- Slightly over 1 inch
- Reddish-brown, flattened and elongated with one pair of legs attached on most body segments
- First pair of legs are poisonous jaws located below the mouth to kill insects
- Feed on live insects and other small mammals, but do not damage plants
- Encountered in damp basements in the fall
- Become adults in the winter and lay eggs during the warm months
- Eggs are usually laid in the soil, with a few species giving birth to live young
- Feed on small insects such as roaches, clothes moths, and house flies
- Do not damage food supplies or household furnishings
- If crushed, will bite, which causes some pain and swelling
- Sometimes live up to 6 years
