American Pinkfoot Millipede (Narceus americanus)

A bit of the eastern forest floor, on your shelf

The American Pinkfoot, Narceus americanus, is the gentle giant of the eastern US woodlands and the biggest millipede native to the country: a four-inch cylinder of glossy dark segments rimmed in the bright pink legs that give it its name, the thing you find under a damp log on a hike in Appalachia. Hundreds of legs moving in slow waves, zero menace, all charm.

It is a tireless little composter (leaf litter and rotting hardwood are both home and dinner), tolerates cooler temperatures than tropical millipedes, lives the better part of a decade, and is happy in a small group. Honestly the single best “first invert” you can buy for a kid, a classroom, or anyone nervous about creepy-crawlies: it physically cannot bite, and it would much rather curl up than do anything. The care guide has the leaf-litter build.

The numbers live in the care guide. Enclosure size, temps, humidity, feeding schedule, premolt signs, handling boundaries: it's all in the care guide for this exact fella. Start with the full Advanced guide, or click for the quick Open the Simple version →