Question 1

True or false: Giant African millipedes are native to the tropical regions of Africa.

Accepted Answer

True. They are found in lowland forests and savannas of East and Central Africa, including Tanzania and Kenya.

Question 2

True or false: Giant African millipedes are fast-moving predators that hunt small animals.

Accepted Answer

False. They are slow, nocturnal detritivores that feed on decaying plant matter, not predators.

Question 3

True or false: Giant African millipedes can grow to be up to 15 inches long.

Accepted Answer

True. The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) is the largest millipede species, reaching lengths up to 15 inches (38 cm).

Question 4

True or false: Giant African millipedes have exactly 1,000 legs on their body.

Accepted Answer

False. The name 'millipede' means thousand legs, but no species has that many; they typically have 300 to 400 legs.

Question 5

True or false: Giant African millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment.

Accepted Answer

True. Millipedes are diplopods; each body segment (except the first few) bears two pairs of legs, unlike centipedes.

Question 6

True or false: Giant African millipedes are classified as insects in the animal kingdom.

Accepted Answer

False. Millipedes belong to the class Diplopoda, not Insecta. They are myriapods, related to centipedes.

Question 7

True or false: Giant African millipedes secrete a defensive fluid containing benzoquinones.

Accepted Answer

True. When threatened, they release a yellowish fluid with benzoquinones that can irritate skin and deter predators.

Question 8

True or false: Giant African millipedes are venomous and can deliver a painful bite.

Accepted Answer

False. They do not bite or possess venom. Their defense is a harmless secretion, not a venomous bite.

Giant African Millipede Trivia Questions