I don't know what this guy is but he is a full 18 inches long.

It's a Stick Insect, Phasmatodea > http://web.ukonline.co.uk/mark.provan/

Wiki

Appears they make good pets.

H3ll by looking at the picture and if you didn't tell me something was there (as well as Tywais' identification) I would have just thought your hand was next to a branch on the tree that was dead (i.e. the brown coloring). Looking closer I can kind of make out the head and then the feet are obvious when looking for them.

never seen one that big,is it normal or is it a freak?

I'd say it was freakin' abnormal. Never seen one that big, if they get any bigger we'll has to reclassify them as log insects.

btw probably a sign of global warming.

Never seen one that big

and i bet he doesnt take any stick from anybody either.

H3ll by looking at the picture and if you didn't tell me something was there (as well as Tywais' identification) I would have just thought your hand was next to a branch on the tree that was dead (i.e. the brown coloring). Looking closer I can kind of make out the head and then the feet are obvious when looking for them.

Actually me too. Thought he posted the wrong picture.

I believe it is from the same family tree as the Mantis. <groaner>

Crikey, I have kept stick insects but they were never that big.

It looks more like a Borneo native :

Phobaeticus kirbyi

Maybe he escaped or got lost?

Importing it into Photoshop and scaling your hand (against the length of mine and compensating for the slight cusp in your hand) and then the insect I come out to about 11.9" which fits the size statistics a little better.

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Nobody has described the taste yet ! Surely the locals eat them in the north, in fact if they come this big it's probably worth farming them, though round up time for branding & dipping may prove difficult .

Wow, it's a beautiful big bug!!

Gary, take good care of it, it's your friend in the garden!

A little bigger picture. I hope the turkeys don't see him.

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Nobody has described the taste yet ! Surely the locals eat them in the north, in fact if they come this big it's probably worth farming them, though round up time for branding & dipping may prove difficult .

Tastes like wood.

A little bigger picture. I hope the turkeys don't see him.

There is more of him in this pic, didn't expect that. Remarkable creature and thanks for the photos.

What baby-soft hands you have Gary! Have you been secretly dipping into the wife's moisturiser? (that's not a dirty euphemsim btw)

What baby-soft hands you have Gary! Have you been secretly dipping into the wife's moisturiser? (that's not a dirty euphemsim btw)

Just one of the benefits of being retired.

evolution is an amazing thing!

A little bigger picture. I hope the turkeys don't see him.

There is more of him in this pic, didn't expect that. Remarkable creature and thanks for the photos.

Hi

Wots his/her name? maybe have a competition for some suggestions? might I suggest Somchai!

TBWG

A little bigger picture. I hope the turkeys don't see him.

Hi Gary,

Great picture thanks for sharing.

On a similar note a couple of days ago we got a call from my wifes sister early in the morning and she said that she was in hospital suffering from a snake bite. She was walking home from her mothers house carrying her young son and she decided to take a short cut rather than stick to the main road. She felt a very sharp pain in her left leg just above the ankle. The creature then disappeared leaving her with a nasty painful bite.She rushed home and her husband drove her to the nearest hospital in Si Sa Ket. By this time her leg was really swollen and very painful, she was in agony (her words). The doctor examined the two small holes in her leg and declared that it looked like but was not a snake bite. As it turned out with a more thorough examination it was a centepide that was the culprit! Apparently these things are as thick as your finger and can grow to around 9 inches.

It took a couple of days for the swelling to go down and she is fine now. There are some scary things out there.

Anyone have more info on these centepides?

Cheers, Rick

Anyone have more info on these centepides?

Jil in Pattaya

Note the link in that article to a Thaivisa topic.

Anyone have more info on these centepides?

Jil in Pattaya

Note the link in that article to a Thaivisa topic.

Thanks for the info Tywais. Its all interesting stuff and i will certainly treat centepides with respect if i ever come in contact with one.

Cheers, Rick

Here's a pic of one my wife killed at our house here in CM about a week or so ago. It was found about 3 feet from our front door. I have heard about these but never seen one alive and still haven't since she killed it and left it for my viewing until I came home.

NOTE: This one was left in the sun for a day before I took this photo.

NOTE to self: Thoroughly check around the house before letting the little one play outside.

NOTE to self: Thoroughly check around the house before letting the little one play outside.

Good point dingdongrb. I have many millipedes around the outside but after posting pics here and checking with some Thais found it was harmless. Still hate seeing the buggers though. However they all say the same thing when it comes to centipedes, dangerous.

she was in agony (her words)

Something like, "I jeb mahk mark"?

Well, i for one would not like to be pottering around in the garden and have one of those land on my head. To then brush it off thinking it was a stick and it slinks off accross the lawn...