Centipedes are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda, an arthropod group which includes millipedes and other multi-legged animals. Centipedes are elongated segmented (metameric) creatures with one pair of legs per body segment. All centipedes are venomous and can inflict painful bites, injecting their venom through pincer-like appendages known as forcipules. Despite the name, no centipede has exactly 100 pairs of legs; they can have a varying number of legs, ranging from 30 to 382. Like spiders and scorpions, centipedes are predominantly carnivorous.
The sable antelope is a large antelope which inhabits wooded savanna in East and Southern Africa, from the south of Kenya to South Africa, with a separated population in Angola.
The African firefinch, also called the blue-billed firefinch, is a common species of estrildid finch found in many parts of Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 5,400,000 km2 (2,100,000 sq mi).
Scolopendridae is a family of large centipedes. Nearly all species in this family have four ocelli on each side of the head and only 21 pairs of legs, but there are exceptions: two scolopendrid species feature more legs, and some scolopendrid species are eyeless and blind. Three Asian members of this family, Scolopendra cataracta, Scolopendra paradoxa, and Scolopendra alcyona, are known to show amphibious behaviour. Two other species, Scolopendra hardwickei and Hemiscolopendra marginata, are known to show sexual dimorphism in the composition of their venom.
Scolopendra is a species-rich genus of large tropical centipedes of the family Scolopendridae.
Archispirostreptus gigas, known as the giant African millipede or shongololo, is the largest extant species of millipede, growing up to 33.5 centimetres (13.2 in) in length, 67 millimetres (2.6 in) in circumference. It has approximately 256 legs, although the number of legs changes with each molting so it can vary according to each individual.
Scolopendra morsitans, also known as the Tanzanian blue ringleg or red-headed centipede, is a species of centipede in the family Scolopendridae. S. morsitans is the type species for the genus Scolopendra.
The Geophilidae are a polyphyletic, cosmopolitan family of soil centipedes in the superfamily Geophiloidea containing the mostly defunct clades Aphilodontidae, Dignathodontidae, Linotaeniidae, Chilenophilinae, and Macronicophilidae. Species in this family are characterized by mandibles with a single pectinate lamella, slender antennae, sternal pores with variable arrangement, a generally slightly or moderately elongate head, frequently undivided coxosternite with two paramedian sclerotized lines, claws without rows of filament, and female gonopods usually being an undivided lamina.
Strigamia is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Linotaeniidae. Members of this family can be identified by their anteriorly tapering bodies, the extra claw on the forcipules, scattered coxal pores, and the distinctly swollen ultimate legs of the males. There are at least 50 described species in Strigamia. This genus includes the species S. hoffmani, notable for its small size and for having relatively few legs.
Alipes grandidieri most commonly known as the feather-tail centipede, is a centipede that lives in Eastern Africa. It is 10–15 cm long. It is part of the genus Alipes and the family Scolopendridae.
Ethmostigmus is a genus of centipedes of the family Scolopendridae, containing the following species:
Acanthogeophilus spiniger is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Northwest Africa. The original description of this species is based on a male specimen measuring 27 mm in length with 71 pairs of legs. It was first assigned to the genus Geophilus, but was moved to Acanthogeophilus in 1999 by Foddai and Minelli. Like other species in its genus, it is characterized by incomplete chitin lines, complete coxopleural sutures, stout legs, and a claw-like pretarsus.
Scolopendra angulata is a species of centipede commonly found in Barbados. They are also found in Venezuela and neighbouring countries in South America and the Caribbean such as Ecuador and Colombia.
Scolopendra dehaani, common name Giant Vietnamese centipede, is a large Scolopendrid centipede found across Mainland Southeast Asia. It is also found in India, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Scolopendra japonica, formerly classified as Scolopendra subspinipes japonica, is a species of scolopendrid centipede mostly found in Japan, although specimens have been reported in other parts of Eastern Asia such as China, Taiwan, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. They usually grow between 7.5 and 13 centimetres in length. It is known by the common names Japanese giant centipede and blue-head centipede.
Scolopendra dawydoffi is a species of large Scolopendrid centipede found in Southeast Asia, specifically in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. It has bright reddish-orange and black colouration, and can grow up to and beyond 16 cm in length.
Scolopendra alternans, commonly known as the Haitan giant centipede, Caribbean giant centipede, and Florida Keys centipede, is a species of large centipede in the subfamily Scolopendrinae. The species was involved in widespread news coverage after an incident in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, in which a specimen of the extremely rare rim rock crown snake died of asphyxiation while trying to eat a Scolopendra alternans, which also died.
Pleurostigmomorpha is a subclass of centipedes, containing all the orders except Scutigeromorpha. It contains 4 orders, which are subsequently divided into 15 families, 363 genera, and 3104 species.
The centipedes or Chilopoda are divided into the following orders.
Rhysida is a large genus of Scolopendromorph centipede in the subfamily Otostigminae. It is the second largest genus in the subfamily Otostigminae, with species found in the Neotropics, Indo-Malaya, and Africa. It shares some morphological characteristics with the genus Alluropus, and its phylogeny in the subfamily Otostigminae is somewhat uncertain.
Blue-legged Centipede (Ethmostigmus trignopodus) close-up
E. trignopodus
