| “ | Arthropleura. He's a distant relative of modern Millipedes, but as long as a car. He could rear up tall enough to look you right in the eye. | ” |
Arthropleura was a giant millipede genera and a distant relative of other millipedes and centipedes - an arthropleurid anthropod. It grew to 2.3 metres in length, as tall as a man and as long as a car.
Facts[]
Arthropleura is the largest land arthropod on Earth ever known. The reason why they were able to grow so big is because the oxygen level was 50% higher than it is today, and this higher oxygen content in the atmosphere could support arthropods and enable them to evovle into larger species whose circulatory system was not as efficient as those of vertebrates. Arthropleura lived in the Carboniferous forests, approximately 323-299 million years ago. They became extinct shortly before the Permian, when forests were decreasing and the landscape was becoming dryer, as their habitat disappeared and they could not adapt to their new predators.
Diet[]
Although Arthropleura's diet consisted of mostly plants like its smaller relatives, and it was possibly carnivorous as a juvenile, because they did not develop the ability to properly digest plants until they matured. Arthropleura was one of the first animals to eat plants. Although they were vegetarians, they had strong jaws and could deliver a nasty bite, but it is unlikely that they were poisonous.
Defense[]
Arthropleura had few (if any) predators, as its large size and thick armor offered substantial protection. They could also rear up tall enough to look humans right in the eye. Rearing up was a defensive reaction, and it was likely that they could spray chemicals like millipedes and centipedes.
In the series[]
Walking with Monsters[]
Program 2[]
An Arthropleura was seen in the second episode. An Arthropleura chases a Megarachne away from its territory. The giant millipede then moves towards the rising water as it forages for food. However, it comes into conflict with a Proterogyrinus. At first, the Arthropleura uses its armored skin to protect itself from getting bitten by the giant amphibian, but Proterogyrinus pushes the giant creature over, causing the Arthropleura to get impaled by a large tree stump. The Protergyrinus then consumes the carcass by munching on its soft, exposed innards. Another Arthropleura was seen on top of a fallen tree near the spider's new hole before the lightning strike down.
Appearances In Other Media[]
Prehistoric Park[]
Read More at the Prehistoric Park Wiki
Arthropleura appeared in the fifth episode. Nigel Marven accidentally found one and the Arthropleura confronted him. The Arthropleura didn't identify him as a threat and crawled away. When a forest fire started, Nigel Marven stumble upon another Arthropleura that is buried under the leaf litter and saved it and took it back to Prehistoric Park. Head Keeper Bob later fed it in the Bug House.
Primeval[]
Read more at the Anomaly Research Centre
Arthropleura first appeared in the second episode of the first season. It poisoned a London Underground pest controller after coming through an Anomaly. The Home Office team later found it and got attacked by it. Stephen Hart later got poisoned by it. Nick Cutter, Tom Ryan and Connor Temple later found the Arthropleura and got a venom sample. They fought the Arthropleura until it got electrocuted by an electric box.
The Arthropleura later reappeared in the penultimate and final episodes of the second season. Oliver Leek took one and put it in his Creature Prison. When a Smilodon destroyed the controls, the Arthropleura and all the other creatures were released. It was killed when all the creatures turned on each other.
The series gave an inaccurate portrayal of the animal by giving it more bulk, making it larger, and giving it a venomous bite (which only centipedes had, as as Arthropleura was a millipede, it did not have venomous bites).
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
Walking with Monsters[]
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