Centipedes are really impressive animals. Not only that they are the most sensitive animals to touch, but centipedes also are the animals most rarely seen by humans, due to their lifestyle, which mostly is nocturnal. A very impressive fact about centipedes is that they have the ability to move really fast, so there is no wonder that the encounter with humans is not very common. Still, centipedes are described as some of the most agile nocturnal animals.

There are numerous species of centipedes known today and their characteristics are going to vary from one specie to another. So, while some have 200 optical units eyes, others have no eyes at all, being perfectly blind. In such cases, centipedes will only be able to feel and catch their prey with the use of touch. On the other hand, there are species of centipedes which have 173 pairs of legs, but commonly they are only going to have 15 to 30 pairs. Centipedes are considered to be among the arthropods with the longest lifespan, as they can can live up to six years. A very important and interesting fact about centipedes is linked to the way they hunt. Since they are venomous, centipedes are able to defend themselves from all type of predators. Anyway, you should not worry as centipedes venom is not fatal, at least to humans, but avoiding the contact with them will be a great idea, as many people are allergic to them and is cases like that serious reactions to the venom can be experienced.

Nowadays, there are 8000 species of centipedes known to exist all over the world. Numerous species can be found in the United States, while a very curious thing about them is that they can have a size between a few millimeters and up to 30 cm long. First centipedes have been found more than 400 million years ago. For many years centipedes have been used, in some cultures, in the treatments of diseases such as malaria. When the individuals of this species lose a leg, it can grow another one, to replace the lost.