Centipedes are predatory arthropods (Class Chilopoda), recognizable by their elongated, segmented bodies and a single pair of legs per segment. These swift, nocturnal hunters use specialized mouthparts, called forcipules, to inject venom into prey like insects and spiders. Because centipedes rely heavily on external temperatures for activity, surviving prolonged periods of freezing conditions and food scarcity during winter is a major challenge.
Cold Tolerance and Dormancy
Centipedes in temperate climates survive winter by entering dormancy, a state that conserves energy and allows them to tolerate lethal conditions. Arthropods primarily use two forms of dormancy: quiescence and diapause.
Quiescence is an immediate, reversible response to unfavorable conditions, such as a sudden temperature drop. Activity slows down instantly and quickly resumes when warmer temperatures return.
Diapause is a deeper, genetically programmed state of developmental arrest regulated by hormones. It is often triggered by seasonal cues, like decreasing daylight, and is initiated in advance of environmental adversity. Centipedes rely on this anticipatory state to navigate the entire winter season successfully.
As ectotherms, centipedes cannot sustain normal metabolic activity when the environment is too cold. Dormancy is necessary to prevent bodily fluids from freezing and to survive when prey is unavailable, ensuring energy reserves last until spring.
Where Centipedes Overwinter
For dormancy to be effective, centipedes must seek out microhabitats that offer a stable environment, insulated from the rapid and extreme temperature fluctuations of the surface. They migrate downward or inward to find locations that provide thermal buffering and crucial moisture retention.
Centipedes overwinter in several protected locations:
- Deep leaf litter, where decaying material provides insulation, trapping heat and moisture.
- Under large rocks, which absorb solar radiation and slowly release stored heat.
- Rotting logs and tree stumps, where decomposition generates minor heat and thick wood protects against frost.
- Burrowed into the soil, aiming to get below the frost line where temperatures remain consistently above freezing.
- Human structures, such as basements, crawl spaces, and wall voids, which offer stable temperatures and humidity.
Physiological Changes for Winter Survival
Centipede cold survival relies on specific internal biological mechanisms that complement their choice of sheltered habitat. During the transition into dormancy, the centipede’s metabolic rate decreases substantially, slowing down processes like heart rate and oxygen consumption. This allows the animal to survive for months on minimal stored energy reserves.
Some centipede species, like the wood centipede Lithobius forficatus, can employ freeze tolerance, meaning they survive having ice form within their extracellular spaces. This survival is facilitated by the accumulation of cryoprotectants, which are biological antifreeze compounds, in their body fluids.
These compounds, which can include glycerol or sugar alcohols, work by lowering the freezing point of the centipede’s internal water and stabilizing cellular membranes. This prevents the formation of damaging ice crystals inside the cells, ensuring their survival until they emerge with the return of warmer weather.