Discovered 6 species of dragon centipedes in China

Scientists from the South China Agricultural University, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (Germany) have discovered six new dragon centipedes in a very deep cave in Guangdong and Guangxi (China). These findings are published in the scientific journal ZooKeys.

According to studies, dragon centipedes belong to a genus of Desmoxytes , which is extremely developed in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Myanmar and parts of the Mekong Delta. This species has many legs, shaped like a fishbone with thorns protruding and particularly fond of darkness.

A newly discovered dragon centipede in China.(Photo: Pensoft).

"The dragon centipede looks like a dragon in the myths of many Asian countries. They are equipped with hydrogen cyanide deadly poison to ward off enemies and defend themselves," the scientists said.

Because the natural habitat of dragons is light caves that lack light, they have very little pigmentation. Dragon centipedes are usually opalescent or almost transparent. Their legs and antennae are unusually long, so scientists have placed them in a new species group, completely separate from other multi-legged animals. Of the six newly discovered species, four species live only in caves.

This discovery is considered to complement the 2007 discovery of a new species of Desmoxytes multi-legged animal. This is a discovery that has been arousing because they have a dragon-like appearance in folk tales and especially possess pink skin.

Through this discovery, the researchers confirmed that the caves in Guangdong and Guangxi are also the refuge of many other animals that have not been discovered by humans.