millipede

Everyday

A millipede is a small creature with a long body made of many segments, with two pairs of legs on most segments, that lives in damp soil and leaf litter and eats dead plants. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on minibeasts and habitats, millipedes are found under logs and stones; they are decomposers that break down dead leaves into soil. When frightened they curl into a spiral and may give off a smelly liquid. They are not insects. Phrases: a millipede curled up, minibeast hunt.

Examples

• We found a millipede under the old log. tree →
• The millipede curled up into a tight spiral. tree →
• Millipedes eat rotting leaves and help make soil. tree →
• A millipede moves its legs in waves. tree →
• Millipedes like dark, damp places. tree →
• Despite its name, a millipede does not have a thousand legs. tree →
• We counted the millipede's legs with a magnifying glass. tree →
• A millipede is slower than a centipede. tree →

Note

Countable: a millipede, millipedes. «Milli-» means thousand and «-pede» means feet, but most millipedes have far fewer than a thousand legs (often under 400; one rare kind has over 1,000). Do not confuse with a centipede: centipedes have one pair of legs per segment, move fast, hunt other animals and can bite; millipedes have two pairs per segment, are slow and eat plants. Neither is an insect (insects have six legs).