Giant African Millipede

• It neither bites nor stings: its only defence is to coil into a spiral and secrete an irritant fluid that can stain the skin and sting the eyes.
• It carries commensal mites on its body that feed on debris and secretions and travel with it without doing it any harm.
• It is an important decomposer in African soils: by shredding the leaf litter it greatly speeds up the recycling of nutrients.
• It is the largest millipede in the world: it reaches some 33 to 35 cm in length and has around 250 pairs of legs.
• It neither bites nor stings, and is harmless: its only defence is to coil into a spiral and secrete from lateral pores an irritant liquid that stains the skin and can cause itching or burning, especially if it reaches the eyes.
• It carries passengers: it is often found with mites of the genus Cheliphidon clinging between its segments, which feed on debris and on its secretions and travel with it.
• It is a strict detritivore, and its ecological role is the recycling of leaf litter in African soils.
• It lives up to ten years, a long time for an arthropod, and is one of the most popular invertebrates in the terrarium hobby for its docility and its longevity.
• Its trade as a pet is regulated in many countries because of the risk of introducing it as an exotic species.

Skeleton type

Invertebrate - chitin exoskeleton (myriapod)

Habitat and environment

Leaf litter and soil of forests and savannahs in East Africa

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (en): Archispirostreptus gigas