Sphaerotheriida
Sphaerotheriida is an order (biology), order of millipedes in the infraclass Pentazonia, sometimes known as giant pill millipedes. They inhabit Southern Africa, Madagascar, South and Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Like the Northern Hemisphere pill millipedes of the order Glomerida, these millipedes can roll into a ball when disturbed. When they are rolled-up, most sphaerotheriidans reach a maximum size of a cherry or golf ball, but some species from Madagascar can even reach the size of an orange (an example of island gigantism; illustration . When rolled-up, predators are unable to unravel giant pill millipedes since the margins of their second and last dorsal plates fit perfectly into one another, creating a sealed ball. A few giant pill millipede species are able to produce sound, the only millipedes known to do this. This order of millipedes is also unique in that some African species are used for medicinal purposes. Morphology Sphaerotheriidans are characterized ...
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Sphaerotheriidae
Sphaerotheriidae is a family (biology), family of giant pill millipedes of the class (biology), class Diplopoda. Millipedes of this family are distributed in southern Africa. Genera :''Sphaerotherium'' Johann Friedrich von Brandt, Brandt, 1833, 54 species, South Africa, Zimbabwe :''Kylindotherium'' Carl Attems, Attems, 1926, monotypic, South Africa References

Sphaerotheriida Millipedes of Africa Millipede families {{Millipede-stub ...
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