Millipede
Narceus americanus
Millipede · Mohonk · 29 May 2022
An American giant millipede on the forest floor at Mohonk, among the largest in the country at up to four inches. It lives in the leaf litter of the eastern deciduous woods, from New England to Texas, eating dead leaves, and a large one like this can take years to reach full size, most of it spent underground.
Harmless despite the size. It has no bite worth mentioning; the only defence is a foul-smelling fluid, benzoquinone, exuded from pores down each side if it is seriously provoked. They are seen far less often than their numbers would suggest, and a damp night after rain is the time.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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