Original subtitles

AND IT CAUSED WELTS

WHERE THE CENTIPEDE HAD WALKED ACROSS HIS SKIN.

HE HAD SWELLING AND FEVER AND WEAKNESS

AND FINALLY SUCCUMBED TO THE BITE.

THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE HIGHLY VENOMOUS.

A HEALTHY ADULT COULD BE KILLED BY A FEW BITES.

I'D NEVER SEEN ONE THAT BIG BEFORE.

IT LOOKED LIKE A SNAKE AT FIRST.

IT WAS A CENTIPEDE.

IT'S PRETTY AMAZING TO THINK OF A 10-FOOT-LONG CENTIPEDE,

BUT THEY DEFINITELY EXISTED.

WHO KNOWS WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE TROPICAL RAINFORESTS?

THERE ARE CREATURES SCIENCE REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE.

BUT NEW TECHNOLOGY MAKES US QUESTION WHAT IS REAL.

BACK AWAY FROM THE GIRL!

ENTER A REALM WHERE FACT MEETS FICTION...

IT'S REAL! I SAW IT!

...SCIENCE MEETS LEGEND.

SHOOT IT!

AAH!

IN 2002,

ENTOMOLOGIST KAREN URCO AND HER HUSBAND, JONAH,

SPENT THE SUMMER DOCUMENTING VARIOUS INSECT LIFE

OFF THE COASTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA.

BUT WHEN THEY FOUND THEMSELVES STRANDED

ON A SEEMINGLY IDYLLIC SHORE,

THEIR RESEARCH TRIP TOOK A TERRIFYING AND DEADLY TURN.

WE'VE ENCOUNTERED SOME ENGINE TROUBLE

WHILE CIRCLING THE ISLAND.

I'VE RADIOED FOR HELP,

BUT I'M NOT REALLY SURE THAT THIS THING IS WORKING.

I'M NOT GETTING AN ANSWER.

SO, MEANWHILE, JONAH'S TRYING TO GET THAT ENGINE GOING AGAIN.

JONAH, YOU OKAY?

WHAT?! HOW'S IT GOING?!

IT'S FINE! IT'S GOOD. IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE.

OKAY.

SHOULD I-- SHOULD I GO EXPLORING FOR A LITTLE BIT?

YES. KNOCK YOURSELF OUT.

JONAH! LISTEN FOR THE RADIO!

OKAY. I LOVE YOU!

I WON'T BE LONG!

ALL RIGHTY. OFF WE GO, THEN.

WHILE JONAH WORKED TO FIX THE BOAT'S ENGINE,

KAREN HEADED FOR THE ISLAND INTERIOR

TO EXPLORE THE LOCAL INSECT POPULATION.

HUH. INDIAN WALKINGSTICK.

NOT NORMALLY FOUND IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

BEAUTIFUL.

FANTASTIC EXAMPLE OF A ROSE HAIR TARANTULA.

THIS PLACE IS A TREASURE TROVE.

WELL, LITERALLY, "CENTIPEDE" MEANS "100 LEGS."

AND ALTHOUGH IT'S KIND OF GROSSLY DESCRIPTIVE,

IT'S INACCURATE.

THEY CAN HAVE ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 173 LEGS.

CENTIPEDES ARE FAIRLY SIMPLE ANIMALS.

THERE'S BASICALLY TWO MAIN SEGMENTS OF THE BODY.

THERE'S THE HEAD, AND THEN THERE'S THE TRUNK.

THE HEAD HAS THE EYES AND THE MOUTH PARTS,

AND THE TRUNK HAS ALL OF THE LEGS.

SO THE TRUNK IS BASICALLY THE LARGEST PART OF THE BODY.

IT HAS A BUNCH OF REPEATED SEGMENTS.

EACH SEGMENT HAS TWO LEGS.

A CENTIPEDE BITES USING TWO FANGS UNDERNEATH ITS HEAD,

AND THESE TWO FANGS ARE ACTUALLY MODIFIED LEGS

THAT HAVE VENOM DUCTS IN THEM.

PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED GETTING BITTEN BY A CENTIPEDE.

ONE GENTLEMAN DESCRIBED IT AS BEING BURNT WITH A LIT CIGAR.

SOMETIMES CENTIPEDE BITES ON HUMANS CAN BE AS PAINFUL

AS A GUNSHOT WOUND OR HAVING YOUR BONE BROKEN.

WHAT IS THIS?

IT'S...CLOTH.

HMM. SOMEONE'S BEEN HERE.

