Centipedes
What do you already know about centipedes?
Centipedes are a type of minibeast called myriapods. There are thousands of different species of centipede. These different species live in different places around the world, but especially like warm tropical habitats. The micro habitats they live in are often dark and damp.
Centipedes have an exoskeleton like most other minibeasts to protect their long, thin, flat bodies. Their bodies are made up of lots of sections. Each section has one pair of legs attached to it. The number of legs they have depends on the species. Centipedes can have between fifteen to one hundred and seventy seven pairs of legs. The legs are always in pairs and they always have an odd number. Some centipedes legs are quite little and some can have super long legs.
Centipedes come in different colours, but are often a yellow brown colour. Some are just one colour, while others can have patterns of different colours. Most are around two to three centimetres long, especially in the UK. Some species can grow as long as fifteen centimetres.
They have long antennae which they use for feeling and smelling what is around them.
Did you know...
Centipedes hatch out of an egg. When they are born they are just a much smaller version of an adult centipede. Their bodies have very few sections at the beginning. As the centipede grows and gets bigger they have to shed their hard exoskeleton. Each time this happens they grow another section to their body and another set of legs making them bigger and bigger. Depending on the species centipedes can live for between one and five years.
Centipedes are carnivores. They hide during the day and come out at night to hunt their prey. Centipedes are pretty speedy which helps them to catch their prey. Their first set of legs, nearest the head are not used for walking. Instead these are more like fangs which they use to attack their prey and are also used to inject poisonous venom into their prey once caught, to stop it getting away. Centipedes like to eat other minibeasts such as insects and spiders. They’ll even eat other centipedes!
If a centipede is caught by a predator wanting to eat it, sometimes it can escape. It can do this by detaching some of its legs and run away on the ones it has left! Each time the centipede moults it then grows extra legs to replace the ones it has lost.
What we've learnt...
Centipedes are myriapods not insects.
Centipedes are invertebrates and have an exoskeleton to protect their bodies.
Centipede means one hundred legs. They have lots of legs but don’t actually have one hundred!
Centipedes grow longer every time they shed their exoskeleton. They add a pair of legs every time.
Centipedes are carnivores and hunt prey such as insects and spiders. They even eat other centipedes.
Test your knowledge...
Centipedes Quiz
If you click the correct answer the box will turn green. If its the wrong answer it will turn red and then show you what the correct answer was. Make sure you read/listen to the questions carefully!
#1. Are centipedes…
#2. When do centipedes usually hunt their prey?
#3. Do centipedes have 100 legs?
#4. Can centipedes move fast to catch their prey?
#5. What type of minibeast are centipedes?
Results
I really hope you have enjoyed learning all about centipedes, with me Flash!
Question Time...
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