(Warning to the squeamish: links below have pictures.)
Millipedes don't bite, and aren't poisonous (although some species release a stink if you crush them, and the stinky stuff is harmful to the eyes. So, never crush a millipede with your eyeball). They are not insects, but are part of their own separate subphylum, Myriapoda (shared with centipedes and a couple of other terrestrial critters with far too many legs). They're very fond of organic material (such as the mulch around the garden beds up against my house), and love moisture-rich environments, although heavy rains (such as we've had quite frequently this summer) will occasionally drive a few whole freaking lot of them indoors.
House centipedes, on the other hand, will bite if cornered, and do have poison, although not enough to kill a person. However, house centipedes (which, despite the name, "only" have 30 legs) are beneficial creatures, devouring practically all other multi-legged house pests. (Although not cats, alas.) On the third hand (you know there was a reason I could type so fast, didn't you?), they're incredibly scary-looking buggers, and they scuttle like lightning, which is not entirely conducive to placid coexistence in one's home.
I shall leave you to ponder the motivation for this entry, and say only that I've gotten into the habit of shaking out my shoes before putting them on, and looking first before setting my bare feet down on the floor.
Oh, and my arms are 28" long from the point of the shoulder, allowing me to reach 17 1/2" above my head (20 1/2" if it's only with one hand). (Don't ask, but no, it's not related to the other parts of this entry.)
Posted by gris at July 21, 2005 11:49 AM