“Found in bathroom sink”, states this reader in North Carolina about the minuscule, reddish-brown creature pictured below. The organism has a slender body, and a pair of antennae atop a lighter-colored head.

Our reader adds that the “water supply is well”, though we do not think that this creature has come up through the pipes either way. This creature looks like a centipede. To be specific, it may be a young centipede, given its size.

Centipedes are arthropods, meaning they are invertebrates with a hard exoskeleton which protects their segmented body. These creatures in particular are known for their many legs, the word ‘centipede’ roughly translating to ‘hundred feet’. However, a lot of species of centipedes do not have a hundred feet. Especially a creature so tiny as this one.

Now, in the picture our reader sent us, we cannot actually see these feet. We concluded that this could be for two reasons: 1) The creature is so tiny that we cannot see its legs. If they are partially transparent then this would make it harder. Plus, the photo is not super sharp, so perhaps the photo is simply not picking up the legs. 2) This is not a centipede, but a millipede.

Millipedes are also arthropods, and they are often confused with centipedes, as they both possess many legs. The key difference between the two is that millipedes have their legs on the underside of their bodies, so they are often not visible, especially from above.

That said, we think it more likely that this is a centipede and we just cannot see the legs, because it is more common for centipedes to have antennae than it is for millipedes to have them.

Moving on, centipedes are predators, and will eat other bugs in the home such as mosquitoes, moths and mites, so they are actually beneficial to keep around. Understandably, one might not want bugs running around their home. But our reader should know that centipedes are not harmful to humans or pets; the most they can do is bite/sting someone using the forcipules (pincers) at the front of their faces. This would not have any long-term effects though, just a temporary stinging sensation.

To conclude, we think that the creature our reader found in her sink is a centipede, and most likely a baby centipede. We hope this article helps and we wish her the best.

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