IT'S PRETTY SWAMPY HERE--

GOOD PLACE FOR SOME PARASITES TO BE LIVING.

WHAT'S THIS?

A BOOT?

OH, GROSS.

OH, MY GOD.

Oh, my God.

OH, MY GOD. A VIDEO CAMERA.

IF I CAN JUST GET THIS...

CENTIPEDES HUNT FOR THEIR PREY.

THEY ACTUALLY CAN'T SEE VERY WELL,

SO THEY USE THEIR LEGS AND ANTENNAE

TO KIND OF SCAN THE SUBSTRATE FOR POTENTIAL PREY ITEMS.

AND IF YOU SEE A CENTIPEDE WALKING,

YOU'LL SEE ITS HEAD KIND OF MOVE QUICKLY BACK AND FORTH,

AND THAT'S KIND OF ITS SCANNING MOTION.

WHEN A CENTIPEDE ATTACKS ITS PREY ITEM,

IT'LL GRAB ONTO THE PREY

USING THE ROW OF LEGS JUST BEHIND THE FANGS.

AND THEN IT'LL ACTUALLY PUNCTURE THE PREY ITEM

USING THESE TWO FANGS IN KIND OF A PINCHING MOTION.

AND IT'LL IMMEDIATELY INJECT THE VENOM,

AFTER WHICH THE PREY ITEM

USUALLY DIES PRETTY MUCH IMMEDIATELY.

AND THEN THE CENTIPEDE WILL EAT IT RIGHT AWAY.

GENERALLY, CENTIPEDES, ESPECIALLY HUNTING CENTIPEDES,

CAN BE PRETTY FAST.

THE FASTEST CENTIPEDES ACTUALLY TEND TO HAVE FEWER LEGS.

SO, THE MORE LEGS A CENTIPEDE HAS,

TYPICALLY THE SLOWER IT WILL MOVE.

THE FASTEST OF THE CENTIPEDES HAVE INCREDIBLY LONG LEGS.

THEY'RE ALMOST LIKE LONG WHISKS.

SO, THEY HAVE LONGER LEGS,

SO THEY CAN GET MORE LEVERAGE AND MOVE INCREDIBLY FAST.

BUT THEY CAN STRIKE AND MOVE QUICKLY.

SAY IF YOU DISTURB THE NEST OF A REALLY, TRULY GIANT CENTIPEDE,

SAY ONE THAT ALLEGEDLY ATTAINS THE LENGTH OF 2 OR 3 FEET,

YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING AWAY.

OKAY, COME BACK WITH ME THIS WAY.

I WAS JUST LOOKING THROUGH THE BRUSH,

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

THIS CLOTH WAS HANGING FROM A TREE.

AND THEN I SEE THIS BOOT.

WAIT, HOW OLD?

NOT THAT OLD. THERE WAS A CAMERA ATTACHED TO IT.

COME ON! COME ON! DID YOU CHECK THE CAMERA?

YEAH, YEAH, I TOOK THE CAMERA.

I PUT IT BACK AT BASE.

BUT IT'S JUST NOTHING BUT BONE! HUH.

KEEP UP WITH ME. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS.

HEY, HEY, HONEY. WAIT A SECOND.

I GOT SOME-- I GOT A THORN IN MY SHOE.

WAIT A SEC. I GOT SOMETHING IN MY SHOE.

JUST GIVE ME TWO SECONDS.

AAH! WHAT THE...

OH!

AAH!

KEEP UP WITH ME. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS.

HEY, HEY, HONEY. WAIT A SECOND.

I GOT SOME-- I GOT A THORN IN MY SHOE.

WAIT A SEC. I GOT SOMETHING IN MY SHOE.

JUST GIVE ME TWO SECONDS.

AAH!

OH!

OH, YEAH, IT'S THROBBING. I JUST GOT BIT!

SOME SORT OF A HUGE INSECT.

OH, GOD. OH!

OKAY, OKAY.

I'VE NEVER SEEN AN INSECT WITH A BITE LIKE THAT.

HELP ME.

OKAY, YOU JUST-- IT'S OKAY. JUST-- YOU'RE JUST FINE.

HAVE SOME WATER. JUST DEHYDRATED, PROBABLY.

OKAY, GRAB ME. I GOT YOU.

LET'S GET A CLOSER LOOK AT THAT, HONEY.

NOW, WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU THOUGHT IT WAS, AGAIN?

IT WAS, LIKE, A 3-FOOT CENTIPEDE.

