The millipede is a worm-like creature with up to 400 very short legs. It has two pairs of legs for each segment or part of its body. Despite having so many legs, millipedes move very slowly.
Lots of people mistakenly call millipedes insects, but millipedes aren't insects. They belong to a different family of animals called myriapods. Myriapods and Insects share a common ancestor, so both groups belong to the phylum called Anthropods. Basically this means millipedes and insects are like distant cousins.
Millipedes are most active at night and commonly hide beneath objects where it is dark and damp. We found this millipede in puddle near some decaying tree bark and rotting sugar cane stalks. We think he may have been washed out of his hiding spot by the heavy rain.
Rather than running away from potential predators (things that might eat them), millipedes curl up into a ball to protect themselves.
Unlike humans who have skeletons inside of their bodies, millipedes and other anthropods (like lobsters and insects) have their skeletons on the outside of their bodies.
An exoskeleton is a lot like a suit of armor. A knight wears a suit of armor to protect himself and prevent injuries in battle. Anthropods Invertebrates like millipedes, insects, lobsters, and crabs use their exoskeletons to protect the fragile inner parts of their bodies like their brains and digestive systems.