Texas Parks and Wildlife Department tweeted a picture of a giant redheaded centipede (AKA 
Scolopendra heros) at Garner State Park that has residents checking under their beds.

The Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine says the giant redheaded centipede can grow to 8 inches long. It feeds on lizards, rodents, snakes and toads. It catches victims with its many legs, pierces the skin with a bite and administers venom.

But what can this centipede's bite do to a person? Here's what the magazine says:

Bites are usually rather mild, resulting in a sharp, painful sting that is sometimes accompanied by swelling, usually subsiding after a few hours...In rarer cases, bites cause minor skin necrosis, dizziness, nausea and headaches. In only a few cases, bites have caused muscle tissue damage, kidney failure and heart attack. Consider centipede bites to be similar to bee stings: usually mild, but occasionally resulting in acute reactions.

You can find these little monsters in Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, New Mexico, northern Mexico, southern Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana and, of course, Texas.

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