Why centipedes have so many legs

That includes each other. The really large centipedes may feed on small mammals such as mice, and occasionally on small birds or reptiles. Centipedes are primarily nocturnal and wander at night in search of food. A captured prey is paralyzed by venom before it is devoured. The fear many people have toward centipedes is generally unwarranted.

First, centipedes are beneficial and their role as predators should be appreciated. Second, centipedes are shy and will use their agile, fast running abilities to retreat from people when possible. Biting may occur when a centipede is stepped on, picked up or otherwise restrained and threatened. Small centipedes, such as the house centipede, are not likely to penetrate the skin on those rare occasions when they stop long enough to try to bite.

Large tropical centipedes, on the other hand, can bite and cause pain and discomfort but serious complications or death are very rare. If you have more centipedes in your house than you can stand remember they are beneficial try to dry up and clean, as much as possible, the areas that serve as habitat and food source for centipedes.

Though we see house centipedes on the bathroom or bedroom wall or accidentally trapped in the bathtub, sink or lavatory, they spend most of their time hiding in the damp portions of basements, closets, bathrooms, unexcavated areas under the house and beneath the bark of firewood stored indoors.

Insecticide sprays can be applied to suspected hiding places in the house, but their effect is very limited. Better to live and let live. These behaviors hint at the general lifestyles of centipedes and millipedes. Most centipedes are swift predators that typically eat smaller arthropods.

Millipedes, on the other hand, eat decaying plant matter. Rather than scrambling away from predators, millipedes secrete irritating or poisonous chemicals to deter creatures that want to eat them.

Leg position can also help with identification. Centipedes' legs typically spread away from the body , while millipedes' legs point down to the ground. Many other distinguishing features separate these two groups of invertebrates, but those traits are difficult to see without getting a closer look, Hennen said. Millipedes belong to the class diplopoda, which in Latin means "double foot. In contrast, centipedes have only one pair of legs per segment. Centipedes belong to the class chilopoda, which means "lip foot.

Both centipedes and millipedes are found on every continent except Antarctica. They live exclusively on land, although at least one species of giant centipede has been known to swim. Centipedes are found in all sorts of terrestrial habitats, even caves deep underground , but they are especially noticeable in extremely dry environments; deserts are home to some of the largest centipedes.

Millipedes, however, prefer moist soil and leaf litter in deciduous forests, although a few species are found in grasslands or deserts. The additional body segments and legs come with each succeeding molt. Call Residential Commercial. Resources Dig Deeper on Centipedes. There are bugs in my bathroom sink with many legs. Centipede Eggs. Centipedes in the Bathroom.

Centipedes' Reproductive Cycle. What Do Centipedes Eat? What Attracts Centipedes Indoors? Are House Centipedes Dangerous? How do I control house centipedes? Q I have centipedes in my house.