Scolopendra home - not a separate species. So affectionately called settled in human housing representatives of the arthropods of the Scolopendra family. However, the appearance of this invertebrate can cause a person who saw him for the first time, only a feeling of disgust, disgust and fear.
Imagine: a millipede up to twenty-six centimeters long
(giant scolopendra), all covered with antennae, bristles, hairs, poisonous, and even has the so-called “leg jaws”, which it tears apart food, then sending it to the mouth.
There are various rumors about the toxicity of scolopendras. Some people think that talking about their toxicity deadly to humans is untrue, while others say that some species of bite scolopendra are still fatal to humans. But be that as it may, these arthropods often live in a person’s dwelling (especially in the tropics and in the southern part of the temperate zone), and a smart owner never drives them out of the house, preferring to endure some inconvenience due to their presence ... Why?
The answer to this question is simple. Scolopendra domestic, as a predator, cleverly preys on various animals. No, the mouse is too tough for her, but the numerous invertebrate enemies of humans are very tough (and to taste).
The diet of scolopendras includes cockroaches, bedbugs, spiders, fleas, moths and other inhabitants of his home no less unpleasant for a person. Having settled in the
house, a skolopendra digs underground passages in the underground, which are also its dwelling at the same time. Scolopendras do not conflict with humans; they are indifferent to human food and can only be bitten in self-defense. And far from always they can bite through human skin. And even if this happens, the pain will be, as from
a bee sting, no more.
In Russia, the distribution area of scolopendras is the North Caucasus, Rostov, Volgograd, Astrakhan and Orenburg regions. They do not meet north. A domestic scolopendra living in southern Russia is rarely longer than six to eight centimeters.
If the scolopendra, defending itself, bit a person (they do not attack people - there is no need), then a swelling forms at the site of the bite, which in most cases passes after a couple of hours. If the scolopendra is large, then the pain (gradually fading) can last up to a day and a half. Then they pass without a trace. The bite of a scolopendra (ours, Russian) will not deliver any more trouble.
There is one documented case where a seven-year-old boy died from a bite of a giant tropical scolopendra. But it was not in Russia, but in the Philippine jungle. And even then, if the medical help was delivered on time, a fatal outcome could have been avoided. But the home scolopendra, which is found on the territory of Russia, is not a danger to humans. On the contrary, these very useful arthropods can greatly facilitate a person’s life. That's just a pity that many owners of private homes do not understand this and destroy them. Well, it’s not their fault that they became so ... unpleasant (from a human point of view). In short, the scolopendra in the house is in abundance. What is not a new sign?