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Sticker of Furry snake millipede
Bug card No. 1782 of 4,939

Furry snake millipede

Ophyiulus pilosus
Eats: Leftovers and dead thingsCentipedes and millipedesGardens and meadowsNot an insect, but a bug cousin

The furry snake millipede is a long, thin millipede with lots and lots of legs. It lives in North America, and people have also carried it by accident all the way to New Zealand.

Fun fact: this one is not an insect. Insects have six legs, and this cousin has many, many more.
Lives in
North America, and brought by people to New Zealand
Top speed
about 0.2 km/h (0.12 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It does not bite or sting. Wash your hands after holding one, like after touching any small wild animal.
What does it eat?
Not much is written about its food. Like most millipedes, it most likely munches on dead, rotting leaves.
For real!Photo of Furry snake millipede
Picture by Ryan Hodnett. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Like other millipedes, it has two pairs of legs on most parts of its body.

2

It was brought to New Zealand by people, so it now lives far from its first home.

3

Scientists know of four different kinds, or subspecies, of it.

you asked

Most asked questions about Furry snake millipede

?Is the furry snake millipede dangerous?

No. It is harmless, but wash your hands after touching it.

?How many legs does a millipede have?

A lot. Millipedes have two pairs of legs on most of their body parts.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Ophyiulus pilosus
Group
Centipedes and millipedes
Family
Julidae
Classification
Diplopoda > Julida > Julidae
Lives on
North America, Australia and Oceania

Where the facts come from

  1. Ophyiulus pilosus (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 Ryan Hodnett. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this 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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