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Sticker of Giant African millipede
Bug card No. 0567 of 1,500

Giant African millipede

Archispirostreptus gigas
Eats: Leftovers and dead thingsCentipedes and millipedesForests and woodsLots of legsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The giant African millipede is the biggest millipede in the world. It can grow longer than a school ruler and has about 256 little legs that ripple like a wave when it walks. It is gentle and slow, and some people keep it as a pet.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.
Lives in
Lowland East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, and southern Arabia, mostly in forests
Length
34 cm (13 in)
the biggest ones
Top speed
about 0.58 km/h (0.36 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
It does not bite or sting. When scared it can ooze a liquid that stings in eyes and mouth, so wash your hands after touching one.
What does it eat?
It eats rotting leaves and dead plant bits on the forest floor. This turns old plants back into good soil.
For real!Photo of Giant African millipede
Picture by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen. CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How big is it?

How long is it?

Giant African millipede about 34 cm long (13 in)A banana about 18 cm (7.1 in)A house cat about 50 cm (20 in)A dog about 1 m (39 in)
as long as 10 toy building bricks in a rowas long as 2 bananas end to endit has about 256 legscould run across a dinner table in 6.2 seconds

How big is Giant African millipede compared to YOU?

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How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

When it feels in danger, it curls up into a tight spiral so only its hard shell shows.

2

Its smelly defence liquid is so good that even fierce driver ants cannot eat it.

3

Tiny mites ride on its body and clean it, and in return they get food and a safe home.

4

It can live for 7 to 10 years.

5

Its number of legs changes as it grows, because it gets new body parts each time it sheds its skin.

you asked

Most asked questions about Giant African millipede

?How big is the giant African millipede?

It can grow up to 33.5 centimetres long, which makes it the biggest millipede alive.

?Is the giant African millipede dangerous?

No. It does not bite, but its defence liquid can sting your eyes or mouth, so wash your hands after holding it.

?How many legs does a giant African millipede have?

About 256, but the number can be different from one millipede to another.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Archispirostreptus gigas
Group
Centipedes and millipedes
Family
Spirostreptidae
Classification
Diplopoda > Spirostreptida > Spirostreptidae
Lives on
Africa, Asia
Also known as
Shongololo, Bongololo

Where the facts come from

  1. Archispirostreptus gigas (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen. CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. The round sticker of this bug is cut from the same picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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