How to Tell a Male Millipede From a Female Millipede

Unless you see a millipede in the process of laying eggs, which is nearly impossible since they lay eggs buried under the soil, you're going to have to do more than just look at them to determine the sex. While many people want nothing more than to get as far away as possible from all of those millipede legs, you're going to need to examine the millipede even closer to tell if it's a male or a female.

Things You'll Need

  • Millipede
  • Camera
  • Small glass tank
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Instructions

    • 1

      Separate the millipede whose sex you want to determine from any other millipedes. Whether you have a millipede farm or have just found one outside, you need to place the one you're studying in a small glass tank so that it doesn't get away from you.

    • 2

      Take a close-up picture of the side of the millipede, so that you can see both the legs and the segments running down its entire body. If you have a digital camera, download the photograph onto the computer so that you can blow up the image even larger.

    • 3

      Locate the seventh segment down from the head on the millipede's body. They have many segments, which means that the seventh will be closer to the head than the anus. Circle this segment on the photograph so you don't lose track of it.

    • 4

      Determine whether there are legs heading out from the seventh segment like they are on the rest of the body, or if the legs are tucked away on just that segment. If the legs are tucked away, you are looking at a male millipede. If not, it's a female.