Pill Millipede
The name millipede comes from the Latin word mille meaning thousand and pedis meaning foot.
The body is covered by a strong exoskeleton comprised of curved shields that is used as a passive defensive mechanism when threatened by rolling themselves into a tight ball with the vulnerable soft underbelly tucked inside and protected by the outer, tough exoskeleton.
The giant pill-millipede is ground dwelling and occurs in moist habitats under leaf litter on the forest floor and under trees.
Currently, pill-millipedes in South Africa are not formally protected and they may be vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation, as well as overexploitation for use in traditional medicine.
The body is short, stout and composed of 11–13 segments and each segment has two pairs of legs. It has one pair of antennae and a pair of kidney-shaped eyes.
The giant pill-millipede is chestnut brown with black posterior edges to each segment, giving it a brown and black banded appearance.
Pill-millipedes have about 42 legs and this, together with their wide body and heavy cuticle, cause them to move very slowly. They are also able to burrow into the soil and leaf litter.
They produce sound and vibrations by rubbing together certain body parts, an act known as stridulating. This is normally done by males during mating.
The female can therefore detect suitable mates based on the vibrating patterns. Since Pill Millipedes have no hearing organs, they pick up vibrations rather than hear sound.
Some records exist of pill-millipedes living as long as eleven years.
They are eaten by birds and small mammals such as mongooses and tortoises.
Pill Millipedes play a major role in the ecosystem by contributing to the transformation of detritus into humus. This process contributes to soil fertility by increasing the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphates for plant growth.
Millipedes are harmless to humans.
The main threats to Pill Millipedes are the loss of habitat through urban development, especially along the coast.
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Steve Entwistle
Conservation through education
Pill Millipede
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