About Tachypodoiulus niger (Leach, 1814)
Tachypodoiulus niger, commonly called the white-legged snake millipede or the black millipede, is a millipede species native to Europe. It is extremely similar in appearance to other millipede species like Cylindroiulus londinensis, and can only be reliably told apart from these close relatives by examining the shape of its telson. This species is found in Ireland, Britain, Spain, France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Czech Republic, and it is particularly abundant on chalky and limestone soils. T. niger has a roughly cylindrical, shiny black body made up of 41 to 56 body segments, and it has approximately 100 pairs of contrasting white legs. It inhabits leaf litter, under bark, and moss, where it feeds on encrusting algae, detritus, and occasionally fruit like raspberries. Known predators of T. niger include the centipedes Lithobius variegatus and Lithobius forficatus, as well as hedgehogs. T. niger is most active between one hour after sunset and one hour before sunrise; however, during the summer it also becomes active in the afternoon. Like many millipede species, T. niger coils into a spiral with its legs tucked inside and its head positioned in the centre when threatened, but it can also escape threats by using sidewinding movements to flee.
