Round-Backed Millipedes
ExploreInvertebrate
Round-Backed Millipedes
juliformia
Round-Backed Millipedes are fascinating creatures with lots of tiny legs that help them move around! They curl up into a ball when they feel scared, making them look like little round shapes in the leaf litter.
Habitat: They usually live in damp, dark places like under logs, rocks, or leaf litter in forests.
Appearance
The Round-Backed Millipedes has a distinctive, elongated cylindrical body, often dark brown or black, sometimes with lighter stripes. Its smooth, hard exoskeleton gives it a shiny appearance, differentiating it from flatter centipedes. It moves slowly, with pairs of tiny legs under each segment.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumArthropodaClassDiplopodaOrderSpirostreptidaFamilyHarpagophoridaeGenusKtenostreptus
Category
InvertebrateRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Millipedes were among the very first animals to walk on land, over 400 million years ago!
Some millipedes, found in places like California, can actually glow in the dark!
The fastest millipede still only crawls at about 1.6 meters per minute, taking its time!
Unlike insects, millipedes continuously add new body segments and pairs of legs as they grow!
Special abilities
Ability
Coil Defense
Round-Backed Millipedes can coil into a tight spiral because it protects their soft underside from predators like birds and shrews.
Ability
Chemical Shield
Round-Backed Millipedes has special glands that release foul-smelling or irritating chemicals to deter attackers.
Ability
Burrowing Power
Round-Backed Millipedes can burrow into soil and leaf litter using their many legs to escape danger and find moist hiding spots.
Measurements & details
- Average Length
- 2.5 cm
- Number Of Legs
- 200
- Segments Count
- 50
Diet & Feeding
These creatures are decomposers, helping clean up by munching on dead plant material.
Primary Foods
- decaying leaves
- rotting wood
- fungi
- moist plant debris
- microscopic algae
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
eaten by
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Robins commonly feed on millipedes found in gardens and leaf litter.
eaten by
Masked Shrew
Sorex cinereus
Shrews often hunt and consume millipedes among their invertebrate prey.
eaten by
Violet Ground Beetle
Carabus violaceus
Some ground beetles are predatory and will include millipedes in their diet.
Traits
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
Burrowing
Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Decomposer
Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
Forest
Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
Also known as
Cylindrical Millipede
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always wash your hands after handling any bugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Round-Backed Millipedes?
2.5 cm
What does Round-Backed Millipedes eat?
These creatures are decomposers, helping clean up by munching on dead plant material.
Where is Round-Backed Millipedes usually found?
They usually live in damp, dark places like under logs, rocks, or leaf litter in forests.
How does Round-Backed Millipedes hunt?
Foraging
How many legs does Round-Backed Millipedes have?
200
How many body segments does Round-Backed Millipedes have?
50
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