That's a Big Whatever That Is

[pshaw_raven]

 I found a Giant African Millipede in the garden. This isn't the first time I've seen these guys around, and as suspected, they're invasive. The one I saw was being tormented by gnats. But it was not even remotely scared of me and allowed me to pet it. I guess I could have brought it inside and made a pet of it, but then do I really need another pet to worry about when I'm gone on a trip? I know my neighbor will happily feed the cats, but will she feed Mr. Shuffles?

And yes, I named the millipede. Any animal that wanders into my yard is in severe danger of being named.

Comments

[expandranon]

What a neat find. I wonder how it came to be in Florida. My guess is pet shops/bad pet owners letting them go in the wild.

[pshaw_raven]

It does look like they were imported as pets and someone (multiple someones) let them escape or turned them loose. And since our climate resembles their home in Africa, we now have giant millipedes. But since they're fairly gentle creatures, it's nice to have something that isn't actively trying to kill you, unlike a lot of other Floridian fauna.