Centipedes do not have exactly 100 legs despite their name, which means "100 feet." The number of legs varies by species and depends on the number of body segments, with each segment bearing one pair of legs. Adult centipedes typically have between 15 and 191 pairs of legs, meaning they can have from 30 to 382 legs in total, but always an odd number of pairs
. Some specific details include:
- Species in the orders Lithobiomorpha and Scutigeromorpha have about 15 pairs of legs.
- The colorful Scolopendromorphs have 21 to 23 pairs of legs.
- The soil-dwelling Geophilomorphs can have up to 177 pairs of legs, the highest leg count among centipedes
- The legs closest to the head are modified into venomous fangs for hunting.
- The last pair of legs has sensory functions and helps with balance and navigation
In summary, centipedes have a wide range of leg counts, always an odd number of pairs, and their legs number anywhere from 30 to nearly 400 legs depending on the species and developmental stage
