As reported by the Daily Mail Friday (12/24/2021), a 2.7 meter centipede from head to toe was found, making it the largest invertebrate animal discovery of all time.
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This is the third time this specimen has been found and previous records have been excavated in Germany.
Sedimentologist Neil Davies of Cambridge University said the discovery of the giant foot fossil was rare because once the animal died, its body would appear indistinct.
“We haven’t found a fossil head yet. So it’s hard to know everything about centipedes,” he said.
Arthropleura fossils were first discovered in January 2018, after chunks of sandstone fell from a cliff in Howick Bay into the coastal area.
Davis said the discovery was coincidental because the way the rock fell and the cracks revealed the fossil looked perfect.
Previously large centipedes were also found on Phillip Island, Australia. The giant centipede reproduces and survives by eating slightly larger seabirds.
According to the ABC news site, this giant centipede can grow up to 30.5 centimeters in length. The body of this giant centipede has a perfect defense and attack system.
The animal is armed with a powerful poison encased in two pincers called “forcipules”, which it uses to immobilize its prey. Meanwhile, to defend against attacks, the giant centipede’s body was protected by a strong shield like an armored plate. The shield covers each of the many segments that run along the body.
According to Monash University researcher Luke Halpin, the ability giant centipede to prey on its victims is very strong. They often attack crickets, seabirds, geckos, and lizards. However, the most frequently attacked by the giant centipede on Phillip Island are petrel chicks.
(wbs)
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