Tricky feet

Millipede means ‘thousand feet’ But it isn’t true, millipedes don’t have a thousand feet, they’re not even close. The shortest species found in Denmark, the pill millipede, only has 34! Millipedes are very common animals. They look a lot like strange, elongated, segmented worms with legs and a couple of short antennae on the front. Millipedes don’t move very fast – it’s difficult to coordinate so many small legs at high speed without getting tangled up – but on the other hand, they have a pretty solid armour – try touching a millipede that has rolled itself up, it feels very hard. And actually, they also have venom glands. This means that other animals that try to eat them find out pretty quickly that they taste terrible, and perhaps even get sick trying.

Try picking up one of the millipedes that can always be found hiding under the bark on an old tree trunk, or under a stone on the ground. Look at it under a magnifying glass. Millipedes are the only animals that have two sets of legs – four legs – for each segment of its body. This is how you can identify them from other animals.