Reproduction

• Millipedes reproduce sexually, where the sperm from the male is deposited inside the body of the female to fertilize her eggs. In millipedes, depending on the species, mating can take up to two days. There is a mating season for millipedes, but again, this season differs depending on the species. Males generally rub the female's side with his legs. She responds by tapping her legs around his until eventually the two millipedes intertwine.
  
  

Eggs and Hatching

• The female then goes off to make a nest out of fecal material the hatchlings will eat, but sometimes she doesn't bother and just deposits them into the ground, preferring soil rather than concrete or stone. She can lay from 20 to 300 eggs. The eggs incubate for a span of a few weeks to three months and then hatch. Depending on the species, some females will protect the nest, but most do not care for the eggs in any way. Millipede hatchlings look similar to their parents, but only have seven body segments and six legs in three pairs, while their parents can have anywhere up to 150 pairs of legs.
  
  

Growth

• Every time the hatchling grows, it needs to shed the old exoskeleton. It finds a hiding place right before it moults, because, right after the moult, the body will be soft and vulnerable. With each moult, the young millipede gains another body segment and another couple of pairs of legs. Millipedes are nocturnal and vegetarian, although they will also eat fecal matter. It takes an average of seven moults for a young millipede to become an adult. Depending on the species, a millipede can live up to 10 years. The largest are usually longer lived, such as the giant African millipede, which can live up to 10 years and reaches a length of 1 foot or 30 centimeters.