Richard Johnson Jr., age 9, of Hutchinson, Kans., for his question:

DOES THE MILLIPEDE HAVE 1,000 FEET?

A millipede is a wormlike animal that has many segments in its body. The word "millipede" means thousand footed, but no millipede has as many as 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 a total of 230 feet.

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

Millipedes have round heads which bear a pair of short antennae. They usually feed on decaying plant life, but some species also attack crops growing in damp soil.

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

There are over 1,000 species or kinds of millipedes living in the world today. You'll find them everywhere except the polar regions.