#god ive only ever seen three of tgese guys

[critter-catcher]

It was raining the other night and I found such a pretty guy. This is a Giant American Millipede!

I wanna talk about these guys for a minute because they get a badrap.

Unlike centipedes, millipedes aren't venomous, in fact, they can't even bite or sting you! Millipedes have extremely weak jaws because of that they can only feed on soft decaying plant matter, fungi, and flower buds.

Of course, they aren't wandering around without any protection, they do have defense mechanisms. They can produce minor toxins or skin irritants, which this guy actually did after I held him to get a shot of his legs!

The thing is, unless you have sensitive skin or are allergic to what the irritants are made up of (which I'm not) then it's perfectly harmless. Even if you do have sensitive skin, the reaction is very mild and unless you're grabbing them, they aren't likely to secrete the toxin.

These guys get a bad wrap for being creepy and scary when, realistically, they're one of the most docile and harmless bugs out there! They're very cool to hold and feel crawling across your skin thanks to all those little legs (two per each body segment!).

As always, don't pick up any critters if you don't know what they are, or how to properly handle them!