Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

Not Nearly A Hundred Legs

This is, I think, a Brown Centipede Lithobius forficatus, an introduced species.
Very impressive creature. The front legs contain venom that helps them take down their prey, like slugs, worms, larval insects, etc., in short, other things found under rocks and bark.

mthew

One response to “Not Nearly A Hundred Legs”

  1. Charles McAlexander

    Centipedes have the mien of the rapacious predator they are, but I wonder if they are any more agressive than millipedes scaled to the same size?

    Old joke:
    If a centipede a pint
    and a millipede a quart
    how much would a precipice?

    If you don’t get the humor try reading it aloud.

    Reply

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