████ # This file was generated bot-o-matically! Edit at your own risk. ████
This creature has the most legs of any living animal [cnn.com]:
The first true millipede has been discovered in Australia. It has the most legs of any living animal
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. [cnn.com]
However, despite a name derived from the Latin for thousand (mille) and feet (pes), no millipede has been found with more than 750 legs -- until now.
Scientists have discovered the first millipede that has more than 1,000 legs -- 1,306 to be precise -- and the most legs of any living creature on Earth. It was found living 60 meters (200 feet) below ground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration in Western Australia.
The eyeless invertebrate -- it's 3.7 inches (9.5 centimeters) long and 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) wide -- has 330 body segments, antennae, a beak for feeding and a cone-shaped head.
"It's as if you pulled a 3-inch white thread from a shirt (but it had 1,306 legs)," said Paul Marek, an associate professor at the department of entomology at Virginia Tech via email.
Also at CNN [cnn.com], SciTechDaily [scitechdaily.com]