Typical House Centipedes
ExploreInsects
Typical House Centipedes
scutigeridae
Typical House Centipedes are fast little creatures that scurry around your home! They have long legs and can move quickly to catch their dinner—small bugs!
Habitat: They live in damp areas inside homes, such as basements and bathrooms.
Appearance
The Typical House Centipede has a yellowish-grey body with three dark stripes running down its back. It is characterized by its exceptionally long, delicate, striped legs and even longer antennae, giving it a distinctive, bristly appearance that makes it instantly recognizable from other arthropods.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassChilopodaOrderScutigeromorphaFamilyScutigeridaeGenusScutigera
Category
InsectsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
Be the first to snap!
Interesting facts
A centipede can run so fast, it looks like a blur zipping across the floor!
Despite their scary appearance, their bite is usually harmless to humans, just like a bee sting!
House centipedes actually help keep your home clean by eating bothersome insects like cockroaches!
They have many leg pairs, but always an *odd* number of pairs, never an even amount!
Special abilities
Ability
Lightning Legs
Typical House Centipedes can run incredibly fast and change direction instantly because of their numerous, flexible legs, helping them catch agile prey.
Ability
Venomous Vangs
Typical House Centipedes have small, potent venom glands in their front legs that help them quickly subdue larger insect prey.
Ability
Escape Artist
Typical House Centipedes can shed a leg when caught by a predator, which then twitches to distract the threat, allowing them to escape.
Ability
Night Vision Antennae
Typical House Centipedes use their extremely long, sensitive antennae to 'feel' their surroundings and pinpoint prey in complete darkness.
Measurements & details
- Size
- 25-35 mm
- Lifespan
- 1095-2555 days
- Leg Count
- 30
Diet & Feeding
These quick hunters eat other small bugs, keeping your home pest-free!
Primary Foods
- spiders
- cockroaches
- silverfish
- termites
- ants
Foraging Method
- Pursuit
Ecological connections
hunts
German Cockroach
Blattella germanica
A common household pest they actively pursue.
hunts
Silverfish
Ctenolepisma longicaudatum
They actively hunt these paper-eating insects.
hunts
Barn Funnel Weaver
Tegenaria domestica
Preys on many common house spiders.
Traits
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
Decomposer
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Carnivorous
This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
Also known as
hundred-legged worm
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Centipedes can bite if threatened, but they are not dangerous to humans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is Typical House Centipedes?
25-35 mm
How long does Typical House Centipedes live?
1095-2555 days
What does Typical House Centipedes eat?
These quick hunters eat other small bugs, keeping your home pest-free!
Where is Typical House Centipedes usually found?
They live in damp areas inside homes, such as basements and bathrooms.
How does Typical House Centipedes hunt?
Pursuit
How many legs does Typical House Centipedes have?
30
Snap Map
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
Loading map…
Recent Snaps
Recent snaps will appear here as new observations are added.
.jpg&width=800)
_(7437712788).jpg&width=800)