Grisly video captures centipede kills mice in few minutes using its venom

That a quick killer!

A grisly video taken from a lab shows a centipede quickly killed a mouse by its venom.

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Video screencap

The footage was captured in China by researchers led by Kunming Institute of Zoology. They tried to find out the toxin in centipede's venom that ruins the cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous systems of other creatures.

According to scientists, centipedes' venom can make its prey paralysing within 30 seconds. It is believed the venom reduces the mouse's respiratory rate and triggers brain seizures.

They found a substance called "Ssm Spooky Toxin" produced by centipedes Golden Head Centipedes and Chinese red-headed centipede.

Dr Lei Luo from Kunming Institute of Zoology, who deployed the study and published it in PNAS, says that "centipedes' venom has evolved to simultaneously disrupt cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems".