Centipedes are arthropods characterized by a single pair of legs per body segment. While most communication relies on chemical signals and physical touch, certain species are capable of producing sounds audible to the human ear. This phenomenon is uncommon and the sounds are often very quiet. Sound production is a specialized behavior, distinct from the incidental noise of movement, and serves a specific purpose in their survival strategy.
How Centipedes Create Sound
The primary mechanism centipedes use to generate intentional sound is called stridulation, a method common among many arthropods. Stridulation involves rubbing two specialized, hardened body parts together, much like drawing a plectrum across a file. For certain centipede species, this sound is produced by modified segments of their ultimate, or last, pair of legs.
In flag-tail centipedes of the genus Alipes, the terminal legs are enlarged and flattened into leaf-like structures. When disturbed, they rapidly rub these specialized structures together, creating friction that results in an audible, rasping noise. This intentional sound is separate from the faint, rustling sound their numerous legs make as they scurry across a substrate.
The Purpose of Sound Production
The sounds produced by centipedes serve a defensive function rather than being used for finding a mate. The stridulation acts as a warning signal to potential predators, a behavior known as acoustic aposematism. This sound is a component of a multi-sensory defense strategy, advertising their potent venom and painful bite.
The sudden, unexpected noise can startle a small predator like a rodent or bird, giving the centipede a moment to escape. In some cases, the stridulating terminal legs are autotomized, meaning they can detach and continue to twitch and make noise. This action draws the predator’s attention to the discarded limb while the centipede flees to safety. This defense mechanism is reserved for moments of immediate threat.
Why Centipede Noise Goes Unnoticed
Despite the capability for sound production, centipede noise goes unnoticed by the average person due to volume and species distribution. The sounds produced by most centipedes are extremely low in volume, often requiring specialized equipment like contact microphones or an anechoic chamber to be recorded. Even the stridulation of larger species is a faint, dry crunching noise.
Sound production is restricted to the largest and most robust species, such as those found in the tropical Scolopendra genus or the Alipes species. These large centipedes are not the small, common house centipedes found in temperate climates, which are essentially silent. The sound-producing species are restricted to specific tropical or arid environments, meaning most people will never encounter a centipede capable of making an audible noise.