Giant Redheaded Centipedes Are Venom Mixologists

The arthropods can tailor their toxins depending on whether they are hunting prey or defending themselves from predators, according to a new study.

A giant centipede’s many wriggling legs might be creepy. But the pair of legs not used for walking may be the most frightening.

Over 430 million years ago, the two legs nearest the mouth evolved into sharp pincers that contain venom glands. Within those glands are microscopic factories capable of manufacturing multiple toxic compounds.

Arthropods, just like spiders, giant centipedes use these tools to hunt prey — everything from crickets to snakes. But they also make for a juicy snack for other animals, forcing them to defend themselves with the same poisonous pincers.

In a paper published this month in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, scientists revealed that the redheaded centipede — a species of giant centipede roughly the length of a ballpoint pen — is a toxic mixologist, capable of tailoring its venom recipe depending on whether it’s attacking prey or defending itself. The toxins reserved for the centipedes’ predators appear designed to cause pain, the researchers found.

The findings also may hint that venoms produced by other animals might be more complex than were previously understood.

To collect venom, scientists most often zap an animal with a nonlethal amount of electricity. The pulses contract the animals’ muscles, which squeezes out the venom. This technique is believed to release venom with all its toxic molecules, said Vanessa Schendel, who is a venom biologist at the University of Queensland in Australia and an author of the new study.