Creepy Crawly

Centipede

Centipedes of all kinds are pretty creepy, and they are certainly not the
most pleasant pests to have around. As creepy as they are, though,
they’re in fact quite interesting! July is the time of year when they start
popping up around homes and businesses.I put together a list of 10 cool
facts about centipedes. Read on to find out how remarkable centipedes
really are!

10 facts about centipedes….

1) Centipedes are diverse - There are an estimated 8,000
species of centipedes
2)  The centipede’s name is misleading - The word
“centipede” is Latin for “hundred legs,” but that name is actually quite
misleading, they always have an odd number of body segments, which
means they can never have exactly 100 legs.
3) Centipedes can regrow legs - Centipedes molt as they
grow. They naturally develop more pairs of legs each time they molt, so
the older they get the more pairs of legs they have.
4) Centipedes are not as waxy as they look - Centipedes
are arthropods, and most arthropods have a waxy coating to hold in
moisture. Well, centipedes aren’t most arthropods! Despite how shiny
they look, centipedes don’t have a waxy coating
5) Not all centipedes live outside - House centipedes are
aptly named, as they are the most common species of centipedes
encountered in homes and businesses, they are able to complete their
entire lifecycle, from egg to old age, indoors!
6) Centipedes are ancient - In fact, centipedes are one of the
oldest animal groups in the world. Fossils of centipedes have been
found that are more than 400 million years old! 
7) Centipedes are speedy - Centipedes rely on speed for
catching prey and escaping predators. Thanks to their multitude of legs,
segmented bodies, and lack of a waxy coating, centipedes can move
extremely quickly. 
8) Centipedes can bite - Centipedes’ first set of legs are not
actually used for walking- they have plenty of other legs for that.
Instead, their front-most pair of legs are modified to act as pincer-like
appendages. These modified legs, called forcipules, are venomous.
Luckily, centipedes don’t tend to bite humans.
9) Centipedes are predators - Because of their incredible
speed and venomous forcipules, centipedes are expert hunters. Smaller
species mainly eat insects, worms, spiders, and mollusks. Larger
species tend to feast on frogs, bats, and small birds. Some centipedes
will even eat other centipedes! 
10) Centipedes are good mothers - Surprisingly, though,
some species are actually very protective of their offspring. Females of
said species will wrap themselves around their eggs to protect them
from predators until they hatch. These mothers will also clean the eggs
to prevent them from growing fungi, and some mothers will stay with
their babies until the youngsters are ready to go off on their own.

By,

Yahya Huzaifa Memon

5A