The centipede body is divided into well-marked segments, the number of which varies from 12 to more than 100. The next, limblike appendages are followed by a modified pair of legs with strong joints, terminating in a sharp claw into which a poison gland opens. These appendages are used for seizing and killing prey. The two legs on each other segment are usually seven-jointed, sometimes bearing spurs and glands, and are generally clawed. The relatively large brain is connected with a ventral chain of ganglia.
Compound eyes occur in one family, and simple eyes or none at all in many.
The feelers, certain bristles, and portions of the skin are also sensory. The alimentary canal is straight, and the heart is a chambered dorsal vessel. Tracheae, or air tubes, open on the sides of the body and are connected to one another on each side. Centipedes are nocturnal and remain under stones or wood during the day. They are all carnivorous.