Centipede fact sheet – garagun | Field of Mars EEC

What are centipedes?

Centipedes are long, many-legged invertebrates that live in damp, sheltered places such as leaf litter, soil, under bark, beneath rocks and inside rotting logs.

Centipedes are not insects. They are arthropods in the myriapod group and belong to the class Chilopoda. They have segmented bodies, antennae, breathing holes called spiracles and one pair of legs on each body segment.

Centipedes are predators. Their first pair of legs has changed into venom claws, called forcipules, which help them catch and hold prey.

Dharug Dalang records several Dharug words for centipede, including garagun and ganaray.

A centipede.

A large centipede showing its many body segments and legs.

Where do centipedes live?

Centipedes live in habitats that provide shelter, moisture and prey. They are often found under rocks and bark, in leaf litter, inside rotting logs and in loose soil.

At Field of Mars Reserve, leaf litter, fallen bark, rocks and rotting logs provide important habitat for many small animals. These places give centipedes somewhere to hide during the day and somewhere to hunt at night.

Centipedes are usually found in places that are dark and damp. Their bodies can dry out easily, so they often avoid hot, dry and exposed areas.

Centipedes shelter in damp, dark places such as soil, leaf litter, bark, rocks and rotting logs.

What do centipedes eat?

Centipedes are active predators. They hunt other invertebrates such as insects, spiders, worms, slaters, pill bugs and small snails.

Their venom claws help them hold and paralyse prey. These claws are not fangs. They are modified front legs folded under the head.

Most centipedes found in gardens, school grounds and bushland are small predators of other invertebrates. Some very large centipede species can catch larger prey, including small frogs and lizards.

A centipedes venom claws help it catch and hold prey.

What is the life cycle of a centipede?

Centipedes do not change into a completely different body form like butterflies do. Young centipedes look like smaller versions of adults.

Most centipedes hatch from eggs. Some female centipedes leave their eggs, while others curl around their eggs or hatchlings to protect them. Some young hatch with their full number of legs, while others gain more body segments and legs as they grow.

Centipedes grow by moulting. Their hard outer skeleton does not stretch, so they must shed it and form a new one as their body becomes larger.

Some centipede mothers curl around their young to help protect them.

Most centipedes hatch from eggs laid in sheltered, damp places.

Egg

Centipedes begin life as eggs.

Centipede eggs are usually laid in damp, protected places.

Juvenile

Juvenile centipedes look like small adults. They grow by moulting their exoskeleton. Some species add more body segments and legs as they grow.

Juvenile centipedes look like smaller adults and grow by moulting.

Adult

Adult centipedes continue to hunt, shelter and reproduce. Some centipedes can live for several years.

Adult centipedes continue to hunt, shelter, moult and reproduce.

What adaptations do centipedes have to help them survive?

Centipedes have venom claws near their head. These claws help them catch prey and defend themselves from predators.

Their long, flattened bodies help them move through narrow spaces in leaf litter, soil, bark and rotting wood. Many centipedes can run quickly when disturbed.

Centipedes use their antennae to sense the world around them. Their last pair of legs can also be long and sensitive. In some species, these back legs help with sensing, gripping, defence or confusing predators.

Some centipedes are camouflaged to blend in with soil, bark and leaf litter. Others have brighter colours that may warn predators to stay away.

The head of a centipede is more rounded than its tail and has long antennae.

Why are centipedes important?

Centipedes are important predators in leaf litter, soil and log habitats. By feeding on other invertebrates, they help keep small animal populations balanced.

They are also part of the food web. Centipedes may be eaten by birds, reptiles, frogs, spiders and other predators.

Healthy leaf litter and rotting logs are not waste. They provide shelter, food and hunting places for many small animals, including centipedes.

Centipedes are predators in leaf litter and soil habitats.

How can you help centipedes?

You can help centipedes by protecting the habitats they need. Leave leaf litter, fallen bark, rocks and rotting logs in bushland where it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use in gardens and school grounds. Pesticides can harm centipedes and the small animals they feed on.

If you find a centipede, observe it from a safe distance. Do not pick it up. If you move rocks or logs during a habitat search, gently place them back where you found them.

Leaving leaf litter, rocks, bark and logs in place helps protect centipede habitat.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Myriapod fact sheet – explains many-legged invertebrates such as centipedes and millipedes.
• Millipedes fact sheet – compares another group of myriapods.
• Arachnids fact sheet – spiders and other predators that may share log and litter habitats.
• Annelids fact sheet – earthworms that live in soil and rotting log habitats.
• Gastropod fact sheet – slugs and snails that may live in moist soil and leaf litter.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitat fact sheet
• Rock and log habitats fact sheet
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet

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