What Are the Features of a Millipede & a Centipede?

Millipedes and centipedes are similar looking animals that come from the same scientific phylum and subphylum -- Arthropoda and Myriapoda. However millipedes are members of the Diplopoda order while centipedes come from the Chilopoda order. There are over 10,000 species of millipede in the world, while only around 8,000 species of centipede exist. Other differences exist in the features between the two animals.

  1. Physical Characteristics

    • One of the most recognizable physical features of both millipedes and centipedes is the number of legs that they have. Species of millipede can have from 80 to 400 legs while species of centipedes can have from 30 to 60. These legs come in pairs placed in the segments along the animal's long bodies. Millipedes carry two pairs of legs under their bodies in most of their body segments while centipedes will have only one pair in each segment. Though both animals are usually long and narrow, millipedes are rounded, inflexible and slow-moving while centipedes are very quick, flexible, and oftentimes flat.

    Diet

    • Centipedes are carnivorous and eat a variety of bugs and spiders. They inject their prey with venom in order to kill them before eating. Millipedes are omnivorous and eat mostly decaying plant matter from the ground. They will also eat insects and live plant material, if that is all that is available.

    Lifespan and Breeding

    • Millipedes are longer lived than centipedes, surviving up to seven years in good conditions (against five years for centipedes). Millipedes can breed several times a year and lay up to 500 eggs at a time. While centipedes only lay up to 60 eggs at a time, some species have a maternal instinct that urge them to protect their eggs as well as nurse their young when they first hatch.

    Defense

    • While centipedes have claws on their first body segments that they can use to bite and inject venom into prey as well as predators, millipedes have no such defense mechanism. They do not have proper appendages to bite, pinch, or claw at predators. However, they can secrete a foul-smelling, poisonous fluid from their bodies which will deter many predators.