THAT'S-- THAT'S NOT EVEN POSSIBLE.

AAH!

WELL, YOU SURE IT WASN'T A SNAKE OR...

A RODENT OF SOME SORT?

IT WASN'T A SNAKE.

MAN, THAT'S HARD.

OH, MY GOD.

THE CENTIPEDE BITE WILL LEAVE A PATTERN

VERY SIMILAR TO A SPIDER BITE.

BASICALLY THERE'S TWO PUNCTURE WOUNDS, ONE FOR EACH FANG.

THERE'S MANY CASES WHERE A CENTIPEDE

WILL BITE A PERSON THAT'S HANDLING IT

SEVERAL TIMES IN A ROW,

SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET A SERIES OF DOUBLE-PUNCTURE WOUNDS.

THERE ARE SOME RECORDS OF CENTIPEDES

ACTUALLY LEAVING A MARK ON HUMAN SKIN

BECAUSE THE LEGS ACTUALLY HAVE KNIFE-LIKE EXTENSIONS

THAT WILL CREATE ABRASIVE MARKS ON YOUR SKIN.

THEY ALSO HAVE THESE GLANDS CALLED REPUGNATORIAL GLANDS

THAT SECRETE HYDROCYANIC ACID,

AND THAT ACID CAN GET INTO THE WOUNDS

CAUSED BY THE ABRASIONS FROM THE CENTIPEDE'S LEGS.

LOOK AT THE MARKING ON THE WOUNDS.

THAT'S A CENTIPEDE.

IT'S FINE. HEY, IT'S FINE.

LET'S GO CLEAN IT UP.

I'LL GET THE MOTOR FIXED, THEN WE'RE OUT OF HERE.

OKAY? YEAH. OKAY.

JONAH'S NOT DOING SO WELL.

HE'S GOT A BAD FEVER.

WHATEVER BIT HIM MUST HAVE INJECTED SOME SORT OF TOXIN.

OH, GOD.

IT'S GETTING WORSE.

AT LEAST...

OH, MY GOD.

AAH!

OH!

OH, MY GOD.

WHAT THE HELL IS THIS PLACE?

AND THIS CAMERA--

THERE'S GOT TO BE SOMETHING ON HERE.

THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY,

MEN HAVE KILLED ONE ANOTHER IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.

BUT COULD THE CENTIPEDE AND ITS POWERFUL VENOM

BE USED AS A DEADLY WEAPON TO COMMIT MURDER?

THE REVELATION OF THIS TRUE CRIME, WHEN WE RETURN.

IN 2008, A MALAYSIAN MAN,

ANGRY WITH HIS NEIGHBOR AFTER AN INTENSE ARGUMENT,

TRIED TO MURDER HIM

BY UNLEASHING SEVERAL VENOMOUS CENTIPEDES

INTO HIS BED WHILE HE SLEPT.

ALTHOUGH THE ATTEMPTED MURDER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL,

AUTHORITIES CONFIRMED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ATTACK

BY CHARGING THE MAN WITH ASSAULT WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON.

ARTHROPLEURA WERE A PRIMITIVE GROUP

OF CENTIPEDE-LIKE ANIMALS

THAT GREW UP TO 6 TO 10 FEET LONG.

THESE DAYS, IT'S VERY, VERY UNLIKELY

YOU'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING 6 TO 10 FEET LONG.

THE AVERAGE ACCEPTED SIZE WITH THE NORTH AMERICAN CENTIPEDE

IS 7 TO 8 INCHES AS AN ADULT.

AND WE KNOW THAT THAT'S QUITE COMMON.

I ALWAYS FIND THEM IN MY HOUSE.

I WAS LIVING UP IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE OZARKS

AND NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A SNAKE AT FIRST,

AND IT WAS A CENTIPEDE.

AND HE WAS PROBABLY 14, 15 INCHES LONG.

AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THEM AROUND HERE,

AND MOST OF THEM ARE 6, 7, MAYBE 8 INCHES.

I'D NEVER SEEN ONE THAT BIG BEFORE.

SCOLOPENDRA GIGANTEA IS BY FAR THE LARGEST CENTIPEDE ON RECORD.

THERE'S ACTUALLY ONE CASE OF THE SPECIES FROM VENEZUELA

THAT'S 18 INCHES LONG.

AND THERE ARE RECORDS OF THOSE EATING THINGS

LIKE LIZARDS, MICE, AND SMALL BIRDS.

SO, DEFINITELY THE LARGEST CENTIPEDES WILL EAT VERTEBRATES.

