Millipedes in Love

As recently noted, spring has sprung at Pacific Science Center and that fact has not gone unnoticed in Animal Care. Late in the afternoon last week, Animal Caretaker Dan Warner noticed romantic activity in the Giant African Millipede terrarium. Two of our millipedes, Milton and Mildred, were in the beginning stages of courtship.


So what was going on? When he is ready to reproduce, a male millipede will undergo some important physical changes, in which his spermatophores (tiny packets of sperm) move from his gonopores, located on his 3rd body segment, to his gonopods, on the 7th body segment. Millipede gonopods are also called “sex-legs.” When Dan spotted the pair, Milton was walking along Mildred’s back. The rhythmic movement of a male’s legs let the female know that he is attracted to her. Soon the female raises her front segments to allow the male to encircle her. When their sex organs are in the right positions, the spermatophore is transferred to the female. [I’m kicking myself for not taking a photo of this activity! –ed.]

If Mildred’s eggs were successfully fertilized, she will soon be building an underground nest for her eggs – as many as 2,000! We might even see the first neonates (babies) within three weeks! African Giant Millipede neonates are white with only three pair of legs on a few body segments. They’ll have to go through many molts, adding body segments with four legs before they reach maturity.


Conversation in the Life Sciences department got us wondering: What would be some good pick-up lines that a male millipede would use to attract a female? Or what might a female millipede say to attract a male? We decided to throw this discussion out to our readers.

Here’s a chance to show off your creativity. Just remember – this is a family blog! Don’t make us censor your comment.