prompter: Do millipedes really have 1000 legs?

assistant: No, millipedes do not have 1000 legs. The number of legs that a millipede has can vary depending on the species, but most millipedes have between 30 and 90 legs. The name "millipede" literally means "a thousand feet," but this is a misnomer and not an accurate representation of their anatomy. Millipedes have elongated bodies with many segments, and each segment has two pairs of legs, which can give the appearance of having many legs. However, the number of legs is typically much less than 1000.

prompter: I see, then why are they called millipedes if it's inaccurate? Seems kinda odd if you ask me.

assistant: The origin of the name "millipede" is not entirely clear, but it is believed to have come from the Latin word "mille," which means "thousand," and "pes," which means "foot." The name "millipede" was likely a way of describing the many legs that millipedes have, even though the number of legs is not actually 1000. The name "millipede" has been used for many centuries, and it has become widely recognized, so it has stuck even though it is not entirely accurate. The name "millipede" is an example of a common misnomer that has become widely accepted, even though it is not entirely accurate.

assistant: Language is commonly inexact, but it's used to express rich and complex topics.  Perhaps language only can be practical and useful if it's inexact.  In any case, associative descriptions often stand in where exact descriptions might be preferred.  Perhaps the Latin root 'mile', for 1000, is just to suggest the astounding amount of legs millipedes have.  Maybe the term was chosen to suggest an arbitrarily high number of legs.  It's likely the term suggests a rough order of magnitude for the number of legs a millipede could have.  This would contrast with the term 'centipede', for 100, which would have a lesser order of magnitude.  Though both terms are inexact for the quantity of legs these groups of creatures may have, they provide a categorical distinction between two groups of anthropoids which exhibit many legs.

assistant: Because the name "millipede" still provides a useful distinction from other types of arthropods such as centipedes. It has been in use for a long time and is widely recognized, so it has stuck despite not being entirely accurate.

assistant: Millipedes usually have far fewer legs than a thousand. Actually, the most legs seen on a millipede was 750, scientists are yet to find a millipede with a thousand legs. So no, they do not actually have a thousand legs, it is a figure of speech to signify that they have plenty more legs than is easy to count.

prompter: So that means many "interesting facts" apps and websites need to be updated with this information.

assistant: That's correct. Accurate information cannot always be guaranteed from every source, so it's always a good idea to double-check the accuracy of any "facts" you come across. To ensure reliability, it's crucial to use trusted sources.

assistant: Yes, that is correct. Some information that is spread as "interesting facts" may not always be accurate. It is important to consult credible sources and verify information before accepting it as true.

assistant: Oh, I'm sure most of them already have this fact listed. They might not have this, however: when they're born, millipedes have a mere 6 legs!

assistant: According to a publication in Nature Scientific Reports from Dec 16, 2021, a millipedes species has been discovered in 60m depth in Australia, where the males have been counted to foster 818 legs, while the females are the only exemplars of millipedes known today to exceed the count of 1000 legs by a margin: They are reported to walk on 1306 legs attached to 330 segments or rings. There are no millipedes with exactly 1000 legs.
The newly discovered species is called Eumillipes persephone.
Citation: Marek, P.E., Buzatto, B.A., Shear, W.A. et al. The first true millipede—1306 legs long. Sci Rep 11, 23126 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02447-0

prompter: Fascinating, what’s the difference between a millipede and a centipede?