Scientists Find Rare California Millipede

Scientists have rediscovered <EM>Illacme plenipes</EM>, a millipede that is the world's leggiest creature, in a tiny patch of San Benito County, Calif. The millipede was discovered in 1926.

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Scientists have rediscovered Illacme plenipes, a millipede that is the world's leggiest creature, in a tiny patch of San Benito County, Calif. (Photo: Associated Press)

Scientists have rediscovered Illacme plenipes, a millipede that is the world's leggiest creature, in a tiny patch of San Benito County, Calif. The millipede was discovered in 1926.

The word millipede literally means a thousand feet, although no millipede has so many. The I. plenipes comes closest with females possessing as many as 750 legs.

Over the course of three trips to the California Floristic Province, an area in California with Mediterranean-like climate, scientists found four male specimens and three females, which they write about in the June 8 issue of the journal Nature.

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Source: MSNBC