How a Centipede Survives its Own Species’ Venom

The same toxin targets different receptors in prey and conspecifics to deliver either a lethal or non-lethal blow.

Written byShawna Williams

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ABOVE: The front set of legs of centipedes such as Scolopendra subspinipes have evolved into venom-injecting pincers..
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The paper
S. Yang et al., “Target switch of centipede toxins for antagonistic switch,” Sci Adv, 6:eabb5734, 2020.

While it’s handy to be able to neutralize prey or would-be predators with a bite or sting, being a venomous animal can be dangerous. Usually critters avoid the effects of their own venom “by keeping it in glands where it doesn’t go into the bloodstream and doesn’t affect them,” explains evolutionary biologist Kevin Arbuckle of Swansea University in the UK. But because accidents happen, it’s also advantageous to be able to survive exposure to one’s own toxic concoction—often by lacking the receptors the venom’s components bind to.

The centipede Scolopendra subspinipes both kills prey with its venom and uses it to temporarily stun conspecifics during fights for dominance. Ren Lai of the ...

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
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Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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