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A centipede is not an insect. It is a
Chilopoda.
My Home:
I prefer dark, damp environments and you will find me under leaves,
bark, and logs or in your basement. I am most active at night unless I
am disturbed in my hiding places.
What I
eat: I use my venomous jaws to
catch and eat other insects, stunning or killing my prey with the
poison.
What I
look like: I am flat, reddish
brown in color and usually around 1 inch in length. My first pair of
legs are modified venomous jaws that I use to catch other insects. If
you pick me up, I may bite. I have a single pair of legs on every
segment of my body.
How I am
born: I go through 2 stages of
development: egg and small adult. My egg is laid in the soil during the
warm summer months and the females care for my egg until I hatch. Adult
centipedes will protect my egg nests. When I hatch I look just like a
small adult. To grow I shed my skin which is called molting, adding a
pair of legs each time I molt. I can live up to five years.
Fun
Facts:
The name centipede means ‘hundred legs’. In the tropical regions, some
centipedes can get up to a foot long. |
