Bug wars: Who will reign supreme in the ultimate race?
Which would win in a race, a centipede or a millipede? Centipedes are much faster. Precise figures are hard to come by, but common centipede species run at comparable speeds to a spider, whereas millipedes move more at the pace of an ant.
The reason for this has nothing to do with their different numbers of legs – the leggiest centipede species have 384 legs (Himantarum gabrielis), which is more than a typical garden millipede. But almost all centipedes are hunters and have evolved legs that splay out sideways from their body, which allows a rapid rowing motion as they chase prey.
Millipedes have shorter legs tucked underneath their bodies to give them better traction as they push their way through the soil and leaf litter.
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Asked by: Charlotte Edwards, Cheltenham
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Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.
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