Pauropods: Pauropoda

They are found on all continents except Antarctica. There are about seven hundred species known worldwide. The pauropods of the United States and Canada are so poorly known that it is not possible to give even an approximate number of species found in these countries.

Pauropods live in a variety of habitats and are most common in the upper 7.8 inches (200 millimeters) of soil. They are often found in moist soils under rocks, wood, and clumps of moss.

The foods of most pauropods are unknown. Some species eat mold or suck fluids from the rootlike structures of funguses. One species is known to eat the tiny hairlike structures on plant roots.

Pauropods are small and secretive animals that are overlooked by most people, even trained scientists. One species (Saintpaulia) in the Netherlands is known to damage greenhouse cuttings, but all others do not impact people or their activities.

There are no pauropods considered endangered or threatened. They are so poorly known that little thought has been given to their conservation.