Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: centipede

[best appreciated at full size against black] Do you know the difference between a centipede and a millipede? The obvious answer is the number of feet it has, but...have you ever COUNTED them? I didn't think so! :D A couple of weeks ago, I posted a picture of what I thought was a centipede, and guess what? I was WRONG!! I am blushing with embarrassment! However, I've corrected my error in that picture, and I PROMISE that THIS red devil is a CENTIPEDE!! Here are the main differences between centipedes and millipedes: Centipedes have long antennae and millipedes have short antennae. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment* and millipedes have two. Centipedes have legs that visibly extend from the sides of the body and trail backward behind the body; millipede legs do not extend far out from the body and the last pair of legs are in line with the body. Centipedes move very fast and millipedes are slow movers. Centipedes can bite and millipedes do not bite. Centipedes are mostly predators and millipedes are mostly scavengers. *except for the first three segments, which have one pair each This droplet-covered fellow was found under a log and from what I've read, I believe he's a Tiger Centipede. These are very common and found all over the Western U.S. and northern Mexico. They can be many different colors, including striped or solid red. They have a nasty bite, which makes sense, given its bright red warning color! If you'd like to know more about this centipede, Wiki has a page here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_polymorpha This image was taken in March, 2012.

[best appreciated at full size against black] It's amazing what you can find if you look under rocks and logs! Look at all of these fun friends! The little guy in the upper left is a wood termite larva I believe. On the upper right is a juvenile centipede. On the lower left is a millipede, and on the lower right is a pair of pill bugs! Aren't they all just adorable?! HEY!! I heard that! They're not icky!! Well...ok...maybe they are! :D :D But, they all have important jobs to do to help keep the balance on our property, eating dead and living plants and animals, and becoming food for other animals, helping to aerate and add nutrients to the soil, to give the plants energy! This image was taken in March, 2012.