Sam Nichols, age , of Nashua, N.H., for his question:

DOES THE MILLIPEDE HAVE 1,000 LEGS?

A millipede is a wormlike animal that has many segments in its body. The word "millipede" means thousand footed, but no millipede has 1,000 feet.

Two pairs of legs are attached to each of the millipede's body segments. Some species have up to 115 pairs of legs, or 230 feet.

The millipede ranges in size from less than one eighth of an inch up to nine inches.

Millipedes have round heads that bear a pair of short antennae. They usually feed on decaying plants, but some species also attack damp soil crops.

You'll find millipedes living in dark, damp places and under stones and rotting logs.

There are more than 1,000 species or kinds of millipedes living in the world today. They are found everywhere except in the polar regions.