Scolopendra subspinipes is Hawaii’s only centipede with “medical importance” – which basically means, medical care might be of importance to you, when bitten. Though extremely painful, their bite is usually not lethal to humans.

Though one can often read that they are aggressive and can rear up two thirds of their body length to bite you, you will usually find them minding their own business and trying to get away as quickly as their short legs can carry them – which is astonishingly fast.

Unfortunately, they like dark places to hide, which makes towels, shoes and other human things ideal and this is usually where accidents happen.

Although they are called centipede, they do not have a hundred legs. They have 21 segments with two legs per segment and can be up to 8 inches (20cm). This one was about 5 inches (13cm). They molt to grow bigger and may live for 10 years or more.

These centipedes are nocturnal and usually hunt everything they can wrap their tiny legs around, which can be anything from small insects to mice, if they can get one. They will curl around the victim, holding onto it with their many legs like claws, injecting poison with their fangs.

They also have a softer side to themselves. Females guard their eggs until they are hatched.