''Sphaerotherium giganteum'' (the giant pill millipede) is a species of southern African pill millipede in the family

Sphaerotheriidae Sphaerotheriidae is a family (biology), family of giant pill millipedes of the class (biology), class Diplopoda. Millipedes of this family are distributed in southern Africa. Genera :''Sphaerotherium'' Johann Friedrich von Brandt, Brandt, 1833, ...

Description

The giant pill millipede is the largest species of

pill millipede Pill millipedes are any members of two living (and one extinct) orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the millipedes' resemblance to certain woodlice (Oniscidea), also ...

in South Africa. Its length is 5 cm, with the body segmented into 11-13 segments. Each segment has two pairs of legs, for a total of about 42 legs.

Habitat and range

The giant pill millipede is found in moist forest habitat under leaf litter in South Africa. It is widely distributed in high-altitude forested areas in

Kwa-Zulu Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...

Limpopo Limpopo () is the northernmost Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa. It is named after the Limpopo River, which forms the province's western and northern borders. The term Limpopo is derived from Rivombo (Livombo/Lebombo), a ...

Mpumalanga Mpumalanga () is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Nguni languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. It shares bor ...

and the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

Ecology

The giant pill millipede feeds on decaying matter on the forest floor. The carnivorous slug, ''

Chlamydephorus ''Chlamydephorus'' is a genus of air-breathing land slugs, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Chlamydephoridae. It is the only genus within the family Chlamydephoridae.Herbert D. G. (1997). "The terrestrial slugs of KwaZulu ...

'', is known to prey on ''S. giganteum'' in the coastal forests of KZN.

Conservation status

The population number of ''Sphaerotherium giganteum'' has not been determined, and it is not formally protected. ''Sphaerotherium giganteum'' may be vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation, as well as exploitation in the

pet trade Wildlife trade refers to the exchange of products derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, tis ...

and in traditional medicine.

References

Sphaerotheriida Millipedes of Africa {{Taxonbar, from=Q10675209