Sonoran desert millipede question!

[Millipood]

Hello there! New millipede owner here. I just acquired to desert millipedes who are doing well, but i have a question. I haven't really been handling them at all because I understand they are the best critters to be touchy feely with, but when i do pick them up, they bite me! They are rather large, about 5 inches, and sometimes they bite pretty hard. Is this normal behavior? Or something im doing wrong? I've only had them a few days. Thanks!

 

[mickiem]

I think when a millipede rasps against your skin it is either hungry or thirsty. That rarely happens and never enough to break the skin or cause much discomfort. Sometimes if I have lots of substrate on my hands, they will scrape against it. It's just little love scrapes, no worries. You'll come to appreciate it.

 

[Millipood]

I think when a millipede rasps against your skin it is either hungry or thirsty. That rarely happens and never enough to break the skin or cause much discomfort. Sometimes if I have lots of substrate on my hands, they will scrape against it. It's just little love scrapes, no worries. You'll come to appreciate it.

Ah thank you! They are very cute but im gonna be honest creepy crawlers intimidate me and i got these little guys to help my fears. They are awesome! But the biting did freak me out a little bit, and when the bit my boyfriend, he screamed! Lol. The big baby

 

[mickiem]

Just don't get alarmed and drop them! That's hard, usually fatal for a millipede.

You'll learn to love them, I am pretty sure. They have such cute faces.

 

[Millipood]

Just don't get alarmed and drop them! That's hard, usually fatal for a millipede.

You'll learn to love them, I am pretty sure. They have such cute faces.

For sure being careful about handling! Really not trying to disturb them at all, for the sake of the little ones. They are really cute though!

 

[PuppyMintMocha]

I see this thread is kinda old, but I just got my first pet millipedes, some narceus gordanus, yesterday. So far every time I try to hold any of them it chomps on me pretty hard. None have broken the skin, but I pick them up off of where they bit as soon as they do, and they have left tiny red marks. I'm hoping they're just hungry or something because I really don't like the feeling of the bite, but I'd love to handle them more.
Just the day before I thought millipedes couldn't, or wouldn't, bite skin at all.

 

[mickiem]

I have had them scrape me pretty hard, too! I always think they are after any residual substrate or moisture on your hand. But it is just normal for some millipedes. After a while, you won't notice it so much. They never break the skin. They're just scraping! Make sure your hand are clean but no trace of soap or lotion.

 

[KeetahSpacecat]

From what I understand, millipedes have very poor eyesight and can only really tell light and darkness. To them, you are a very weird branch, and millipedes are pretty much cows of the arthropod world. The love to eat! So they are going to scrape because you might be a delicious piece of weird warm wood to them. They pretty much 'see' the word through their mouths and antenna so scraping is not a malicious thing. I have had mine scrape me a few times and then wiggle in disgust like 'EW WHAT IS THIS???'. So no worries. Their defense is to curl up and release defensive fluid, so scraping is just them being curious :3

Centipedes however will give you a good bite if they are displeased with your handling XD

 

[LawnShrimp]

To be a little creepy, human skin is a nice soft deposit of protein and other nutrients so a millipede will take advantage of this and chew on you. I reccommend adding a little protein to their diet if you don't already, some dry dog/cat/fish food might keep them from opportunistically eating your hand.

 

[7Fin]

To be a little creepy, human skin is a nice soft deposit of protein and other nutrients so a millipede will take advantage of this and chew on you. I reccommend adding a little protein to their diet if you don't already, some dry dog/cat/fish food might keep them from opportunistically eating your hand.

HOW DARE YOU RUIN THE LOVE NIBBLES FOR ME

i am hurt ;w;

 

[LawnShrimp]

HOW DARE YOU RUIN THE LOVE NIBBLES FOR ME

i am hurt ;w;

Hey, I can't help it if the leggy ones crave flesh every now and then.

 

[PuppyMintMocha]

To be a little creepy, human skin is a nice soft deposit of protein and other nutrients so a millipede will take advantage of this and chew on you. I reccommend adding a little protein to their diet if you don't already, some dry dog/cat/fish food might keep them from opportunistically eating your hand.

I heard that after trying to find out more about millipede nibbles, and put some of my dog's food in. Almost right away there was a millipede munching on each piece, so they must have really wanted that protein indeed!

 

[7Fin]

Ah thank you! They are very cute but im gonna be honest creepy crawlers intimidate me and i got these little guys to help my fears. They are awesome! But the biting did freak me out a little bit, and when the bit my boyfriend, he screamed! Lol. The big baby

I know this reply is a little late, but if I were you I'd try to avoid getting people who are afraid of bugs to handle ya pedes. It is a recipe for disaster! >w<