Millipede

My Home: I am found through North America and in other parts of the world that have moist environments.
I live outdoors in moist, dark, protected areas like
under bark, logs, leaves or rocks. I am most active
at night.

What I eat: I lack the venomous front jaws of
centipedes and primarily eat decaying plants.

What I look like: I am long, slow moving, and
resemble a worm. I have two pairs of legs on
each body segment. A centipede has only one
pair of legs on each segment. My length can be
from 1 to 12 inches.

How I am born: I go through two stages of development: egg and adult. My egg is laid in the ground during the springtime. After I hatch, I resemble a small adult. To grow,
I molt and shed my skin, adding a segment and a set of legs each time my skin is shed.

Illustrations by:  Jane Case and Savannah Clark