It’s still cold and snowy, but turning over a few logs on the woods can reveal hidden life. This 2-3 inch black millipede has yellow bands separating each segment along its back. It also has very bright yellow legs.

Millipedes are long, multi-segmented creatures that resemble centipedes, but centipedes have only one pair of legs on each segment, while millipedes have two legs on most segments.

Generally found in leaf litter, millipedes tend to avoid light. They do not bite humans. Centipedes and millipedes belong to subphylum Myriapoda, meaning “many footed.”

Millipedes commonly consume rotting vegetation rather than of living plant tissue. Their feeding activities speed up the decomposition of plant materials, playing an important part in Nature’s “recycling” process.

Despite their many legs, millipedes cannot run very fast. They have two main defenses. One is curling up in a ball. The other is emitting a smell. If you pick up a flat millipede, it will often release a scent resembling almonds or cherrys. While this might be pleasant for humans to smell, it apparently is distasteful to some predators.

Fossil evidence suggests that millipedes were the earliest animals to breathe air and make the move from water to land.

Third Eye Herp
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