The Vietnamese Centipede is an arthropod that can grow anywhere from four to twelve inches in length. It has a long, slender body which ranges in color from a dark reddish-brown to yellow to an almost neon blue. It is important to always be aware of these as the blue centipedes are the most dangerous. With anywhere from 15 to 30 body segments and usually one pair of legs for each segment, the centipede has many tools that enable it to survive. For one, the Vietnamese centipede has a false "head" on its back legs to fool any predators into biting the wrong end and its legs have the capability of growing back if any are cut off. Another interesting feature of the centipede is that each pair of legs is slightly longer than the pair in front of it. This unique adaption enables the centipede to move quickly without its many legs becoming tangled. The back legs are generally used to grab the prey and are fairly harmless. The front legs, however, are where the creatures venom is. These modified front legs, called forcipules, have fangs at the tips which contain the venom gland, venom duct, and a curved jaw that allows the poison to be injected into the victim.
The centipede has what look like compound eyes, but are actually many eyes clustered close together. These creatures can only distinguish between light and dark, so they are usually found in dark, damp places. They typically live in tropical or subtropical places where the weather is fairly consistent. However, if it gets too dry or too wet, the centipede can wiggle its body through the tiniest cracks to snuggle into slippers, the shower, the bed, or anywhere else that is warm and cozy. Its antennas help it to "see" by feeling around and also enable it to smell. The centipede breathes through glands on its sides called spiracles and some sect a type of chemical from their sides as a defense mechanism. The centipede does not have a skeletal structure, which is how it is able to squeeze through small cracks. It does, however, have a hard shell, much like a crab shell, that covers the top of its body and protects it from predators.