A jaw-dropping video posted by @luv_exotics has stunned viewers worldwide, racking up over 14 million views, as it showcases the extraordinary maternal devotion of a Giant Mint Leg Centipede (Scolopendra species).

In the clip, the centipede—nicknamed “Mint Legs” for her striking green-tinted limbs—is seen curled protectively around her newly hatched offspring. What appears at first glance to be a writhing mass of legs is, in fact, a living fortress: the mother shielding her babies from parasites, predators, and infection.

My pet Scolopendra species “Mint Legs” laid eggs and can be seen in this video caring for her babies once they hatched.

Centipede mothers sacrifice a lot to make sure their babies survive; from the moment they lay the eggs they curl around them protecting them from parasites and predators, and also cleaning each and every one constantly to keep them safe from bacteria and fungus. This entire process lasts about 3 months, where the mother does not move from this “ball of legs” once, not even to eat or drink water, she goes without until the babies are ready to be on their own.