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Animal India

Millipedes are a diverse group of arthropods that can be found around the globe. Some species swarm together during mating season or to hunt for food, and some studies have theorized juveniles swarm together and deploy similar lines of defense for protection from predators. When a squishy, lone baby millipede travels alone, it's a vulnerable target. But in a swarm surrounded by its siblings, it stands a better chance of surviving. While migrating, the swarms often become two or three millipedes deep, they stumble over each other to crawl forward in unison Millipedes are born in clusters that hatch at the same time. They stick together from day one. A similar cluster of millipedes only slightly larger than the juvenile patch, lingering only a few inches away. Millipedes feed on algae-covered, nutrient-rich patches of soil that spring to life during the rainy season. Juvenile millipedes can't subsist on dirt alone, so they seek out patches of soil that are covered in organic matter. Because this organic matter typically grows in patches that are exposed to sunlight, young millipedes are more exposed in the open and are vulnerable to attack. A flock of baby millipedes is in Tehatta, West Bengal, India on 23/08/2023. (Photo by Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto)

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