Centipede

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/centipede

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Class Chilopoda
2. What is the diet?Carnivore; primarily insects and arachnids, but larger species consume small vertebrates
3. What makes a centipede look like a wriggling ribbon?Centipedes have many body segments, each with a pair of legs, so they look like a long, wiggly ribbon.
4. How many legs does a centipede have?Each body segment (except the first and last two) has one pair of legs, so a centipede can have dozens of legs, from a few to over 30 centimeters long.

Forcipules: Modified, venom-injecting appendages located anteriorly on the centipede's body.
Anamorphic Development: Growth process where new segments and legs are added with each molt.
Chitin: A tough, flexible polysaccharide that forms the exoskeleton of arthropods.
Ecological Niche: The role and position a species has in its environment; how it meets its needs for food and shelter.