# Vietnamese Centipede won't eat?



## Centipeder (Dec 2, 2013)

Hi, I have a new vietnamese centipede..He's probably around 6 - 6.5 long and he's been growing since I first got him about a month and a half ago. I left him at home over thanksgiving weekend as I went to visit family (he was fed the day before I left) and I come back to feed him but he isn't eating...I try dropping the mealworm on top of him like I usually do but he just ignores it and tries to go back in his "house". Anyone know what this can mean? Why does he refuse to eat? Usually when I feed him he strikes and devours the worm with little effort on my part. Why is he acting this way now?


----------



## Gel (Dec 2, 2013)

Centipeder said:


> Hi, I have a new vietnamese centipede..He's probably around 6 - 6.5 long and he's been growing since I first got him about a month and a half ago. I left him at home over thanksgiving weekend as I went to visit family (he was fed the day before I left) and I come back to feed him but he isn't eating...I try dropping the mealworm on top of him like I usually do but he just ignores it and tries to go back in his "house". Anyone know what this can mean? Why does he refuse to eat? Usually when I feed him he strikes and devours the worm with little effort on my part. Why is he acting this way now?


This could indicate that it is in premolt.

You can try to pre-kill the prey. 

Centipedes will take pre-killed prey items.

Also try other feeders if you have access to them. 

The thread linked below also has some great information.

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?253056-Scolopendra-polymorpha-feeding


----------



## cantthinkofone (Dec 2, 2013)

I've hated the super worms since I started pede keeping about a year ago. Try a cricket and I'm sure instinct will kick in


----------



## herpguy (Dec 2, 2013)

Centipedes can go a loooong time without eating.  Just like tarantulas, a centipede will probably never die of starvation.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Galapoheros (Dec 2, 2013)

ime mealworms and pedes don't go together well on a long term basis.  Now and then sometimes but they seem to be something pedes don't like very often imo. ...like cantthinkofone was thinking of.


----------



## Centipeder (Dec 4, 2013)

Hey guys, I'm taking youre advice on the mealworms not being good all the time and I'm going to go get some crickets soon. 

Saw him for the first time today in about 3-4 days..He was sitting on top of his "house" but he was acting very strange. It looked like he was picking at himself with his mouth which at first looked like "cleaning" but he kept doing it and stopping and at different parts of his body. The way his head would move was really odd as well. He would pick it up but it would just lean to the side and he was very stiff and slow moving..He then went into his house. I'm hoping this is a pre-molt behaviour and not something worse. 

also, I'm hoping he's not too cold maybe? I live in SF and after my last pet pede died, I went and got a space heater which we turn on sometimes next to his container but not too often. This due to because I leave a thermometer on in the room he's in and it always reads around 70-75, and I don't want my pede to be too hot if this is a perfect temperature. Anyone know why he was acting like that?

Reactions: Informative 1


----------



## Gel (Dec 5, 2013)

Apologies if this has been mentioned before, but have you checked for mites? Maybe it is cleaning itself because it is irritated. When infested, there is usually a concentration of them/eggs between the tergites (segments) but if it's bad enough they may be all over.

Google image "Scolopendra mites."


----------

