As you may have noticed, we've been sticking to dry land lately as we browse through nature's catalog of bizarre and terrifying real-life monsters. Oh, but don't worry, there's plenty more nightmare fuel lurking under the sea, and we'll get back to it soon.
Today's entry, Archispirostreptus gigas, or giant African millipede, is another land-dwelling creature, lurking primarily in the rainforests of East Africa, and is one of the largest species of its kind (they can grow up to fifteen inches). We picked this one because of its eerie, almost fluid biomechanical exoskeleton, which makes it resemble a prototype for an early H.R. Giger art project.
Unless you have a problem with giant bugs crawling on you, we're kinda giving you a break today, as this is a fairly docile and human-friendly specimen, and not nearly as dangerous as its cousin the centipede (some species of which can straight-up kill you). In fact, it's often kept as a pet, so obviously some folks out there find it snuggle-worthy. But it's also known to secrete a toxic, buring goo when disturbed... so cuddle it gently.