Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 48

MILLIPEDE, TEXAS STRIPED (sp. Orthoporus ornatus) Here in Rockport Texas, we have the longest Millipede in the U.S. - up to 10 inches long! Yep, we got ‘em! It’s primary defense is similar to that of the Pill Bug’s: curl up and hope the predator goes away, but it also has its ‘smelly weapon’, by excreting an ill-smelling, yellowish fluid through openings along the sides its body that’s toxic enough to even kill some insects by prolonged exposure to it. LORE: Do they really have a thousand legs? No - even our Giant Rockport Millipede only has around 400 legs. SCORPION (STRIPED BARK) (sp. Centruroides vittatus) The Striped Bark Scorpion may not be the only Scorpion in our area, but it’s certainly the most common. LORE: Their sting is painful, and though it is not normally considered life threatening, there have been some rare fatalities associated with this species, where the victims went into Anaphylactic Shock. 47