Giant African Millipede

The giant African millipede is the largest living species of millipede, growing up to 33.5 centimetres long. It has roughly 256 legs, though the number changes with each moult. It lives mostly in forests and coastal areas with some trees across lowland East Africa, from Mozambique to Kenya, and is also native to southern Arabia. When threatened it coils into a tight spiral and can release an irritating liquid from pores on its body. This defence makes it one of the few invertebrates driver ants cannot prey on. Millipedes of this kind live about 7 to 10 years.

About the giant African millipede

The giant African millipede, also known as the shongololo or bongololo, is the largest living species of millipede, reaching lengths of up to 33.5 cm (13.2 in) and a circumference of 67 mm (2.6 in). It carries roughly 256 legs, though the exact count shifts with each molt, so it varies somewhat from one individual to the next.

It's a widespread species across lowland East Africa, found from Mozambique north to Kenya, though it rarely turns up at altitudes above 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It also occurs natively in Southern Arabia, particularly in the Dhofar region. The species favors forest habitat but can also be found in coastal areas that have at least a scattering of trees. Giant millipedes typically live about 7 to 10 years.

Behavior and diet

When threatened, the giant African millipede has two main defenses: curling into a tight spiral so that only its hard exoskeleton is exposed, and secreting an irritating liquid from pores along its body. That secretion, which contains the compounds toluquinone and 2-methoxy-3-methylbenzoquinone, can cause harm if it reaches the eyes or mouth, and it's effective enough that this is one of the few invertebrates driver ants cannot successfully prey on. Despite this chemical defense, the species is docile toward people and is sometimes kept in the pet trade, though U.S. federal rules require a permit to import one.

The millipede also has a cleaning partnership with small mites that are often seen crawling across its exoskeleton and legs. The mites groom the millipede's exoskeleton and in exchange receive food and protection from their host. As a decomposer, Archispirostreptus gigas plays an important ecological role in tropical forests, breaking down decaying plant matter and returning nutrients to the soil. Its gut microbiota carries out methanogenesis that assists this breakdown and contributes to carbon cycling, and the species uses hemocyanin, a copper-based protein, to carry oxygen through its body — an adaptation that helps it stay active in low-oxygen environments like rotting logs and dense leaf litter.

Range and habitat

The giant African millipede is native to lowland East Africa from Mozambique to Kenya, generally staying below about 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in elevation, and it is also native to Southern Arabia, especially the Dhofar region. It lives mainly in forests, but also turns up in coastal habitats as long as some trees are present. Its tolerance for low-oxygen conditions in rotting logs and dense leaf litter lets it stay active in those nutrient-cycling niches on the forest floor.

Conservation status

The giant African millipede is classified as Least Concern (LC). No specific population threats are described here; the record notes only that the species is docile, common enough to appear in the international pet trade, and that U.S. federal regulations require a permit for anyone importing one into the country.