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Every once in a while, people will spot what looks like a big glob of spaghetti lying on the ground outside somewhere — and it’s able to move and travel on its own. Luckily, this isn’t a monster or the beginning of a “The Last of Us” type of situation.
It’s actually just a swarm of millipedes.
When millipedes are still young, they often stick together and move along as a group. That way, they’re a little more protected and can get to places faster than if they were on their own. Older millipedes can move this way, too, during mating season or to hunt for food.
In 1920, swarms of millipedes appeared along train tracks in Japan in such large numbers that the trains had to be closed down for a period of time until the tracks were cleared again. The millipede swarms literally shut down trains, which shows just how well they move together and how powerful they can be.
The train-stopping millipedes, as they came to be called, started appearing in the same area of Japan every 10 years or so, prompting scientists to study their life cycles to try and learn more about these fascinating little guys.
There are still some things that aren’t fully known about millipedes, but one thing is for sure — they definitely have a wild way of getting around.