How Are Centipedes And Millipedes Different?

Although centipedes and millipedes look similar, they have a few differences. Centipedes have single body segments with one pair of legs per segment. Millipedes have double segments and two pairs of legs on each one. So, length for length, a millipede has more legs that a centipede.

The longest centipede in the world is Scolopendra gigantea from South America. It can grow to between 23 and 26 centimetres long. The largest centipedes catch and eat small lizards, birds and mice. A centipede mother remains coiled round her eggs from when she lays them to when they hatch to protect them from being eaten by male centipedes.

The largest millipede in the world is Graphidostreptus gigas of Africa, which reaches a length of 27 centimetres and has a body diameter of 2 centimetres. Millipedes usually eat decaying vegetation. Some eat the remains of dead animals and a few tropical species have special long, pointed tubes that they use to pierce fresh fruits, to suck out the juices.

Millipedes are  poisonous centipedes arent

I know this is old information but this has to be said.  BOTH centipedes AND millipedes are poisonous.  The difference is that centipedes will bite and defend themselves aggressively to get poison into your system much like a bee sting, while millipedes are more defensive and will curl up and secrete a poison from their body that creates an unattractive odor, tastes bad to predators, and cause sickness (this is why you should always wash your hands thoroughly after handling a millipede).

Millipedes have more legs then a centipede