THERE'S THIS CASE OF A YOUNG GIRL

BEING KILLED BY A SINGLE BITE FROM A SCOLOPENDRA.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION

TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE 2 OR 3 FEET LONG.

THERE ARE SCIENTISTS OUT COMBING THE WORLD

TO SURVEY BIODIVERSITY.

SO IT'S VERY UNLIKELY TODAY

THAT THERE ARE GIGANTIC CENTIPEDES

THAT WE HAVEN'T DISCOVERED.

BUT YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE DO DISCOVER ANIMALS

THAT WE DIDN'T THINK EXISTED ALL THE TIME.

WHO KNOWS WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE TROPICAL RAINFORESTS?

THAT'S WHAT KIND OF KEEPS US GOING AS ENTOMOLOGISTS--

YOU KNOW, FINDING THESE REALLY KIND OF BIZARRE

OR EXTREME EXAMPLES.

IN ORDER TO TREAT HER HUSBAND'S INFECTED WOUNDS,

KAREN HEADED INTO THE CENTIPEDE-INFESTED JUNGLE,

DESPERATELY SEARCHING FOR THE MEDICAL KIT

SHE SAW ON THE SURVEY TEAM'S TAPE.

WHAT WAS THAT?

OH, GOD, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING OVER THERE.

IT'S GOT TO BE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE.

COME ON, PLEASE, GOD.

IT'S GOT TO BE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE.

OH, THANK GOD.

THIS IS IT.

WHERE'S THAT MEDICAL KIT?

THERE IT IS.

OH, YEAH.

AH, THERE ARE THOSE.

OKAY.

JONAH! JONAH, BABY!

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! GUESS WHAT.

I FOUND THE CAMPSITE.

I FOUND THE CAMPSITE AND THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

I'M GONNA GET YOU BETTER.

I'M GONNA GET YOU BETTER THEN GET US OUT OF HERE.

SEE? LOOK. GOT THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

AAH!

OHH!

I FOUND THE CAMPSITE AND THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

I'M GONNA GET YOU BETTER.

I'M GONNA GET YOU BETTER THEN GET US OUT OF HERE.

SEE? LOOK. GOT THE MEDICAL SUPPLIES.

AAH!

OH, MY GOD! GET UP! WE GOT TO GET TO THE BOAT!

AAH! AAH!

JONAH, WE GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE.

THEY'RE ALL-- THEY'RE ALL AROUND US.

WE NEED TO...GET TO THE BOAT. WE GOT TO GET TO THE BOAT.

OKAY, COME ON.

COME ON, BABY. JUST A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.

THE BOAT'S RIGHT OVER HERE. OKAY?

WE JUST GOT TO GET YOU OVER HERE. OH, GOD!

WE'LL JUST DROP THIS OFF AT THE...

GET THE MACHETE.

COME ON. COME ON.

OH, GOD!

NO!

AAH!

COME ON! COME ON! COME ON, WE GOT TO GET TO THE BOAT!

NO! NO!

EXAMINATION OF THE FOOTAGE SHOWS THAT KAREN AND JONAH

WERE ABLE TO ESCAPE THEIR ISLAND TERROR,

HOWEVER BRIEFLY,

AS EVIDENCED BY THIS FINAL SEGMENT

SHOT ABOARD THEIR DRIFTING SKIFF.

HOW YOU FEELING NOW?

MUCH BETTER, THANKS TO YOU.

I GOT YOU ALL FIXED UP.

YOU SURE DID.

ANYWHERE IS BETTER THAN THERE.

YEAH.

WE'LL HIT LAND BY MORNING.

AND THEN NO MORE NEW SPECIES FOR ME.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, THE BOAT,

CONTAINING TWO DECOMPOSED BODIES,

WASHED UP ON THE FLORIDA COASTLINE.

THE REMAINS WERE COVERED WITH PUNCTURE WOUNDS AND BITE MARKS.

UNIDENTIFIABLE TRACKS IN THE SAND

LED FROM THE BOAT TO NEARBY DENSE FOLIAGE.

THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE ISLAND OF THE GIANT CENTIPEDES

REMAINS A MYSTERY,

BUT THE HORRIFYING IMAGES CAPTURED ON THESE VIDEOTAPES

AND THE FACT THAT THE CREATURES THAT KILLED KAREN AND JONAH URCO

WERE NEVER FOUND

LEAVES US WITH A FRIGHTENING PROPOSITION--

DO THEY LIVE AMONG US?

- Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS