Nature & Environment

'Centipede from Hell' discovered underground

By T.K. Randall
July 1, 2015 ·  13 comments

The centipede was found in a cave system in Croatia. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Denlah Known as the Hades centipede in reference to the Greek god of the underworld, the new predatory arthropod was found within the Lukina jama-Trojama cave system in Croatia which is currently ranked 15th on the list of the world's deepest caves.

The centipede appears to have adapted perfectly to its environment deep inside the planet where it ekes out an existence feasting upon insects that it can immobilize with its deadly bite.

'Centipede from Hell' Found in World's Deepest Caves: http://t.co/Bue4WJamCv pic.twitter.com/YFRBPLruoR

— Discovery News (@DNews) July 1, 2015

"When I first saw the animal and its striking appearance, I immediately realized that this is a new, hitherto unnamed species," said lead author Pavel Stoev of the National Museum of Natural History.

Very little is actually known about the creatures that lurk in some of the deepest places of the world with cave systems such as the one in Croatia offering undiscovered ecosystems filled with bizarre and unusual species quite unlike their surface counterparts.

The deepest known cave on Earth, Krubera Cave in Georgia, descends to a depth of 5,610ft.

Source: Discovery News | Comments (13)

Tags: Centipede, Caves