How does a small millipede survive in a desert-like microclimate?
In a study in the July 1, 2006, issue of The Journal of Experimental Biology Prof. Jonathan Wright and collaborator Peter Westh of Roskilde University, Denmark, showed that a small millipede that inhabits lichen-covered rock-faces is able to absorb water vapor from sub-saturated humidities to combat desiccation. The uptake mechanism is similar to that used by mealworms and exploits a specialized hindgut that probably evolved to recover water from the feces. • Wright, J.C., and P. Westh. 2006. Water vapour absorption in the penicillate millipede Polyxenus lagurus (Diplopoda: Penicillata: Polyxenida): microcalorimetric analysis of uptake kinetics. J. Exp. Biol. 209: 2486-2494.
