This spring and summer started off very dry, and at one point we were under drought conditions. Many of our local ponds and creeks dried up, even some of the larger ones. It wasn’t until fairly recently that we have returned to our normal pattern of rainfall. Slowly, things are returning to normal. Since all this summer heat and humidity has happened, the American giant millipedes (Narceus americanus) are literally coming out of the leaves. During the drought they pretty much stayed hidden in the leaf litter to keep from drying out. Now, at last, they can safely come out and move around. And they are sure taking advantage of it. Any time I head out into the woods, I need to be careful about where I walk so as not to step on them. They don’t make any noise and as you can see, they blend into the leaves pretty well. This one was moving around near one of my bird feeding stations, and it was fascinating to watch. Seeing all those legs moving together in and of itself is pretty cool, but what I enjoy most is when one decides to move backwards, or especially sideways. All of their movements are so graceful and coordinated, but done in utter silence, even through the leaves. It’s a type of movement that none of us with two, four, or even six legs could hope to mimic.