Scientific Name:
Paeromopus (genus)
Description
These ancient organisms are amazing! They were the first animals to move from water to land, living over 428 million years ago. They are dark colored, cylindrical and do not have 1,000 legs, but more like 100, two per body segment.
Behaviors
They are found in moist environments under bark, leaf litter or rocks. They can barely see, but will coil up when sensing an onslaught of light.
Fun Facts
They are chemically protected, tasting bitter to birds, that will drop them and even vomit them out, if they accidentally decide to eat one.
Nature Topics
Photo by Carol Hoffman