"It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for - the whole thing - rather than just one or two stars."
-David Attenborough
Questions? Email me, Ronak Sathyanarayana, at ronaks@goanimals.org.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Most Legged Animal Has Been Found

The most legged animal lives right here in Silicon Valley. Illacme plenipes is the name of the millipede. The female millipede has 750 legs and the male millipede has 550, but it is about the size of a pinky and usually, millipedes have 80-100 legs, not 750. This bug was first recorded in 1928, but went unrecorded for 84 years. But now, it has been found again. Even stranger, this bug makes its own clothes. The millipede spins silk, and coats itself in it. This bug has fascinated scientists, and scientists are starting to look into the life of Illacme plenipes.

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