Super sprinters

Centipedes move so fast that you almost don’t manage to see what is happening before they disappear again. As soon as you lift a stone from the ground, or a piece of bark, out runs a centipede and disappears into the grass like a small, brown flash of lightning. Centipedes look like millipedes – they are long and wormlike and have many legs – but they have only one set of legs in each segment of their bodies, not two like millipedes. Some centipedes are broad and flat and have large, black pincers – called forcipules – used to inject venom into their prey. Others look like long, yellow sewing threads with legs. But they are all voracious predators.

If you want a closer look at a centipede, e.g., with a magnifying glass, it’s a good idea to put it in a small tray or a bowl. The larger species can actually bite hard enough for humans to feel it – but it is just a small prick.