Sir David Attenborough Marvels at the Magnificent Way a Millipede Moves

In a wiggly clip from the series Micro-Monsters, host Sir David Attenborough quietly marveled over the magnificent physiology of how a millipede moves, noting that the species have remained the same for millions of years.

Millipedes were among the first arthropods to move up out of the water onto the land. They can have up to 750 legs, grow to lengths of 30 centimeters, and live for as long as seven years. This body plan is so efficient that it has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of millions of years.

Millipede Movement

Here are more insects from the series.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.