millipeds
Leggy soil dwellers
Millipeds, also spelled millipedes, are arthropods with elongated bodies composed of many segments, most bearing two pairs of legs.
Despite their name suggesting a thousand feet, they typically have between 30 and 400 legs.
Millipeds are slow-moving creatures that curl into a spiral when threatened and feed primarily on decaying plant matter, making them important decomposers in soil ecosystems.
They differ from centipedes, which have one pair of legs per segment and are predatory.
Separate parts of something
- legsLocomotion appendages below torso
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
spiracles · compound eyes · trunk · cuticle · molt · arthropod · invertebrate · chitin
Organism breaking down corpses
- leaf litterDecomposing ground debris
- soilGround matter for planting
- detritivoreEats dead organic material
- forest floorGround beneath trees
humus · rotting wood · compost · moisture · fungi · decay · microhabitat · burrow
Glass-walled growing enclosure
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- humidityMoisture in atmosphere
- feedingGiving food to
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
vegetables · enclosure · breeding · handling · lifespan · exotic pet · vivarium · misting
Looping around repeatedly
- curlSpiral or loop form
- cyanideToxic carbon-nitrogen compound
- toxinBiological-origin harm agent
- repellentCauses strong aversion
warning coloration · foul-smelling · irritant · hydrogen cyanide · bitter taste · skin irritation · playing dead · staining
segments
Separate parts of something
- legsLocomotion appendages below torso
- exoskeletonExternal skeletal structure
- antennaeSensory appendages on insects
mandibles · spiracles · compound eyes · trunk · cuticle · molt · arthropod · invertebrate · chitin
decomposer
Organism breaking down corpses
- leaf litterDecomposing ground debris
- soilGround matter for planting
- detritivoreEats dead organic material
forest floor · humus · rotting wood · compost · moisture · fungi · decay · microhabitat · burrow · underground
terrarium
Glass-walled growing enclosure
calcium · vegetables · enclosure · breeding · handling · lifespan · exotic pet · vivarium · misting · temperature
coiling
Looping around repeatedly
repellent · warning coloration · foul-smelling · irritant · hydrogen cyanide · bitter taste · skin irritation · playing dead · staining
banded
Having encircling marks
- bioluminescentEmitting light through biology
millipedscentipedes
Multi-legged segmented arthropods
house centipedes · bipeds · quadrupeds · hexapods · octopods