The Giant African Millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) has been called the largest of the millipedes. It grows up to 11 inches in length. In Africa, where it is found, it lives in rotting plant material and generally avoids light. In the exotic pet trade, the Giant African Millipede is a popular pet.
The giant African millipede, Archispirostreptus gigas, is one of the largest millipedes, growing up to 15 inches in length. It has approximately 256 legs. It is native to Africa but rarely lives in high altitudes. It prefers forest. It is black in color, is harmless and is often kept as a pet. Generally, giant millipedes have a life expectancy.
Most millipedes have very elongated cylinder shaped bodies, although some are flattened dorsoventrally (extending from the back to the belly), while Pill Millipedes are short and can roll into a ball. The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) is one of the largest of the millipedes, growing up to 11 inches (28 centimetres) in length.
We included two “Spirostreptida” species in this analysis: Archispirostreptus gigas (Spirostreptidea) and Cambala sp (Cambalidea). As a result, we cannot comment on the monophyly of the Juliformia or the Spirostreptida, but these superfamilies appear to have diverged between 200 and 300 MYA ( Figure 4 ), on the order of other arthropod orders ( 70 ).
One of the most common and conspicuous forms is the 100-mm (4-inch) black-and-red Narceus americanus of southeastern U.S. forests. The giant African millipede ( Archispirostreptus gigas ), which is native to subtropical Africa, is the largest extant species, achieving lengths up to 280 mm (11 inches).
Despite their name, no known millipede has 1,000 legs, although the rare species Illacme plenipes has up to 750.(2) Common species have between 36 and 400 legs. The class contains around 10,000 species in 13 orders and 115 families. The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas), known as shongololos, is the largest species of millipede.