Hawaiian nastie

One of the many nice things about Hawaii is that, compared to most places, there are few dangerous creatures, especially terrestrially speaking. No snakes, highly venomous spiders, or scorpions; no grizzly bears, mountain lions, or crocodiles. Sharks attack a few people every year, but by far the most common injury in Hawaii is...sunburn! However, there is one critter you do have to watch out for in Hawaii, and here it is...the centipede! This is a red centipede; one of my friends found it behind the toilet in the bathroom at the Princeville condo one morning. Though not deadly, a bite from this creature is very painful, and in a worst case scenario could require a hospital visit. Here we've swept it into a wastebasket preparatory to jettisoning it off the lanai. While not extremely rare, it should be pointed out that this is the first one I've ever seen in Hawaii, and when you add up all my visits I've spent the better part of a year in the state.