What A Creepy Looking Creature...

image credit melvynyeo via devianart

I have no doubt that almost all of you have encountered a centipede at least once in your life as these creepy looking creatures have a tendency to appear when you least expect them… Perhaps you have seen one in your room at night on the wall quickly rushing away behind your bed, or maybe on a camping trip when you moved a log, rock, etc. and found one or two centipedes moving about beneath it... Creepy, isn’t it?

Centipedes are another member of the Myriapods, along with millipedes and several other types of long-bodied creatures. The name centipede means “a hundred feet”, but most of them have only round about 40 legs. Unlike millipedes, centipedes have just one pair of legs on each of their body segments.

 Another difference from plant eating millipedes is that the centipedes are fierce killers. The fiercest killers of all are also the largest centipedes, they are known as the Scolopendra, and can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. Oh my, can you imagine a centipede that is as long as your school ruler!!! These giants can be hazardous to humans because of their bite, though this is quite rare as they usually try to avoid contact with humans. Nevertheless, their bite can be very painful and may cause swelling, fever, chills, and weakness. Their venom is strong enough to make a child seriously ill as well as those with allergies to bee stings. Smaller centipedes usually do not puncture human skin.

Did you know?
Centipedes kill their prey by pumping poison through their fangs. Well, we call them fangs, but these fangs are not teeth. They are not even located in the mouth or on the head! Instead, the centipedes fangs are situated on the first body segment (see above image).