Giant African Millipede

Archispirostreptus gigas is the largest known living millipede, with adults reaching 38 cm in length and possessing up to 256 legs across her segmented cylindrical body. Despite the name 'millipede' (Latin: 'thousand feet'), no millipede actually has 1,000 legs — the record is held by the recently discovered Eumillipes persephone (described in 2021 from Australia) at 1,306 legs. Most millipede species have 80-400 legs. Giant African millipedes are detritivores: they eat decomposing plant matter, fallen leaves, and rotting wood, playing an important role in nutrient cycling in West African forests. When threatened, they coil into a tight spiral with the head protected at the center and can secrete a defensive fluid containing benzoquinones and small amounts of hydrogen cyanide. The fluid stains skin yellow-brown and irritates eyes. Mocking the size and danger, giant African millipedes are nonetheless one of the most popular invertebrate pets — gentle, slow-moving, long-lived (5-10 years in captivity), and easy to care for. Wild specimens are exported in the thousands annually from Tanzania and Kenya for the pet trade. The species is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to over-collection.