Pondering getting back into centipedes

Hamadryad

Arachnoknight
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Nov 2, 2002
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:confused: Hey all you pede keepers..
I was heavily into centipedes about 2 years ago and I had about 10 specimens in addition to my spiders and scorps - I had Vietnamese and Malaysian pedes and I had some big beautiful specimens.I ended up selling all my pedes as my girlfriend at the time was really freaked out about them and I myself began having second thoughts about them - I sort of had this gut feeling that sooner or later I was going to get nailed by a big Viet or something as they were so much faster and unpredictable than a tarantula.I do not even sweat my spiders at all but I must admit that I have trepidation about centipedes but at the same time I am itching to have a big Scolopendra again.What do you guys and gals think? those of you who have large collections of the dangerous Scolopendra like S.subspinipes....do you ever get nervous about them? I love the darn things but I am leery of them too..I used to lay awake at night listening to them scratching their fangs on the side of their enclosures...it was a tad unnerving...I am trying to get the balls to get one again....just ONE to satisfy and scratch this darn itch I got...see, here I am poking around on the Myriopods forum again...heheheeheheh

What do you think??????
The Evil Spider Hunter
 

LaRiz

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I think you're more likely to sustain a bite from a tarantula, than a centipede.
It all depends on what you're doing (routine maintenance). How the centipede is housed, etc.
Obviously tarantulas are alot more mobile (can climb glass and plastic).
If you take the proper precautions, and have the proper housing, you should never be in the position to be bitten. That goes for tarantulas too. I've had no close calls, with both tarantulas and centipedes.
Currently, I have a centipede that will "push" itself up to the top of a ten gallon aquarium. It get's up there, but it knows that there's something bigger and more menacing than it, just on the other side of the glass. Oh, I'm smarter than it too. Use the gift of evolution and "tame" that beast. :)
 

Professor T

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Centipedes are scarey. I think a little fear/respect is good if you are going to house one. I agree that you have to house them in such a way that there are no close calls. They are all beasts, there is no reason you have to go for the biggest badest species. A smaller less venomous species that gets 5"-6" could satisfy your craving without the potential for a huge accident.

Figure out what you are comfortable with, and what you can handle safely without incident. Take into consideration the housing you can offer, or are willing to offer, and determine what would be safe in that kind of enclosure.

In my personal opinion, I would want an enclosure where the advantage was always mine.
 

Mister Internet

Big Meanie Doo Doo Head :)
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I don't know about you getting back into pedes, ESH... they might distract you from The Existential Dilemma... ;)

Anyway, if you can handle Tarantulas, you can handle pedes... I have never quite seen what the big difference is, PRINICIPLE-wise. What do you need for pedes? Caution, respect, a container suited to the animal, the proper tools for maintaining its enclosure, and education on the animal itself so you know somewhat more about what to expect... oh yeah, and always remember that you never know what to expect. :) It seems to me that your average T keeper has pretty much the same principles guiding their T-keeping...

I don't keep T's, but after all the reading I've done on Pokies... I can tell you that it seems to me that they are WAY harder to manage than any Scolopendra... as LaRiz pointed out, they can climb glass for goodness' sake! Not only can pedes not climb any smooth surface, they tend to have an aversion to climbing period, so as long as your enclosure is ALWAYS an inch or two taller than your pede is long, and the walls are smooth glass or plastic (with the silicone removed, if there is any), and there aren't any decorations or anything that they can hoist themselves up onto, then you're basically home free and the pede is helpless to get out, even if it wanted to, which most lose interest in after awhile anyway.

If you want one, get one... I think, professor T, that FEAR is not good, but certainly a healthy respect is required. FEAR will only make you jumpier, less rational, and more likely to injure your pede, yourself, or both.
 

Professor T

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Fear

There is nothing wrong with a little fear, it stops you from being complacent. I understand what you mean, if fear overcomes you, you can be paralized from it, and it could be detrimental. Its cool that you don't fear centipedes, but I think its OK if other people do. I admit I fear them.

I had an 8" Scolopendra heros that I caught in a pasture and kept in the animal room at our school for years. I kept it in a 10 gallon tank, and it ate mice, earthworms, and crickets among other things. I had both respect and a healthy fear of it.

I agree with you that its easier for a tarantula to get away from you than it is a centipede. I agree with another poster that we can use our brain to always keep one step ahead of a centipede. However, I'll never be complacent around one, I'll always be two steps ahead!;)
 
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Henry Kane

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Everyone sees it their own way I suppose. Personally, I absolutely do not fear my pedes. I do however make it a point to be as aware as possible when dealing with them. I also take my time and before even opening an enclosure, I make sure there will be no distractions at all. I feel that being nervous or afraid will increase the likelihood of a mishap. Plus in the (unlikely) event of an escape, accident, bite etc. I will react better if I'm not already a ball of nerves. I think being able to relax around them comes with time spent around them though. I must admit that I was a bit tense keeping my first few.

Hunter,
Your decision depends entirely upon what you are comfortable with keeping. If you have any reserves at all, I wouldn't recommend it. If you have the itch though, just think really hard about the whole aspect of pede keeping. If you're ready for the whole routine again, I'd say go for it!
They are friggin' awesome after all!

Atrax
 

XOskeletonRED

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Jan 6, 2003
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I'm getting back into them too. I had to get out of the hobby while I was in the service. I think they're awesome though. I just prefer creatures that act and appear really interesting in some shape, form, or fashion. Healthy fear is, in some ways, the same as respect for the creatures, so do keep a little bit of fear for them, and keep a lot of respect. The scratching against the glass at night can become a little unnerving, but dont' let it get you down about them. I'm trying to get some Malaysian Cherry Reds, myself. They are so intriguing.


adios,
edw. =D
 

Hamadryad

Arachnoknight
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Nov 2, 2002
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151
Im gonna scratch my itch....

Ok,
I have decided that I am gonna get back into pedes but I am gonna take it sort of easy at first...just get ONE pede...maybe a S.heros or a S.morsitans...before when I was fully into the pede scene I had like 12 big Malysians and Viets and it was getting to be rather nervewracking keeping up with all of their feeding and cage maintenance.I had one particular Malysian that was nearly a foot long and mean as hell....it wanted a piece of me and I knew it.Heh heh heh...so I think one pede will not be too bad to ease myself back into the myriopod hobby and see how things go.I am sure I can outthink ONE pede....trying to outthink and outguess 12 of them was getting dicey...heeheehehehhe

I have to wait till the next SCABS meeting out here as our new supplier of inverts is Krazy8's invertebrate which is run by a friend of mine and former employee of PetCenterUSA - he is going to bring some in his words " Big badass Scolopendras" to the next meeting so I am looking forward to seeing what he has available...I might try to find something different than the Viets I am used too...so wish me luck all !!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Spider Hunter
 
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