Centipedes belong to class of Chilopoda. The name centipede, which means “100 legs,” can be somewhat misleading: centipedes may have anywhere from 15 to 177 pairs of legs. Centipedes are elongated, with flat, segmented bodies that contain a pair of legs per segment. Centipedes occur in several colors and patterns but most common are brown and reddish orange. They range in size from 4 to 152 mm, depending on the species. The heads of centipedes have a pair of long and sensitive antennae. They have small mouths and have large, clawlike structures that contain a venom gland. Because most centipedes are carnivorous creatures that forage for food at night, they use their claws to paralyze their victims, such as worms, spiders and small vertebrates.