Range:

Tropical and sub-tropical Africa  

Habitat:

Millipedes, even those found in desert habitats; do not survive in arid temperatures. They tend to do best in conditions of 24C (75F) to 30C (86F). Most are found in humid climates among litter on the ground. They occur mainly in forested areas.

Physical Description:

This species is among the largest in the world. Individuals can often reach 10 inches (250 mm) in length and a few individuals have been documented to have exceeded a foot (300 mm). Their body is about an inch (25 mm) in diameter.

This species is a deep brown, practically black, with rosy legs. They have two pairs of legs per body segment. No weights and longevity reports were available during research.

Centipedes differ from millipedes in several fundamental ways. Centipedes only have one pair of legs per body segment and are predatory. Millipedes are detritus feeders and do not have mouthparts capable of biting a human where centipedes can inflict a harmful bite.  

Reproduction/Life Cycle:

Millipedes seem to recognize each other by chemical senses, and the female lays down pheromones to attract males. The male “climbs” the female until he is at her head, and then they begin to move face to face. They end up with the second segment of the female (containing the vulvae in their cyphpods) facing the seventh segment of the male ( with its modified gonopods). The male then extrudes several sperm packets from the penes on his second segment and “walks” them to the gonopods. They are then transmitted to the female. The female may store sperm for several weeks or even months, as the egg may not be laid until the next season.  

Habits/Diet:

These animals are mainly nocturnal, tending to hide under leaf litter during the day and feeding at night.

Millipedes are decomposers. They feed mainly on dead or dying vegetation, including coarse vegetable debris like leaf litter, rotting wood, fungi, and perhaps algae from lichens.  

Similar Species:

A second type of giant African millipede is pale caramel brown in color with tan or red legs. Both types represent a genus of about 15 species.  

Wild Status:

Thought to be common.