新奇事件簿 蜈蚣能吃掉体积比自己大15倍的动物（在线收听）

Centipedes are the kind of creatures that are not to be messed with. Their venom packs a serious punch and can cause rapid paralysis and death in insects and small animals. They have even been known to kill people with their highly venomous sting. Scientists have now discovered a deadly toxin in centipede venom that can shut down the hearts of animals that are 15 times bigger than them. The scientists isolated a toxin in the Chinese red-headed centipede. This beast can grow to roughly eight inches in length. The toxin in its venom blocks potassium from moving in and out of cells. This blocking of potassium prevents the brain from sending signals to the heart to beat, thus causing a rapid death.

蜈蚣是那种大家都不想掺和的生物。它们的毒液是危险的一击，能够导致昆虫和小型动物的迅速麻痹和死亡。它们毒刺含剧毒甚至能够致人死亡。科学家们现在已经在蜈蚣毒中发现了一种致命毒素，能够使体积是它们15倍的动物心脏停止跳动。科学家们将中国红头蜈蚣体内的一种毒素分离出来。这种动物能够长到约8英尺长。它们毒液中的毒素阻碍钾在细胞中脱离和进入。对钾的阻挡使大脑无法向心脏发送跳动信号，从而导致迅速死亡。

The venom is rarely fatal for humans, but it can cause agonizing pain and swelling for up to two weeks. The scientists have called it SSM Spooky Toxin. Researcher Shilong Yang, an expert in toxins at China's Kunming Institute of Zoology, explained: "The "centipede's venom has evolved to simultaneously disrupt cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular and nervous systems. This molecular strategy has not been found in other venomous animals." Despite their name (centi is "hundred" in Latin and pedis is "foot"), centipedes do not have 100 legs. They have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 354. Centipedes always have an odd number of pairs of legs. This means no centipede has exactly 100 legs.

这种毒液很少会致人死亡，但却能够引起长达两周的剧痛和肿胀。科学家们将这种毒液称为SSM 幽灵毒素。研究员杨仕隆，中国科学院昆明动物研究所专家，解释道：“蜈蚣的毒素已进化到能够同时中断心血管、呼吸道、肌肉及神经系统。这种分子策略在其他分泌毒液的动物中还未发现。”虽然它们的名字（厘是拉丁语“百”的意思，足是“脚”的意思），但蜈蚣的腿子并不是100只。它们腿子的数量各不相同，从30到354不等。蜈蚣腿子的对数都为奇数。这意味着没有哪只蜈蚣正好有100只腿。