Hobbies And Interests
Species and Habitats
While its name refers to a large number of legs, this name is attributed to a family of insects made up of more than 10,000 different species. Species of millipede can be found around the world in locations offering access to soil, leaves and rotting wood.
Physical Features
The millipede is characterized by a rounded body that resembles a tube. This long, cylindrical body is divided into individual segments called diplosegments. Each diplosegment is equipped with four legs. The millipede also features short feelers. Despite having hundreds of legs, millipedes are not capable of moving very quickly.
Eating Habits
Millipedes are slow eaters that prefer to dine on small bits of roots, flowers or buds of plants. In addition to being identified as herbivores, millipedes also are considered detritivores. This term relates to the addition to the diet of old and decaying plants and mold.
Exoskeleton Protection
The ability for millipedes to protect themselves has primarily to do with a very durable and robust exoskeleton. This exoskeleton is further toughened by the addition of calcium carbonate. When contact is made with the millipede's exoskeleton by a predator, it can respondby coiling up as a means of fending off attack.
Toxic Chemical Protection
Another way some species of millipedes respond to threats is to produce toxic chemicals. Species like the giant millipede are capable of releasing a small cloud of hydrogen cyanide gas that can prove fatal to smaller enemies. Small vents located along the sides of a millipede's body are the openings through which the chemical weaponry is discharged.
Millipedes as Pets
Millipedes can be kept as pets as long as certain precautions are taken. Those species that produce toxic secretions need to be handled only when the owner wears gloves. The most popular choice of millipedes for a pet are the very large tropical species found in rain forests. These tropical millipedes can grow up to 10 inches long.
Pet Millipede Feeding
Feeding pet millipedes should focus on their natural diet of tropical plants that have been supplemented with herptile vitamins. The addition of vitamins and a mineral supplement can significantly improve the nutritional intake of a pet millipede and thus lengthen its life span. Despite the fact that millipedes prefer moldy plants in the wild, the safest course in feeding a pet millipede is to change out the chunks of fruit contents daily before it becomes too moldy.