Centipede
Centipede, a small animal, related to the insects. It has a long, flattened body made up of segments. Each segment bears a pair of legs, and there may be from 15 to 173 segments, depending upon the species. (The name centipede means “hundred-footed.”) The first pair of legs is modified into hook-like jaws equipped with poison glands. Centipedes feed chiefly upon insects. The bite of the large tropical species is dangerous to humans, but is not necessarily fatal.
Centipedes live under logs and stones, in cellars, and in dark corners indoors. They hunt at night and can sometimes be seen scuttling around bathrooms and closets. The house centipede, found over most of the United States, is about three inches (7.5 cm) long including the very long legs. Tropical species may be as much as 10 inches (25 cm) long.
The centipede belongs to the phylum Arthropoda and the class Chilopoda. The house centipede is Scutigera coleoptrata.