---
title: "Chinese Red-headed Centipede"
description: "Scolopendra mutilans — Autres animaux. The Chinese red-headed centipede, also known as the Chinese red head, (Scolopendra mutilans) is a centipede from East Asia (type locality: Japan)."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/fr/animal/chinese-red-headed-centipede
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Chinese Red-headed Centipede

> Scolopendra mutilans — Autres animaux. The Chinese red-headed centipede, also known as the Chinese red head, (Scolopendra mutilans) is a centipede from East Asia (type locality: Japan).

- Scientific name: *Scolopendra mutilans*
- Category: `other` (Autres animaux)
- Habitats: unknown
- iNaturalist observations: 3561
- iNaturalist taxon: [973169](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/973169)

## Names

- en: Chinese Red-headed Centipede

## Countries with the most observations

JP (780), CN (620), KR (404), TW (357)

## Summary

The Chinese red-headed centipede, also known as the Chinese red head, (Scolopendra mutilans) is a centipede from East Asia (type locality: Japan). It averages 20 cm (8 in) in length and lives in damp environments.

In ancient Chinese traditions, this centipede is used for its healing properties. Putting a Chinese red head on a rash or other skin-disease is said to speed up the healing process. The roasted dry centipede is pulverized and used in Korea for the treatment of back pain, furuncles, and sores.
S. mutilans is known for harbouring little aggression to other centipedes, a trait very rare amongst giant centipedes…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_red-headed_centipede

## Photo

![Chinese Red-headed Centipede](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/chinese-red-headed-centipede/medium.jpg)

Photo: Hanwen · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/292775349

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/chinese-red-headed-centipede?lang=fr` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).