Centipedes

Centipedes are a specific type of invertebrate falling under the class Chilopoda and make an interesting species of exotic pet to keep. The name centipede literally means 100 legs, however this is misleading as most centipedes have fewer than 100 legs, although some can have more! Centipedes have elongated bodies which are divided into a number of individual segments and each segment has a pair of legs. A unique trait of the cenetipede is their venomous forcipules (claws) which are used to hunt and immobilise prey. As such, centipedes are exclusively predatory and will only hunt live food. You should avoid handling them as they have a powerful and painful bite, which although not harmful to most adults (similar to that of a wasp/bee sting) can be extremely dangerous to children or those with allergies.

Centipedes are often brown or red in colour, however tropical species usually display bright warning colours, while subterranean species often lack pigmentation. There are estimated to be around 8,000 species worldwide, however only 3,000 are recognised and only 2,500 of those have been named.

Due to this, there is considerable misidentification of centipedes in the exotic pet trade, however we have tried our best to ensure all centipede caresheet information is accurate and correct. Please continue reading about different species available below.

Blue Ring Leg Centipede