Predatory arthropods with one pair of legs per body segment. All are venomous: the first pair of legs is modified into venom-injecting pincers called forcipules. Many avoid sunlight by hiding or being active at night. Females care for their eggs, often curling around them.
Quick answers
What is it?Myriapod
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful stings.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
It avoids sunlight, hiding under cover or coming out at night.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Large centipedes are eaten in China, grilled on skewers or deep fried.
At a glance
Found inWorldwide
ColoursBrown, Orange, Red
SizeTiny
LengthA few millimetres to about 30 cm
Legs30
Covered inExoskeleton
Lives alone
Lives for1–6 years
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Worldwide.
- What it eats
- Mostly generalist carnivores, hunting a wide range of prey.
Did you know
Never actually has 100 legs: the count is always an odd number of pairs.
The last pair of legs is not used for walking; some species use them to grab prey or rivals, or hang from branches.
Many species have no eyes.
Often confused with
On these lists
Sources
Last reviewed
Play
Could you have guessed it?
A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
