Giant Flat-backed Millipede
Polydesmus sp.?
-3.52389, -72.3374
Field Notes
Description:
about 4" long and ¾" wide, this lively flat millipede was a light gray with a black stripe down the center of its back bordered by light-gray stripes. It curled into a tight coil when picked up, and I noticed that at the bases of its legs it had a collection of small tan mites, each about 1mm across.
Habitat:
It was creeping along in the leaf litter near a stream in humid rain forest along the north bank of the Amazon River
Notes:
These guys are vegetarians, so there's no fear they'll bite. Two legs per segment means they're millipedes, One leg per segment is a centipede and should be handled carefully. When they walk the row of legs ripples as though a wave were passing through. So cool! Several different millipedes share this common name, so if you know what genus and species it is, please tell me.
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