How many legs has a centipede?

Centipede means ‘hundred legged’ but not many centipedes actually have as many as this. Some have as few as 15 pairs, others have as many as 173 pairs, but most sorts have about 35 pairs. Centipedes and millipedes form a small group of arthropods adapted for life on the land. With all these legs they run very quickly and although it has been discovered that the legs sometimes cross, the centipede never seems to trip up. Centipedes can sometimes be found in the home but usually live under the bark of fallen trees and under stones. They are generally about 1 or 2 inches long but species from North America can grow to 7 inches.