The Amazon River and its surrounding rainforest are home to some of the most diverse lifeforms on Earth.
As one of the longest rivers in the world, the Amazon offers a rich habitat for a wide range of creatures.
Some are exquisitely beautiful, while others are undeniably creepy.
THE CORPSE FLOWER
This rare plant usually takes about seven years to produce its first bloom and is about to bloom in the Seattle Spheres.
Something peculiar recently took up residence in The Spheres. An Amorphophallus titanium, better known as a corpse flower, is in the beginning phase of bloom.
The corpse flower usually takes about seven years to produce its first bloom, which only remains open for about 48 hours.
It doesn’t have a single flower, but rather a series of small flowers that are exposed when the plant blossoms.
It is the largest unbranched flowering structure in the world and can reach a height of more than nine feet.
While blooming the corpse flower possesses an odor of rotting flesh, which gives the plant its popular nickname.
During this time, it also heats to 98 degrees to help the stench travel farther and attract pollinators. The corpse flower is native to Sumatra, Indonesia, and is pollinated by flies and carrion beetles.
When not blooming, the corpse flower produces a single leaf that can extend to 15 feet in height and resembles a small tree.
Amazonian Giant Centipede
While we’re at it, let’s stick to slimy, wiggly worm-like critters. Why is it that everything in the shape of a snake wants us dead? If it’s not snakes themselves, it’s caterpillars and centipedes.
Can’t we all just get along? The Amazonian giant centipede is an aggressive, grumpy, and unfriendly insect that’s both giant and venomous.
It grows up to 12 inches long and has a pair of legs on each of the 21-23 sections of its body that would put Elle Macpherson’s legs to shame. That’s a lot of legs.
But don’t get too caught up in counting legs, for you’ll need to use your own to run away from them! The Amazonian giant centipede may not have the best eyesight, but they sure know how to eat.
They devour birds, snakes, bats, tarantulas, frogs, and lizards, and they will slice and dice their victims until they’re in bite-sized pieces.
It’s an open-concept kitchen! If that’s not bad enough, then the venom they release is. It’s so toxic it can kill small animals and can affect humans too.
Anyone who’s been bitten by an Amazonian giant centipede can find themselves with fatigue, a chill, fever, pain, and swelling.
While death is unlikely, it’s still not a comfortable experience. If you see an Amazonian giant centipede on your travels through South America, run.
They’re much slower than the Japanese Giant Hornet, so I would say the odds of you getting away are good.
