Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Giant African Millipede: Archispirostreptus gigas In the Wild Description: Dark brown/black Antennae Many segments and legs o 4 legs per segment o First few segments have only one pair of legs o Most have 25 to 100 segments Up to 12 inches in length Habitat and Range: Central Africa Tropical and arid costal forests Lives on land in moist microhabitats o Under rocks, in rotting logs, in leaf debris, or occasionally in burrows Diet Decaying plant matter o Detritivores Adaptations Cuticular exoskeleton – “hardened plates joined together by flexible membranes”* o allows for strong, but flexible body movement- ideal for burrowing Weak jaws are ideal for eating decaying plant matter Defenses: o Curling up into a spiral o May excrete a noxious chemical from final, “anal segment” Breathe through spiracles Lifespan Lives up to 10 years in captivity 7 years in the wild Ecosystem relationships Prey for many animals o Birds, tenrecs, snakes Decomposers o Help “recycle” and keep waste at a minimum Reproduction: After mating, the female lays a couple hundred eggs in a chamber in the ground o Young hatch about 3 months later o Hatchlings are white and have only the first three pairs of legs 11/11/2010 Giant African Millipede: Archispirostreptus gigas Called neonates o They gain more segments and legs with each molt of their exoskeleton and also darken in color Activity: Mainly nocturnal Other “fun facts”: Arthropod o Belongs to the class Diplopoda One of the largest millipedes o About 7,000 species worldwide in various habitats o Approximately 600 species in North America Have poor to no vision o Light-shy Conservation Status and Threats: Not Threatened At the Zoo The current group of millipedes was purchased from a dealer in 2010. o Their age is unknown Zoo diet: produce What We Can Do Make environmentally responsible lifestyle decisions to help conserve habitat – conserve energy, reduce litter and pollution Choose your pets carefully, the illegal pet trade threatens many other species References: http://www.pdza.org/files/library/cae9b85635dea840_o.pdf Buchsbaum, Ralph. Animals without Backbones. Third ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1987. Print. (Page 322) Burton, Robert. The International Wildlife Encyclopedia. Vol. 11. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1969. Print. 11/11/2010