Texas Centipedes: 3 Things You Probably Don’t Want to Know

3. Despite their name, they don’t have 100 pairs of legs.

Photo: Flickr/Bill Shirley

Although, it sure looks like it! In fact, the Texas centipede has only about 23 pairs of yellow-colored appendages. It’s also a common misconception that centipedes are insects. Actually, they are of a different class of arthropod entirely: Chilopoda. They are also distinct from millipedes – creatures of yet another class entirely.

Texas red-headed centipedes are the largest centipedes in North America and have a reputation for being confrontational. They are usually found resting under logs, rocks or leaf litter, and are often active during the day. They also occasionally enter houses, so encounters with humans are not infrequent.

Experts recommend combating a centipede problem by reducing centipede habitats and preventing entry into homes. Keeping compost piles, firewood, rock piles, or fallen logs away from the home or removing them entirely is also wise. Luckily, your exterminator can also treat your home for centipedes. This gives you some ammunition in the battle against these less-than-cuddly Texas Hill Country critters.