CentipedesBy James Williamson and Craig Kendall

The centipede most often seen in the UK is the Brown Centipede. It grows up to 3cm long and has 15 pairs of legs.

http://www.wileywiggins.com/centipede.jpg

http://www.uky.edu/Ag/CritterFiles/casefile/relatives/centipedes/housecent.jpg

http://www.ccscusa.org/zoobook/images/cen.jpg

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Centipede’s head

This is a close up head of a centipede.

Centipedes and millipedes are distant relatives of lobsters, crayfish and shrimp.

Centipedes and millipedes

Most centipedes probably only live for a year or two at most.

How long do centipedes livefor?

Centipedes are active hunters. They roam around looking for small animals to bite and eat. They eat insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates. If the centipede is large enough it will even attack small vertebrates like lizards.

What do centipedes eat?

Most centipedes need to live in moist places, but a few can survive in deserts and dry grasslands.