ORDER

Spirostreptida

FAMILY

Spriostreptida

HABITAT AND RANGE

Millipedes are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world including caves, deserts, alpine zones, tree canopies and along shorelines. They rest and hide among leaf fall, soil, or rotting logs; most species of millipedes are nocturnally active.

IDENTIFICATION

The giant millipede grows to a length of up to 12 inches (30 cm). They have a black, multi-segmented exoskeleton. Each segment covers two pairs of legs. Centipedes have one pair of legs per segment, millipedes have two. There is a single pair of small antennae hidden under the exoskeleton.

DIET

Millipedes are decomposers and play an important role in their ecosystem. They consume rotting vegetation and pass it through their digestive system converting many of the nutrients into re-usable forms for plants in the area. At the zoo they are fed wilted lettuce.

REPRODUCTION AND LIFESPAN

Mating season depends on the species of millipede. The male walks along the side of the female and stimulates her with rhythmic pulses of his legs. If receptive, she raises the front segments of her body, allowing the male to slip underneath her. After wrapping their entire bodies for about two turns, the pair unites their genitalia and the male deposits his sperm onto the female. She then transfers the sperm to her eggs.

Later, the female makes a small nest of compressed soil just below ground level. A few weeks after mating, the female lays hundreds of eggs in this nest. The eggs do not become fertilized until after laying, and are covered with a tough, resistant coating to protect them from predators and fluctuating environmental conditions. Sometimes the female will guard the eggs until they hatch; typically three months later. Young millipedes are abandoned after hatching, but grow quickly and reach maturity in three to 10 years.

NOTES

When frightened they will curl up in a ball with only the exoskeleton exposed and release a defensive fluid. The millipede with the most legs is the Illacme plenipes of California, with over 375 pairs of legs!