Sweet little garden pede

[Voracious]

Okay, I don't really think pedes are "sweet", and this isn't something rare or exotic like many here have showcased, but I hope you enjoy the photos anyway. These specimen was collected under a board. The one in the close-up has since been released.

Immediate goal is to keep this little guy alive for a sustained period of time. Specimen is approx. 1" in length. It seems to have grown! Close-up is a smaller specimen of the same species, Chilopoda Lithobiidae.

Future goal is to turn a stall in an unused barn into a mini invert zoo, complete with habitat-accurate terrariums for each specimen, as inspired by professional displays of these and other inverts at zoos.

Now if I can just figure out how to catch this pede for enclosure cleaning without using my hands (yes they do bite, even at this size, and I've no intention of handling even a small pede).

 

[Voracious]

Poison claws visible here.

 

[BugBoyX]

For transporting them, try just chasing them into another smaller container like a deli cup or such. Use an unsharpened pencil or even a small paint brush to move them, so that you don't hurt them while trying to get them to go where you want them to. Cute little guys....got them all over my garden!

 

[Voracious]

Thanks for the tip. They are "cute" in their own way (my wife would disagree sharply )

I'll try a small paintbrush. One of my mistakes, possibly, was including gravel mixed in with the soil.

I want to move on to the big Scolos eventually, and then can post some really impressive pictures, complete with professional-grade custom-built glass enclosures like the ones at zoos.

 

[cacoseraph]

yeah, the gravel as it is right now looks like it could shift and hurt your little guy

i use coconut fiber for these guys.

also they dehydrate really fast, so make sure there is like no ventilation in their cage

 

[Voracious]

yeah, the gravel as it is right now looks like it could shift and hurt your little guy

i use coconut fiber for these guys.

also they dehydrate really fast, so make sure there is like no ventilation in their cage

Greetings Mr. Pede wrangler! Thanks for the advice.

Problem solved. The pede always hides under that clump of moss. It's just a matter of removing that to a temorary location like a mixing bowl which was done. The enclosure was stinking, similar to a dead animal on the side of the road smell. The pede? The tiny piece of cooked chicken I put in?

Coconut fiber would make a good medium, probably similar to peat.

Dessication is a concern. The glass enclosure is kept covered with Seran wrap poked liberally with holes. The pede has stayed alive so far, fed with small earthworms every couple of days, for a whopping four days - a personal record!

 

[cacoseraph]

Greetings Mr. Pede wrangler! Thanks for the advice.

Problem solved. The pede always hides under that clump of moss. It's just a matter of removing that to a temorary location like a mixing bowl which was done. The enclosure was stinking, similar to a dead animal on the side of the road smell. The pede? The tiny piece of cooked chicken I put in?

Coconut fiber would make a good medium, probably similar to peat.

Dessication is a concern. The glass enclosure is kept covered with Seran wrap poked liberally with holes. The pede has stayed alive so far, fed with small earthworms every couple of days, for a whopping four days - a personal record!

hmm, the stinking might be from the worms. when i tried to feed my big centipedes large night crawlers it was freakin awful. most of the worms went uneaten and rotted, terrible smell. the worms like, melted. i read it was cuz my room was over 75*F or something... bloody reeking nuisance.

i have 10+ various sized of that type of pede (stone centipede, who knows genus or species) in a small sandwich container and they don't smell at all. but i wouldn't be suprised if a species has some kinda stinky defensive secretion either, as lots of millis and some scolopendromorph (giant) centis have that.

maybe chicken, but if the piece was that tiny i wouldn't think so

if you have other predator pets you can feed this centipede a piece of whatever the rest of the crew is eating. i feed my little colony a partial crushed roach nymph or mealworm 1-2/wk and they are doing fine to the point of making the babies

 

[324r350]

I know everyone says that these centipedes dessicate really quickly, but I dont think so. Scolopendras dry out much quicker. I keep my lithobes open topped with only occasional misting and a damp piece of paper towel
also, they can be kept comunally, though they prefer to make "houses" like giants

they love the gooey insides to crunchy things
i posted this picture a while back but ill go ahead and do it again

 

[bistrobob85]

What is it eating?!?!

 

[Voracious]

I know everyone says that these centipedes dessicate really quickly, but I dont think so. Scolopendras dry out much quicker. I keep my lithobes open topped with only occasional misting and a damp piece of paper towel
also, they can be kept comunally, though they prefer to make "houses" like giants

they love the gooey insides to crunchy things
i posted this picture a while back but ill go ahead and do it again

Yeah, I too observed they were communal! Put two in the enclosure expecting the larger to eat the smaller. Instead, they essentially ignored each other - even during incidental contact.

Most of things here in Rain Land this time of year are gooey all over (slugs, earthworms, grubs). What you've got does look quite yummy for the right diner! :razz: