Novel Amphibious Centipede Named After Local Gods Discovered, First for Japan in 143 Years

A new species of large amphibious centipede has been discovered in Okinawa and Taiwan, named after local gods. The centipede measures 20 cm (7.9 inches) in length and nearly 20 cm (7.9 inches) wide. It is the first new centipede discovered in Japan in 143 years and the third of its kind found anywhere in the world.

According to the Independent, researchers first knew of the centipede after receiving reports of an unidentified centipede attacking freshwater prawns in the forests of the biodiverse Ryukyu Archipelago,

Tokyo Metropolitan University's Sho Tsukamoto collaborated with a team of scientists, including Hosei University's Professor Satoshi Shimano, to find and identify the unnamed centipede in its stream-side habitat.

But the centipede exceeded their expectation. It was an entirely new species and the largest centipede species found in Japan and Taiwan.

(Photo: Pixabay)
Novel Amphibious Centipede Discovered Named After Local Gods, A First For Japan In 143 Years

Large Centipede Named After Local Gods

Scolopendra is a large, tropical centipede that is one of the original genera named by Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. There are around 100 species found in tropical regions worldwide, of which five have been identified in Japan and Taiwan.

Genetic analysis confirmed the new species recently discovered is different from previously known Scolopendra that lives in the region, according to EurekAlert!

It has a beautiful jade-colored shell named Scolopendra alcyona Tsukamoto & Shimano after the Greek mythological figure Alcyone that Zeus transformed into a kingfisher.

In Japanese, it is called ryujin-ômukade, which also bears a mythological origin in honor of the place where it was found. Local myths said that the dragon god Ryujin was in agony because a centipede entered its ear and feared both centipede and chicken after seeing the latter devouring the former.

During the reign of kingdom Ryukyu, sailors would paint chickens on their boat and hoist a centipede flag to strike fear among dragon gods for them to safely cross the sea.

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The scientist found that the centipedes preferred streamside environments, like the area where they were found, and displayed characteristics of an amphibian. Due to that, the researchers believe that it is the third amphibious Scolopendra in the world, SciTech Daily reported.

They noted that there must be more to discover in the unexplored biodiversity of Ryukyu Archipelago, given that the new amphibious centipede goes undiscovered for many years, not until now. The forests currently inhabit streams where people do not go, and the team hopes to continue, monitor, and study them from a safe distance to protect them.

The First Amphibious Centipede

National Geographic reported in 2016 that the first amphibious centipede was discovered in Southeast Asia and that it only lives there. It belongs to the group of large centipedes of Scolopendra that could grow up to 20 cm (7.9 inches) like the recently found amphibious centipede.

Like all centipedes, it is also venomous and carnivorous, although one bite would not kill, only give an agonizing pain. Scientists named this species Scolopendra cataracta, from the Latin for "waterfall."

They may sound like someone's worst nightmare, but scientists believed that the discovery of this species had opened doors in discovering other species that were known to humankind.