Huge Centipedes Eat Birds and Are Outstandingly Important in Nature

Huge Centipedes Eat Birds and Are Outstandingly Important in Nature
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There is still a lot of information to assimilate about our environment! It may be frustrating for many of us since we realize how little we actually know about our planet. But come to think of it, the need for knowledge is precisely what keeps us going forward in life!

The Conversation raises awareness about the Phillip Island centipede, which is also known as Cormocephalus coynei. The population this creature belongs to is capable of eating up to 3,700 seabird chicks every year.

Using venom for immobilizing the prey

A centipede can grow to a maximum of 30.5cm in length, and it uses a strong venom for immobilizing the prey. Large predatory arthropods play an important role when it comes to the food webs of ecosystems from islands. The Phillip Island centipede is also capable of achieving it due to its diet.

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The centipede will hunt down a variety of other creatures. Seabird chicks, skinks, crickets, geckos, and fish are all on the menu.

As it looks for what to devour next, a centipede uses its two antennae to navigate and find the right path.
The researchers involved in the new study calculated that the Phillip Island centipede population is able to eat between 2,109 and 3,724 petrel chicks every year. As for the black-winged petrels, they appear to be resilient to such a level of predation.

The black-winged petrel, which is also known as Pterodroma nigripennis, is a seabird species from the family of Procellariidae.


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Even since he was a child, Cristian was staring curiously at the stars, wondering about the Universe and our place in it. Today he's seeing his dream come true by writing about the latest news in astronomy. Cristian is also glad to be covering health and other science topics, having significant experience in writing about such fields.

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