Do Arizona centipedes hibernate?

Georgia B

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Sep 3, 2017
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I know of course it stays warm in Arizona year round, but different critters have different habits so I’m asking. (I’m from a place with winter...)

I collected a scolopendra of some kind near Tucson this past August. It seems to be living quite happily in the home I made for it. It has made all sorts of tunnels in the substrate and I can often see it resting in a burrow if I pick up the container and look up at the bottom.

Last week I added some water to the water dish and let it spill out in order to keep the sub moist. The water ran into the tunnels and flooded the burrow where the centipede was. I looked underneath and it was unresponsive...just floating around in the water not moving, so I assumed it was dead. I got my long tongs out to dig it up it didn’t move until I had pulled it out of the dirt completely, then lo and behold it was alive and wriggling and I nearly had a heart attack. Good thing I didn’t use my fingers.

That leads me to my question. Was it still and unresponsive because it was, I don’t know, feeling zen or something? Or was it trying to hibernate and I disturbed it badly by digging it up with my tongs? Lately when I put crickets in, they remain uneaten so I don’t think it’s been coming out at all.
 

Bill S

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I live in the Tucson area, and keep Scolopendra heros. Even find them in the house during the warm parts of the year. Contrary to popular impressions, Tucson area does get cold in the winter. Not as cold as Canada, but we do get freezing nights, even a little snow once in a while. My locally caught Scolopendra become much less active during the winter. They do not actually hibernate - but they can stay underground and inactive for much longer periods.
 

NYAN

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Dec 23, 2017
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I live in the Tucson area, and keep Scolopendra heros. Even find them in the house during the warm parts of the year. Contrary to popular impressions, Tucson area does get cold in the winter. Not as cold as Canada, but we do get freezing nights, even a little snow once in a while. My locally caught Scolopendra become much less active during the winter. They do not actually hibernate - but they can stay underground and inactive for much longer periods.
A bit unrelated, but I’ll be in Tucson about 3 weeks from now. Daytime temps should be in the 70s, which isnt too cold. Anyway, what are the inverts doing this time of year? I’m mostly going to look for scorps, true spiders and Pedes.
 

Georgia B

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Joined
Sep 3, 2017
Messages
64
I live in the Tucson area, and keep Scolopendra heros. Even find them in the house during the warm parts of the year. Contrary to popular impressions, Tucson area does get cold in the winter. Not as cold as Canada, but we do get freezing nights, even a little snow once in a while. My locally caught Scolopendra become much less active during the winter. They do not actually hibernate - but they can stay underground and inactive for much longer periods.
Ok thank you very much for the reassurance. I won’t worry if it doesn’t barely move or eat over the winter, I’ll just make sure the sub is somewhat moist so he doesn’t dry out. Might even put it in a cool room.
 

StampFan

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jul 12, 2017
Messages
756
I know of course it stays warm in Arizona year round, but different critters have different habits so I’m asking. (I’m from a place with winter...)

I collected a scolopendra of some kind near Tucson this past August. It seems to be living quite happily in the home I made for it. It has made all sorts of tunnels in the substrate and I can often see it resting in a burrow if I pick up the container and look up at the bottom.

Last week I added some water to the water dish and let it spill out in order to keep the sub moist. The water ran into the tunnels and flooded the burrow where the centipede was. I looked underneath and it was unresponsive...just floating around in the water not moving, so I assumed it was dead. I got my long tongs out to dig it up it didn’t move until I had pulled it out of the dirt completely, then lo and behold it was alive and wriggling and I nearly had a heart attack. Good thing I didn’t use my fingers.

That leads me to my question. Was it still and unresponsive because it was, I don’t know, feeling zen or something? Or was it trying to hibernate and I disturbed it badly by digging it up with my tongs? Lately when I put crickets in, they remain uneaten so I don’t think it’s been coming out at all.
Kinda sounds like premolt.
 

FrDoc

Gen. 1:24-25
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Jul 18, 2017
Messages
832
I haven’t seen my H. arizonensis in over six weeks, and I live in Florida.
 

StampFan

Arachnodemon
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Jul 12, 2017
Messages
756
Oh! I’ll keep my eye out for that too.
If you haven't had a Scolopendra molt before it is more intensive monitoring if you want to be sure. Check morning and night as they will eat the entire molt and unless they look significantly bigger or more colourful you'd never know.....
 

Bill S

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 2, 2006
Messages
1,418
Kinda sounds like premolt.
Not a good time of year for Arizona S. heros to molt. More likely just winter inactivity.

A bit unrelated, but I’ll be in Tucson about 3 weeks from now. Daytime temps should be in the 70s, which isnt too cold. Anyway, what are the inverts doing this time of year? I’m mostly going to look for scorps, true spiders and Pedes.
Temperatures by then will be in the 60s during the day, possibly freezing at night. Not a lot of invert activity in the winter. You can find scorpions under boards and stuff, but not out moving around. We're still seeing a few true spiders (jumpers) out on warm days, but you'll have the best luck in sheltered areas. Haven't seen any centipedes moving around at this time of year. Best time for finding all that stuff is during the summer rains.
 
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