You have certainly heard of centipedes. They are part of the children’s imagination because they have many legs and are generally well represented in the drawings, stories and music of the segment.

Both the centipedes, as the snake louse, also known as embuá, and the Illacme Plenipes, typical of California, are part of the family of millipedes. In all, more than eight thousand species of millipedes are recognized. They are animals that have articulated legs.

Diplopods are terrestrial and hide in damp places with low light, such as under rocks and in bushes. Even with so many paws, they move very slowly, due to their rounded body. With head, chest and abdomen, they have a pair of antennae and hair mirrored by the lower limbs.

Sexual reproduction

Some specimens have up to 370 pairs of legs! One for each ring that forms your body. Their reproduction is sexual and happens when the male transfers the spermatophore, which is deposited on the seventh pair of legs, and the female captures it by the gonopore, located on its second pair of legs. In this way eggs are generated that give rise to their young.

Breathing and feeding

These animals breathe through the trachea and store oxygen in an internal cavity. They feed on vegetables and when they are threatened they wrap themselves up. In the face of danger, some species such as the snake louse produce poison that can cause problems in humans.

Centipede is popular with children

The centipede’s most famous representative of the family of diplomats, is the star of several tales and stories from the children’s universe. The pet that, gracefully is represented by a few dozen paws, is part of the children’s imagination.

The most common illustrations of this type of millipede are those that represent each part of your body in a different color. Another game explored is about the countless shoes that she has to have to be able to use on each of her legs.

The interaction of children with these types of animals is beneficial, as it teaches them through play that all species must be respected and preserved. In addition to the centipedes, other pets also gained amusing representations such as Baratinha, Aranha, Galinha, etc.

According to experts, children’s literature helps the little ones to assimilate knowledge and information necessary for their development and when the characters are inspired by nature, they give us lessons in tolerance and coexistence with everything that forms the universe.