They are called centipedes because it is believed that they have 100 feet. Actually, they don’t. Of the 3,000 different types of centipedes on our planet, none have 100 feet. Some have 50 and some as much as 350.

The extremely venomous Peruvian Giant Yellow-leg or Amazonian Giant Centipede. These eat everything from insects to birds!
The extremely venomous Peruvian Giant Yellow-leg or Amazonian Giant Centipede. These eat everything from insects to birds!

All centipedes have an odd number of body segments, and each segment has two legs attached to it. So, that magic number 100 has never been reached.

Found all over the world, they prey on insects and earthworms. Some of them actually have a harmful sting.

Similarly, millipedes are thought to have 1,000 feet. But, of the 8,000 known varieties, none have more than 200 legs. Some make do with as few as 28.

Do centipedes really have 100 feet?
Do centipedes really have 100 feet?

Although millipedes and centipedes look alike, they are not even closely related.

148 words | 1 minutes
Readability: Grade 6 (11-12 year old children)
Based on Flesch–Kincaid readability scores

Filed under: 5ws and h
Tags: #giant, #insects

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