Centipede

Centipede facts at a glance

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Body and legs

A centipede has a long, flattened body divided into many segments, each bearing a single pair of legs, which is what sets it apart from the millipede with its two pairs per segment. Despite the name, which means hundred-footed, the number of leg pairs varies widely between species and is always odd. The many legs are set out along the sides so they do not tangle during a quick escape or chase. Body length ranges enormously, from tiny species just a few millimetres long to tropical giants exceeding 30 cm (12 in).

Venom and hunting

Centipedes are active carnivores, hunting insects, spiders, worms, and, in the largest species, small vertebrates such as lizards. Just behind the head sits a pair of modified front legs called forcipules, curved fang-like claws that inject venom to subdue prey. They seize a victim, pin it with their legs, and deliver a venomous bite that quickly overwhelms it. Their swift movement and quick strike make them formidable ambush and pursuit predators in the leaf litter.

Speed and movement

The centipede is built for speed and runs rapidly on its many legs, coordinating them in smooth waves so it can dart across the ground to catch prey or flee danger. Its low, flattened shape lets it slip through narrow cracks in soil, bark, and stone. Long rear legs and sensitive antennae help it feel its way and react instantly in the dark. This combination of quickness and agility is central to how it both hunts and avoids being eaten.

Where centipedes live

Centipedes are found almost worldwide, thriving in soil, leaf litter, rotting wood, and other damp, sheltered places. Because they lose water easily through their bodies, they need moisture and generally hide by day, coming out at night to hunt. Some species enter houses in search of prey and humidity, most famously the house centipede that patrols bathrooms and basements. From tropical forests to temperate gardens, damp cover is the common thread in their habitats.

Life cycle and lifespan

Depending on the species, centipedes live anywhere from about one to six years, which is long-lived for such small invertebrates. In many species the female guards her eggs and newly hatched young, curling protectively around them until they can fend for themselves. The young hatch resembling small adults and add segments and legs as they grow and moult. This slow maturation and parental care are unusual among the small predators of the leaf litter.

Centipedes and people

A centipede bite can be painful to humans, and large tropical species deliver enough venom to cause significant local pain and swelling, though bites are very rarely dangerous to healthy people. In gardens and homes they are broadly beneficial, preying on cockroaches, flies, and other pests. Most of the roughly 8,000 known species are harmless to us and are assessed as Least Concern. Leaving them undisturbed usually means free pest control.

Did you know? Centipede facts

• Centipedes are fast, flattened arthropods in the class Chilopoda, with long bodies divided into segments that each bear a single pair of legs.
• Not exactly. The number of legs varies by species, from around 30 to more than 350, and is always an odd number of pairs. The name simply means many legs rather than precisely 100.
• Yes. Centipedes inject venom through a pair of modified front legs to subdue prey. A bite from a large species can be painful to humans, but most are not dangerous and prefer to flee.
• Centipedes are carnivores that hunt insects, spiders, and worms, and large tropical species may take small vertebrates like lizards. They catch prey with their legs and subdue it with venom.
• Centipedes have one pair of legs per body segment, are fast, flattened predators, and are venomous. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment, are slow, rounded plant eaters, and are harmless.
• Conservation: Least Concern (IUCN, most species).

Diet & feeding

Centipede feeds primarily as a carnivore (insects, spiders, small animals). Centipedes are active predators with a pair of modified front legs called forcipules that work like fangs to inject venom. They hunt insects, spiders, worms, and, in large tropical species, even small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs. Fast

Adaptations

• A centipede has a long, flattened body divided into many segments, each carrying one pair of legs, though the name 'hundred legs' is only approximate. Depending on the species, the leg count ranges from around 30 to over 350. The flattened shape lets centipedes squeeze through narrow cracks in soil, bark, and leaf litter as they hunt.
• Centipedes are active predators with a pair of modified front legs called forcipules that work like fangs to inject venom. They hunt insects, spiders, worms, and, in large tropical species, even small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs. Fast and agile, they seize prey with their legs and quickly subdue it with venom.

Behaviour & ecology

• A centipede has a long, flattened body divided into many segments, each carrying one pair of legs, though the name 'hundred legs' is only approximate. Depending on the species, the leg count ranges from around 30 to over 350. The flattened shape lets centipedes squeeze through narrow cracks in soil, bark, and leaf litter as they hunt.
• Centipedes are active predators with a pair of modified front legs called forcipules that work like fangs to inject venom. They hunt insects, spiders, worms, and, in large tropical species, even small vertebrates such as lizards and frogs. Fast and agile, they seize prey with their legs and quickly subdue it with venom.
• Centipedes live in soil, leaf litter, rotting logs, and other damp, sheltered places on every continent except Antarctica. Because they lose water easily, they are mostly nocturnal and hide during the day to avoid drying out. They are generally shy and flee from light, fleeing rapidly when their cover is disturbed.

Communication

• Centipede uses scent, posture, and vocal signals to mark territory and coordinate social behaviour.
• Communication intensity often peaks during breeding seasons and territorial disputes.

Habitat & range

Soil, leaf litter, and damp places worldwide

Ecological role

Centipede acts as a predator that helps regulate prey populations and maintain balance in soil, leaf litter, and damp places worldwide.

Conservation status of the Centipede

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Centipede:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Chilopoda.

• IUCN Red List — Chilopoda.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Wikipedia — Centipede.

  General taxonomy and overview (cross-check primary sources).

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.