. Not a tail stinger. Not a house centipede. Do not pick it up with a shoe as a gag. Ice, elevation, ER if pain or swelling is severe.
What does a giant desert centipede look like?
Warning colors — often red head and black/yellow body. Fast, hides under rocks. Southwest and south-central.
Giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros) is Up to 15–20 cm. Colors people notice: red, yellow, black, orange. Field marks: Many legs, one pair per body segment; Warning colors — often red head and black/yellow body; Fast, hides under objects; Painful bite (fangs), not a sting from the tail. It is found both. If those marks are missing, open House centipede before you force this name. Search phrases that belong on this page include what a giant desert centipede looks like and giant desert centipede identification.
Identification marks
- Many legs, one pair per body segment
- Warning colors — often red head and black/yellow body
- Fast, hides under objects
- Painful bite (fangs), not a sting from the tail
Size: Up to 15–20 cm
Colors: red, yellow, black, orange
Where: both
What a typical giant desert centipede bite looks like
Two puncture marks, immediate severe pain, swelling, sometimes nausea. Wash, ice, elevate. ER for severe pain or systemic symptoms.
People searching “giant desert centipede bite identification” want the pattern, not a single anonymous bump. Two puncture marks, immediate severe pain, swelling, and sometimes nausea. The mark can stay angry for days. Immediate steps on this page: Wash, ice, elevate; Tetanus status; ER for severe pain, spreading swelling, or systemic symptoms; Do not pick up large centipedes. This species does bite or sting people. Fever, spreading redness, trouble breathing, or a child with many stings is professional care.
If you were bitten
- Wash, ice, elevate
- Tetanus status
- ER for severe pain, spreading swelling, or systemic symptoms
- Do not pick up large centipedes
Giant desert centipede vs House centipede
Thick, colorful, six to eight inches, red head often. House centipedes are gray blurs of long legs in bathrooms and almost never a serious bite. This animal bites with fangs under the head, not a tail stinger.
- House centipede identification (Scutigera coleoptrata)
Range and season
Warm nights.
Southwest and south-central, under rocks and in garages on warm nights.
South-central and southwestern U.S. Other large Scolopendra occur in the Southeast.
Warm nights
Common questions
Are giant centipedes deadly?
Painful and medically significant, especially for children, but deaths are not the expected outcome in healthy adults. Treat seriously.
House centipede vs desert giant?
House centipedes are gray, long-legged, indoor, and far less dangerous. Giants are thick, colorful, and 6+ inches.
Bite or sting?
Centipedes bite with fangs under the head.
Does a giant centipede sting or bite?
It bites with fangs (forcipules) by the head. The tail is not a stinger.
Giant desert centipede vs house centipede?
Desert: thick, colorful, painful bite. House: long-legged gray, damp rooms, rarely bites.