

The world's leggiest animal features up to 750 legs and may make its own silk "clothing."

The translucent species, Illacme plenipes, meaning "in highest fulfillment of feet," lives in the foggy, oak-forested outskirts of Silicon Valley, just south of San Francisco. Females of this millipede have a leg up over males, which possess a mere 562 limbs. That's still impressive, as most common garden millipedes have about 100 legs.

Paul Marek, a University of Arizona entomologist, told Discovery News that "all the legs evolved for burrowing in its deep subterranean habitat, and for clinging to the sandstone boulders."


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"Once the plant/fungal material is pierced and exuding juices, the millipede sucks up the fluid through its tooth-lined labral opening," Marek said.

He continued, "Nearly all millipedes are decomposers and feed on decaying organic matter. They're an essential part of the ecosystem; they breakdown organic matter and release nutrients (like carbon, nitrogen and sugars) for future generations of life to use."


"Over millions of years, and through evolutionary time, the millipede became specially adapted to this unique area in California," Marek said. "It's known as a relict species because it is isolated both in space and evolutionary time. Because of this, and significant development (climate change, transit, housing and other human industry), the species is certainly in danger of further habitat loss and potentially extinction."

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Casey Richart, a San Diego State University evolutionary biologist, agrees the leggy millipede "appears to be micro-endemic and should be of conservation concern. The importance of this species is potentially very high. Since it has diverged so anciently from its nearest relative, it likely has unique chemical compounds, some of which may have utility to human society."



Illacme plenipes,Paul Marek