Centipede acting out of character

[Gel]

Hello,

I noticed one of my pedes moving out of character.

The most obvious thing is that it's antenna isn't really moving.

He also seems to have limited mobility of it's front few segments. I almost looks like he is trying to bury himself but cant.

His forcipules are also open more than usual.

I've never witnessed a centipede molting above ground (which is where he currently is) but from what I've read, molting starts at the head. The area swells until the cuticle splits and they wriggle out of their old "suit".

He isn't sluggish, just that his front few segments and antenna seem almost unresponsive. I also haven't noticed any swelling near the head area.

As I type this I just witnessed him dragging himself backwards with his terminals and hind sections.

If he is molting would he be more sluggish? He seems quite active at the moment.

Nothing has changed in his setup other than transferring the contents of his old enclosure to a new one. He is still on the same soil (organic) with the same driftwood (pet store bought) etc.

I've had him for over six months.

He has not been exposed to any chemicals either.

Just seeking some advice.

Thank you

 

[MrCrackerpants]

I have had this happen with one of my S. polymorpha. I placed it in an ICU but it still died. I wish I could offer more help. Hopefully others can add more helpful info. Good luck.

 

[Gel]

Thank you MrCrackerpants

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[laurenkane]

Hard to say....it could be a molt coming on (hopefully). How is your guy doing??

 

[Gel]

He passed away last night. Very unfortunate but at least he isn't suffering anymore.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[zonbonzovi]

I'm not sure what is happening physically when they exhibit this behavior but in my experience it is always a precursor to death. In this case I would assume trachea and/or nerves have stopped functioning in that part of the body. When I've had this happen to a centipede, the sections that stop functioning harden, effectively cutting off the alimentary canal(terminology?).

 

[laurenkane]

Aw. Sorry to hear that - glad he is in a better place now <3

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[The Snark]

I glanced at a web page just yesterday that mentioned nematodes of a wide variety commonly infest millipedes. With some nematodes it is a co-biotic cycle where the millipede is required for a portion of their life span. The infestations usually shorten the pedes life cycle, but not always. Most of the nematodes are microscopic.

 

[Gel]

Thank you to all for your posts and condolences.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk