Question 1

True or false: Centipedes always have exactly 100 legs, as their name suggests.

Accepted Answer

False. The name 'centipede' means '100 feet,' but species can have between 30 and 354 legs, always an odd number of pairs.

Question 2

True or false: Centipedes are actually a type of insect, closely related to ants and beetles.

Accepted Answer

False. Centipedes are chilopods, not insects. They belong to the subphylum Myriapoda, which also includes millipedes.

Question 3

True or false: The largest centipede, the Amazonian giant centipede, can grow over 12 inches long.

Accepted Answer

True. Scolopendra gigantea reaches up to 30 cm (12 inches) and preys on frogs, mice, and even small bats.

Question 4

True or false: A centipede's bite is completely harmless to humans and feels like a mosquito bite.

Accepted Answer

False. Larger species deliver painful venom that can cause swelling, fever, or allergic reactions, though deaths are extremely rare.

Question 5

True or false: Some centipede species can glow in the dark due to bioluminescence.

Accepted Answer

True. Certain soil-dwelling centipedes, like those in the genus Geophilus, produce a blue-green glow to deter predators.

Question 6

True or false: Female centipedes guard their eggs and young until they can hunt on their own.

Accepted Answer

True. Many centipede mothers coil around egg clutches and stay with hatchlings, protecting them from fungi and predators.

Question 7

True or false: Centipedes use their front legs, modified into venomous claws called forcipules, to catch prey.

Accepted Answer

True. These forcipules are actually modified front legs, not mouthparts, and inject venom into insects and small animals.

Question 8

True or false: Centipedes can regenerate lost legs, but only if they are juveniles.

Accepted Answer

False. Centipedes can regenerate legs at any life stage, though molting is required for the new limb to fully develop.

Centipede Trivia Questions