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Giant African millipede
A forest-floor animal that feeds on decaying plants and curls into a spiral for protection.
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The elongated body of the giant African millipede is divided into many rings. It is a myriapod, not an insect. Its dark, cylindrical body can reach about thirty centimetres in length. Antennae extend from its head; touch matters greatly to an animal with poor eyesight moving through forest litter.
Its home is Africa's humid tropical forest. It feeds mainly on dead and decaying plant material, including leaves and wood. This diet gives it a role in the forest's nutrient cycle: it breaks down plant remains, while its droppings return nutrients to the ground. It feeds mostly at night, seeking shelter by day in dark places, beside rotting wood or in hiding places in the soil.
When threatened, it curls into a tight spiral. Its hard outer covering protects the more delicate parts of the body, while an unpleasant secretion provides another defence. Visitors should neither touch the animal nor try to provoke this reaction. A millipede grows by moulting: it sheds its outer covering, adding body segments and legs as it develops.
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It looks like a long, moving string of rings, but it is a living animal. The giant African millipede has a dark body and antennae on its head. It uses them to feel its surroundings because its eyesight is poor. The largest individuals reach about thirty centimetres in length.
In Africa's humid forest, it searches for fallen leaves and other plant remains. It eats them as they begin to decay. This helps process material that has fallen to the ground, returning nutrients to the soil. It usually goes looking for food at night.
When frightened, it curls into a tight spiral and may release a substance that deters predators. We therefore watch quietly without touching. As it grows, it sheds its old outer covering and gains more body sections and legs.
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What makes up most of a giant African millipede’s diet?
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