Arizona snake killed and eaten by centipede!!WARNING GRAPHIC

As we were looking for snakes in the Sky Islands in Southern Arizona we came across this giant desert centipede that killed and was now devouring an adult Lyre snake. Watch as this predatory invertebrate consumes its prey. The giant desert centipede is not your average house centipede and its bite is said to be extremely painful to humans. it is one of the largest invertebrates in the desert, reaching lengths of 8 inches. It also preys on mammals, lizards and frogs and insects. The venom is delivered through a modified first pair of legs behind the head. Check out this strange and powerful invertebrate as it chews through the thick scales of the lyre snake, reducing it to bones!

[@BlueLightningHawk]

Many legs vs. No legs. What an interesting match.

[@NatureInYourFace]

Yea that’s a cool way of looking at it. Usually the No leg animal is a well adept predator but in this situation the legs won.

[@smetlogik]

Dang son, what a capture! The centipedes out here are no joke. That just wild, nicely done.

[@TheWildlifeBrothers]

You guys always get the craziest footage, that is a badass thing to be able to to see in the wild. You can’t display the power of centipedes any more clearly than that I think, they’re such insane predators to be able to take on prey of that size. Great work and a nice edit.

[@NatureInYourFace]

Thanks WB's. It would have been really cool if we actually caught the centipede during the initial attack but we'll take what we can get! What's funny is, on that same herping trip I saw a black neck garter snake eating a Clark's spiny lizard but the grass was too thick for me to get a clean shot on camera. Hope you guys are doing well and thanks for commenting!

[@happybee7725]

Those big centipedes are so damn creepy. Snakes and spiders yes but giant centipedes? Oh hell no.

[@NatureInYourFace]

😂 yea we struggle a bit with not seeing them as creepy also

[@happybee7725]

@@NatureInYourFace its the legs turned into fangs that creep me out the most. The normal legs to of course. I seen a video of a scolopendra (is that how it’s spelled?🤷) hanging from a cave roof eating a bat. A decent sized bat at that. It was fckd up. 😂

[@lipring24]

It’s got legs and it knows how to use them

[@NatureInYourFace]

Oh yea

[@jennifertaulbee7088]

That centipede is super creepy

[@NatureInYourFace]

The centipede’s mom is offended

[@invisi-bullexploration2374]

*LYAR! YOU SENT HIM HERE TO KILL ME!*

[@NatureInYourFace]

Did you just make a Lyre snake joke?! Epic 😂

[@madilynncorey]

cool video

[@NatureInYourFace]

You commented "cool video" 2x, I guess that means the video is twice as cool! Ha

[@kirataulbee8768]

That is just wild and a little creepy 😆

[@NatureInYourFace]

We are two wild and creepy guys

[@umarfaraz8036]

Wow

[@djwildlifeclips9779]

How long was the centipede approximately (body size only, not including the hind legs)?

[@NatureInYourFace]

Roughly 8-9 inches

[@djwildlifeclips9779]

@@NatureInYourFace Incredible! This is about the maximum size of that species, isn't it? Most scale photos of S. heros show specimens of maximally 6-7 inches. 15 cm -18 cm maximum, but almost never giants of 20 cm or more, especially not in the wild. Awesome species, probably the most powerful North American terrestrial invertebrate predator.

[@NatureInYourFace]

For sure. I guess when you’re eating such large meals as this, it’s easy to reach maximum potential. It’s all about environmental conditions.

[@THEredrumrob]

Had one about 8-9 inches long take out a wasp nest on our back porch. Killed the adults & ate all of the larvae.

[@NatureInYourFace]

That’s crazy but fascinating

[@Daveyboy_GolfR]

God that music 🫨.... The music does fit perfectly tho as just one bite from any scolopendra centipede is borderline unbearable. Nasty venom

[@NatureInYourFace]

I hope you're not speaking from experience!!

[@Daveyboy_GolfR]

@@NatureInYourFace thankfully I'm not. But I watched and read many testimonials from people who have. the descriptions they give about the level of pain they went through is horrifying.

[@NatureInYourFace]

@@Daveyboy_GolfR Watching it saw through the muscle of the snake like it was butter tells me all I need to know about those pincers, nevermind that it's venomous. I'm not creeped out by it but I have no doubt that a bite from that thing would drop any grown man to his knees and make him cry out for his mommy.🤣 Thanks for commenting. Check out some of our other predations caught on camera. We have several snake on snake predations as well as a hawk wasp vs. Tarantula. Have a great weekend!

[@Daveyboy_GolfR]

@@NatureInYourFace I will thanks 👍

[@umarfaraz8036]

I’m the one holding the tarantula you remember

[@NatureInYourFace]

Where did you hold the tarantula?

[@umarfaraz8036]

@@NatureInYourFace I had it in my hands and make sure not to trap door it also you put it on my head remember

[@NatureInYourFace]

@umarfaraz8036 lol yes for sure. Especially since you said you made sure not to “trap door” it 😂.

[@umarfaraz8036]

⁠lol

[@umarfaraz8036]

Makes sense why it’s funny

[@darrenwalker2365]

Mean mo fo's Oklahoma loaded with them.

[@NatureInYourFace]

Seems like these guys can be found World wide. Crazy tough invertebrates!

[@EroticAnimals]

already dead....

[@NatureInYourFace]

What does that mean?

[@MarvoloSalazar]

man how do you get killed and consumed by an insect as a venomous snake multiple times its size. That boy was not about that life shamed its ancestors to the core lol

[@NatureInYourFace]

It happens, those centipedes are no joke!

[@umarfaraz8036]

k

[@NatureInYourFace]

O

[@madilynncorey]

cool video

[@NatureInYourFace]

Thank you! 😊

[@justinnewbold9866]

​@@NatureInYourFacewhat color is that snake

[@NatureInYourFace]

@justinnewbold9866 greyish white with an orange Diamond/blotch pattern