Centipede: The many-legged hunter of the dark

The centipede is an animal that makes many people shiver, but to nature it is a hardworking "night-shift cleaner". It comes out at night and hunts with a pair of venomous forcipules. Let's meet this many-legged hunter of the dark, and learn to tell it apart from its relative.

Its body

A centipede's body is long and flattened, divided into segments, with one pair of legs on each. Despite the name "hundred feet", most centipedes have only a few dozen legs — one pair per segment, which is the key difference from a millipede, which has two pairs per segment. Near its head there is a pair of curved, pincer-like "forcipules" that can subdue insects and spiders. It relies on sensitive antennae and quick crawling to track prey in the dark.

Where it lives and why it matters

Centipedes love damp places and often hide in leaf litter, under stones or beneath bark. They are carnivorous, feeding on insects, spiders and other small animals, making them important "recyclers" and "controllers" in the forest. Though they carry venom in their forcipules, they are usually no threat to people — only biting in self-defence when grabbed or provoked.

A note for grown-ups

If a child is frightened of centipedes, try another angle: they are actually quite shy, hiding under stones by day and only coming out at night to quietly help "tidy" the forest. Encouraging a child to observe rather than grab is the way to build a safe and curious attitude toward nature.