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A long, dark brown giant African millipede on sand.
Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Giant African Millipede

Archispirostreptus gigas

The largest millipede on Earth, a foot-long East African forest recycler that curls into a spiral when threatened.

🐛 Invertebrates
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About the Giant African Millipede

Giant African millipedes can reach 13 inches long and have 100 to 300 legs, about four legs on each body segment. They live on the forest floor in lowland East Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique, burrowing in leaf litter and loose soil. They are detritivores that eat rotting logs, leaves and other plant matter, filling the role earthworms play elsewhere.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Archispirostreptus gigas[2]
Size
Up to 13 inches long.[1]
Lifespan
5 to 7 years in the wild; 7 to 10 in human care.[1]
Diet
Detritivore. Rotting logs, leaf litter and plants.[1]
Habitat
Forest floor, leaf litter and loose soil.[1]
Where it lives
Lowland East Africa, from Kenya to Mozambique.[1]
Group life
Nocturnal.[1]
Babies
A few hundred eggs, up to 2,000.[1]
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2017).[2]

Fun facts

  • Despite the name, millipedes don't have a thousand legs.[1]
  • Baby millipedes hatch with just six legs.[1]
  • It's the largest millipede alive.[1]

Vocabulary

millipede
A long arthropod with two pairs of legs on most body segments.
detritivore
An animal that eats dead plants and other decaying matter.
segment
One of the repeating sections of a body.
molt
To shed an old outer covering, like skin or feathers, and grow a new one.
least concern
A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

  1. [1] Oakland Zoo. “Giant African Millipede.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/giant-african-millipede/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
  2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Archispirostreptus gigas.” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/103866629/103877116 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.