A Giant Red Fire Millipede is filmed crawling across a small branch in Marojejy National Park, Madagascar. The detritivore‘s legs move forward with wave-like movements, each segment of legs moving together. From wildlife photographer David Weiller, who filmed the footage:
Millipedes have 2 pairs of legs for each one of their body segments and this one has about 160 legs (Millipedes do not have ‘1000 feet’). Some Millipedes may have up to 750 legs.
When threatened by predators, millipedes curl up into a spiral to protect their soft underside and some millipedes produce irritating secretions.
Most millipedes are harmless herbivorous (detritivores) and feed on decaying leaves and decomposing vegetation or organic matter.
By contrast to the carnivorous centipedes, they are not venomous (unlike centipedes).
Related reading from Robert Krulwich: Whoops! A Millipede Toddler Learns to Walk.
Then watch this: Why do millipedes have so many legs?
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