Continued
Like the Woodlice, they
react strongly to touch and they do not normally come to rest
unless both upper and lower surfaces are in contact with the
surroundings. Such behaviour ensures that the animals end up
under stones or bark, where they can be sure of moisture. The
centipedes have not been studied to the same extent as have
the woodlice, but it is likely that the two groups react in
much the same way to light and humidity.
The centipedes head is quite flat and covered with a round
or oval shield. It carries a pair of prominent antennae, which
are the animals major sense organs, enabling it to smell and
feel it's way around. Many of the species are quite blind,
but some carry a number of simple eyes on the front of their
head shield. Even so, with a few notable exceptions, their
eyesight is very poor. The underside of the head bears a pair
of stout jaws and two pairs of accessory jaws or maxillae,
which hold the food whilst it is being chewed. Curving around
the sides of the head are a pair of stout poison claws with
which the centipede catches and kills it's prey. The poison
produced by these claws is very strong and some of the large
tropical centipedes can give a man a very painful and sometimes
dangerous bite. Our British species however, are quite harmless,
because they are all small and rarely able to pierce the skin.
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