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  • 2021-07-04 (xsd:date)
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  • Is This Giant Jungle Centipede Real? (en)
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  • A photograph supposedly showing an American soldier holding a giant jungle centipede in Vietnam is frequently circulated on social media: The picture is real, but the centipede isn't as large as it appears. This is an example of forced perspective, a type of optical illusion that makes objects appear larger or smaller due to their proximity to the camera and the other objects in frame. Here's how the photography website Shotkit explains this technique: This technique, deceptively putting a smaller object in the foreground to make it appear larger next to objects in the background, appears to be in play in this giant jungle centipede picture. The above-displayed photograph was originally posted in November 2013 to the r/Pics section of Reddit. The poster, mayorofcheeseville, said it was the poster's father and the centipede was only about 10 inches long. So why does it look so big in the photo? Apparently the insect was being held closer to the camera via a fishing string: We don't know the exact species of centipede shown in this photograph, but it likely shows the Vietnam Giant Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes), which can grow to about 8 inches in length. The largest centipede in the world is the Peruvian giant yellow-leg centipede (Scolopendra gigantea), which can grow to 10 inches in length but that species is generally found in South America. Here's a more accurate depiction of a giant centipede: We've covered a number of forced-perspective photographs in the past that supposedly showed abnormally large frogs, squirrels, rats, turtles, crocodiles, and even an image of a seemingly giant-sized U.S. President Joe Biden. (en)
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