The enormous amount of plant and animal material on the forest floor is decomposed by fungi and bacteria in what is called saprotrophic nutrition – a process in which decaying matter is absorbed and metabolised on a molecular scale. The bigger bits are left for other recyclers such as worms, flies and millepedes, a group of animals often referred to as detritivores. Especially the millepedes are fascinating, roaming through the delicious rotting matter in search for food. Heavily armoured with dorsal plates, equipped with chemical-secreting glands and able to curl themselves into a tight pinball-like ball, these millepedes are able to bulldoze along relatively undisturbed. We thought that the orange-coloured giant Pill Millepede (Glomeridae) and the Tractor Millepede (Polydesmidae) we encountered in Danum Valley were particularly impressive!
Thank you for bringing attention to these amazing ‘recyclers.’ So much of their work goes unnoticed, and it’s so nice to see them get the spotlight 🙂 As always, I enjoy learning something new through your photography and writing.
Best wishes,
Takami
Thank you Takami! Those millipedes are unsung heroes indeed and we’re glad to hear you enjoyed reading about their humble existence 🙂
Pingback: Life on the Forest Floor # 2 – Fungi | i AM Safari
Wow, the millepedes looks like they are equipped for war:) The orange one, the ‘Pill’, is definitely impressive!
Straight out of Them! – Joan Weldon could have walked into the scene!
I agree the orange one is a beauty. The one I had wriggling inside my sock this morning certainly didn’t look as appealing!
Thank you Sue 🙂
Small creatures doing a job and making a living. Fascinating!
It certainly is Terry 🙂 Specialised in eating waste!