Millipedes

Anthropoda diplopoda

Photo: Tree1008

"Millipede is a wormlike, many-legged animal. Millipedes have segmented bodies. Two pairs of legs attach to most of their body segments. The word millipide means thousand-footed, but no millipede has as many as 1,000 feet. Some species have up to 115 pairs of legs. The animals range from less than 1/8 inch to up to 9 inches They have round heads that bear a pair of short antennae. Millipedes usually feed on decaying plant life, but some species also attack crops growing in damp soil. They live in dark, damp places, under stones and rotting logs. When disturbed, millipedes usually coil up. Many give off foul odors. A few species are capable of producing fluids containing cyanide poison. About 7,500 species of millipedes are found throughout the world. "

Edwin W. Minch

World Book Encyclopedia