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Subject: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: Lovecraft posted Tue, Aug 3 2004, 5:56pm  Supposedly in the wild hills of the Arkansas and Missouri Ozarks, there are (or were) giant centipedes. There is already an excellent article at this site (second article) which tells the history of the giant bugs. These centipedes supposedly get much larger than the normal maximum 7 inches, and one preserved specimen was 18 inches in length. I'm currently looking into more giant centipede folklore, since most of the reported stuff is rather old. Since this apparent cryptid is not that far fetched, it may have a chance of being described. Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: Kraken posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 1:00am  Thanks for the link - I found it very interesting. I think it's certainly possible that these creatures may have existed although I would feel much more comfortable with additional recorded reports. I would think with the heightened activity in that area that a centipede of that size if it still existed would certainly be discovered by now. It is my intuitive belief that many invertebrates have disappeared from North America before they have been categorized and described. This may be one of them. Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: herm posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 8:36am  I think giant centipedes are fairly common in the Ozarks. One year I stayed in Arkansas teaching an outdoor program for a private college. Once during an outdoor presentation one of these guys crawled next to me on the rock I was sitting on and made me make noises like a baby farm animal as I flailed wildly and fell over off of my seat. It was steely grey with orange legs, and it was well over a foot long. Everyone that heard about it thought it was hilarious, nobody said it was in any way atypical, and a couple other folks indicated that they had seen them as well. Iyam not ordinarily afraid of creepy crawlies, but a centipede big enough to make sounds when it walks is enough to make me get out of the way! Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: herm posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 8:53am  i just read the link, and find it hard to believe that something that so many people seem to know about is a cryptid. My neighbor across the street from Arkansas claims he has seen them too- grey and orange and at least a foot long, and very robust, with thick scary legs. My initial estimate for my centipede was 16 inches, and 2 inches wide, but it was probably about a foot long. It was only a few inches from where I was sitting. For anyone interested, the location was near the top of Crow Mountain, in the Ozarks, in 1985. This is a real animal, folks! ~herm, gone buggy Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: Kraken posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 1:10pm  This is REALLY starting to interest me - does anyone else have any information which might be useful or better yet some knowledge of first hand sightings like herm? I will get my map of Missouri out tonight to get a better fix on these locations. Do you remember the town or county where Crow Mountain is located herm? I would really like to pursue this if additional information warrents it. Kraken, bugged by this Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: herm posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 5:42pm  North Central Arkansas, as I remember, near limestone cliffs. A few minutes before I saw this thing, my class found a cute fluffy baby turkey vulture that had fallen out of it's nest. When I heard movement next to me, I thought it was another baby bird. Imagine what it feels like to look down and see a centipede with legs that belong on a lobster just inches from where you are sitting! For a moment I was anything but the cool outdoor educator! High slapstick as I flailed over backwards..... Incidently, most of my class saw it, too. Heck, no way to miss it! My neighbor is a climber from NW Arkansas, when I told him this story, he knew all about what I was talking about. He says they have a nasty bite. Iyam not exteremly familiar with the wildlife of the Ozarks, but the impression I get is that these giant creepy-crawlers are faily well known to the locals of that area. Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes From: Hynpride posted Wed, Aug 4 2004, 6:34pm  I guess that the giant centipedes must have never been catalogued, despite their abundance. I'm sure it actually must be quite common for scientists to overlook new creatures in well-explored areas.... Subject: Re: Giant Ozark Centipedes -- Looking for detailed eyewitness accounts! From: Briggs posted Wed, Sep 26 2007, 5:57am  I'm a science writer and I'm working on a story about cryptids whose existence seem to have a lot of anecdotal support. I'm especially interested in this giant centipede. Entomologists from several universities refuse even to comment on the possibility of this bug's existence. I've read the strangeark.com story. I'm looking for any additional eyewitness accounts and/or leads to other places where I can find stories of people's encounters with this centipede. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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