Habitat: Sonoran Desert. New Mexico, Arizona & Western Texas.

Physical Characteristics: They have brown and yellow banding, be solid brown or reddish to orange brownish depending on the region it is from. It can grow 5 to 7 inches long. Millipedes have long, cylindrical bodies with 2 pairs of legs on each segment. New segments and pairs of legs are added each time the millipede sheds. Since it continues to grow and shed throughout its lifetime, it’s impossible to say how many legs a millipede has without counting. Millipedes can be easily distinguished from the somewhat similar and closely related centipedes, which move rapidly, and have a single pair of legs for each body segment.

The head contains a pair of sensory organs known as the Tömösváry organs. These are found just posterior and lateral to the antennae, and are shaped as small and oval rings at the base of the antennae. They are probably used to measure the humidity in the surroundings, and they may have some chemoreceptor abilities too.
Diet: They are detritivores, foraging for decaying organic plant material (in the desert, generally in sandy washes) and occasionally live plants. Unlike most species of centipedes they are not predatory.

Reproduction: Millipedes are egg layers that do not care for their eggs or young. The eggs are laid underground or in some other concealed area.

Adaptations: They are good burrowers and spend most of their time underground. Having very many short legs makes millipedes rather slow, but they are powerful burrowers. With their legs and body length moving in a wavelike pattern, they easily force their way underground head first. They also seem to have some engineering ability, reinforcing the tunnel by rearranging the particles around it.

If disturbed, the millipede rolls into a coil -protecting their delicate legs inside an armored body exterior. If further threatened, it exudes noxious chemicals from openings along the sides of its body. These noxious substances are the millipede’s only defense, since it doesn’t have the ability bite or sting. This fluid can cause a reaction in people who are allergic, but for the most part is not harmful to humans. It can, however, kill other invertebrates, depending on species.

Behavior: Desert Millipedes spend most of their time underground surfacing occasionally to feed. They are usually active in the late evening and at night. During periods of heavy rainfall, these animals may come out during the mid-day. In some areas of their range, their population density can be extremely high, making them one of the most commonly encountered invertebrates. During drought conditions, surface activity is severely curtailed.

Status: Not endangered or threatened.

Fun Facts:

	There are over 10,000 species of Millipedes
	Millipedes are found everywhere in the world except the Polar Regions.
	Millipedes do not have a million legs. Depending on species they can have anywhere from 80 to about 400 legs