Initial Acquaintance
Millipedes share a similar look and name to centipedes, share their own “branch” of the arthropod family tree; both are myriapods, but they are vastly different: a centipede is an active and very quick carnivore that can and will bite, but millipedes are slow-moving, do not bite people, and prefer to eat decomposing plant material
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American Giant Millipede – 2020SEP27 – Charlotte, NC
Look what I found! A Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus: it grows twice as large as any other North American millipede, a cylindrical millipede (distinguished from flat millipedes), dark reddish-brown or black, a red line on each segmente edge; like all millipedes, they have 2 pairs of legs on most segments, rather than 1 pair of legs on each segment (like a centipede).
Does it bite? No (uniike a centipede). What about cyanide? Although not this species, some secrete hydrogen cyanide, quite poisonous. Remember, millipedes are toxic – but as long as they are not eaten, hands washed after touching them, they're pretty harmless; however, many have a defensive secretion, benzoquinone, that can cause chemical burns on human skin, generally mild, but powerful enough to cause temporary skin discoloration, itching, and blisters – some millipedes’ secretions are much more powerful, though.
The division of an animal into repeating body parts is called segmentation, clearly seen in millipedes, the word meaning “one thousand foot;” despite that name, millipedes with the most legs come up shy of the 1,000-leg mark, only about 750.
Hope you enjoy the 10% of 99 captures I took here this day!
Initial Acquaintance
Millipedes share a similar look and name to centipedes, share their own “branch” of the arthropod family tree; both are myriapods, but they are vastly different: a centipede is an active and very quick carnivore that can and will bite, but millipedes are slow-moving, do not bite people, and prefer to eat decomposing plant material
___________________________________________
American Giant Millipede – 2020SEP27 – Charlotte, NC
Look what I found! A Giant Millipede, Narceus americanus: it grows twice as large as any other North American millipede, a cylindrical millipede (distinguished from flat millipedes), dark reddish-brown or black, a red line on each segmente edge; like all millipedes, they have 2 pairs of legs on most segments, rather than 1 pair of legs on each segment (like a centipede).
Does it bite? No (uniike a centipede). What about cyanide? Although not this species, some secrete hydrogen cyanide, quite poisonous. Remember, millipedes are toxic – but as long as they are not eaten, hands washed after touching them, they're pretty harmless; however, many have a defensive secretion, benzoquinone, that can cause chemical burns on human skin, generally mild, but powerful enough to cause temporary skin discoloration, itching, and blisters – some millipedes’ secretions are much more powerful, though.
The division of an animal into repeating body parts is called segmentation, clearly seen in millipedes, the word meaning “one thousand foot;” despite that name, millipedes with the most legs come up shy of the 1,000-leg mark, only about 750.
Hope you enjoy the 10% of 99 captures I took here this day!