# Whats a good beginner centipede?



## rosehaired1979 (Mar 26, 2004)

Hey my husband wants to get into centipedes and was wondering what would be a great beginner from him or should he start w/millipedes first.


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## Steven (Mar 26, 2004)

guess i'll be getting some comments on this  ,... 
but to my opinion a Gigantea is still the best pede to keep,..
even for a beginner.


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## Navaros (Mar 26, 2004)

I'd say try a native, they can be fun, madagascan silver sides are cool pedes, and you can't go wrong with mutilans.


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## Wade (Mar 26, 2004)

Ha ha Steven. You know we rarely get gigantea here in the US and when we do they're pretty pricey, $100 and up. Don't make me start posting pics of vinegaroons  ;P 

Considering the scaricity (is that a word?) and cost here, I doubt I'd recomend it for a beginner, regardless of their other qualities.

As far as docility etc, some species are somewhat calmer than others, but all will bite if given the chace, so in that sense none could really be considered beginner species, but some are hardier and easier to provide for than others.

My recomendation is Scolopendra polymorpha, very hardy species and easy to keep. Usually inexpensive from US dealers.

Wade


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## scarypoppins (Mar 26, 2004)

i would have to go with steven on this one  if you can find a gigantia  thats your best bet but good luck.  another good pede is scolopendra heros casteniseps and well hatians are great but you dont see them much, and like navaros sayd the maddagascan silver sides are realy neet .  here if you want look at my site for so more options ok   thanx    jay

www.bugginout.4t.com


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## danread (Mar 26, 2004)

Although gigantea are probably a good starter pede in terms of temprement and ease of care, they really can't be considered a starter simply due to their cost and rarity. You'd have to be mad or very rich to start off in a hobby spending hundreds of dollars on your first pede. I'd agree with wade, polymorpha are a good starter as they are reputed to be less venemous, or mutilans seem to be a good one as they are a reasonable size and also seem quite docile. I wouldn't recommend Haitans, in the same way i wouldnt recommend getting a burrowing tarantula for your first T, it's nice to be able to see your pet once in a while if it is going to be your first one! 
There really is no such thing as a good starter pede in the sense that tarantula keepers have B.smithis or Avics, or with Emperor scorpions for scorp keepers. All pedes are capable of giving a nasty bite, and all pedes are escape artists. 
I think as long as you research the topic properly and know what you are getting in to, and how to house it safely, then any pede is suitable as a starter. The main piece of advice i would say for a newbie is to keep it in a tank with the sides higher than the length of the centipede, that way you can be sure it wont escape and has no chance of rushing out the tank when it is opened.

Cheers,

Dan.


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## danread (Mar 26, 2004)

rosehaired1979 said:
			
		

> or should he start w/millipedes first.


To be honest, we can't really answer that as they are completely different animals to keep and look after, its like saying should he start with mantids first? The only thing they have in common in terms of looking after is that they have lots of legs! Millipedes arent my thing at all, but if you like them, it tends to be for different reasons than for likeing pedes. Millipedes are very docile, eat vegetables and fruit, and dont bite. Centipedes are the exact opposite.

Dan.

Reactions: Like 1


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## PapaSmurf (Mar 26, 2004)

rosehaired1979 said:
			
		

> Hey my husband wants to get into centipedes and was wondering what would be a great beginner from him or should he start w/millipedes first.


Any north american spp. wouldnt be bad its when you get into those really big asain centipedes  that start causeing trouble, I like the Texas tiger myself, anyways, starting with millipedes wouldnt get him ready for a very fast moveing centipedes, Check out invertepet or swiftinverts(i think they got north american spp. of centipedes).After keeping one of them he should be ready to care for a few of the larger ones.(get a texas tiger if you can they are good looking and not as fast)


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## Steven (Mar 26, 2004)

danread said:
			
		

> Although gigantea are probably a good starter pede in terms of temprement and ease of care, they really can't be considered a starter simply due to their cost and rarity. You'd have to be mad or very rich to start off in a hobby spending hundreds of dollars on your first pede.


it's a matter of what pedes beeing offerd,... i guess
Here in Belgium ALL pedes are expensive (gigantea is as much as a subspinipes as a cingulata,..etc...cause dealers just don't know what they've order,... mostly all are labeled "scolopendra spec."   )
prices go between 30-65 Euro  

when you get lucky you'll find a big Gigantea/Subspinipes for 30,... otherwise you'll end up with a small cingulata/morsitans for 65     

And "true" polymorpha's never made it in the European market as far as i know :?


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## pediepablo (Mar 26, 2004)

I guess that it really just matters what you are looking for in a centipede. If you don't plan on doing anything stupid, and have a proper cage for it, you shouldn't worry about getting bit. If you want a pede that you will see often, from what I hear you should got with a mutilans or a heros. If you want a docile species, then again the mutilans or maybe an alipes (feathertail). If you are going for looks, then you have your choice of several good-looking pedes. I went with a Vanuatu for my first pede. I still think that it is one of the nicest-looking pedes I've seen. Or maybe you want one of the larger subspinipes species? After listing these I would have to agree that the mutilans would be the best beginner species, because they are active, more docile than other species, and look good too. Not to mention the new discoveries that they are communal and omnivores.


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