This is my information report about centipedes. I chose to wrote about this invertebrate because we caught three of them as part of our WIT.
What's that Long Insect?
Did you know all centipedes are predators? Centipedes belong to the class of Chilopoda. The name centipede which means “100 legs” can be somewhat* misleading: centipedes may have anywhere from 15 to 177 pairs of legs.Did you know that my centipede is from Frankley School bush.
Diet
Centipedes can eat a full mouse. Centipedes are carnivores** and they use venom*** to kill their prey. The venom comes from glands that open near the first pain of modified**** legs. Centipedes eat earthworms, spiders, slugs and other animals.
Appearance
Centipedes have long bodies and sometimes short. Centipedes have hard bodies and some have soft bodies.Centipedes occur in several***** colors and patterns but most common are brown and reddish orange. They range in size from 4 to 152 mm, depending on the species******.
The heads of centipedes have a pair of long and sensitive antennae.
Protection
When centipedes are scared they curl up in a little ball. All centipedes can hide under soil. It keeps the centipede protected as it moves from place to place. Centipedes protect their eggs by curling up in a circle.
Centipedes are fascinating creatures that are commonly found in the bush. They are so tiny to humans but if you are a small invertebrate, watch out because they are poisonous!
Written by Taryn
Glossary
* something as well
** meat eaters
*** kind or sort
**** different
***** poison
****** change
