# Why Centipedes?



## PhilK (Oct 7, 2007)

So I'm sure you've ll heard it before.. Why centipedes?
What is it you enjoy most about keeping them? Why do you do it?
I do it because I love how creepily gross they are, and how quick and savage they are..

Also: at night my pede wonders around alot, and spends alot of the time climbing the glass. Is this normal or does he hate where he's living?


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 7, 2007)

PhilK said:


> I do it because I love how creepily gross they are, and how quick and savage they are..


Yes



PhilK said:


> Also: at night my pede wonders around alot, and spends alot of the time climbing the glass. Is this normal or does he hate where he's living?


A mix probably. I had one who messed around, but he/she was too large for the box. The others I never notice.


----------



## REAL (Oct 7, 2007)

I like centipedes because of their huge appetite (referring to the subspinipes more). They are almost always willing to eat and I am almost always willing to watch and its fun watching them chase after their prey and get all psycho.

Whoever said these guys are mindless aggressive biting machines don't know these guys completely. I've had times where I was careless and one actually ran up to me, grabbed my finger, examined it, and just backed off. It scared the living crap out of me but it sorta showed me the "beauty behind the beast" point of view, that just because they're rumored to be something doesn't mean they're like that completely and the more you get to know something and understand it, the less afraid you are.

Don't get me wrong, they're still rather bite-crazy sometimes and I wouldn't wanna try to touch them to test out my theory further (I definately cannot afford the medical bill...) but I've gained respect for them.

Other stuff that I like:
1. Their many legs
2. Their hunting style of all out chase, its like they threw technique and strategy right out the window. Sometimes its like they're just running mindlessly after the prey its hilarious. I have one centipede that simply plays with its prey, it would just catch the cricket, release, recatch, does it one or two times, he even does a transport service where he grabs the cricket and does a walk around the tank and releases it.
3. I've never had these guys and have recently started a few months ago and I guess the way they look, the way they move and the way they eat fascinates me.

I like subspinipes the most cause they seem to not really burrow that much, like my haitians which I almost never see, the subspinipes actually stay above ground, or at least mines does very often.

Oh yeah I also like the way they scratch themselves, it resembles a dog scratching itself with its hind legs.


----------



## Pulk (Oct 7, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Also: at night my pede wonders around alot, and spends alot of the time climbing the glass. Is this normal or does he hate where he's living?


I had this same exact question. Apparently some pedes are just stubborn like that, as long as you've met the basic requirements it's not your fault. Suggestions I got were feeding it more, feeding it less, leaving it alone for a long time, making the substrate more burrowable, increasing ventilation, decreasing ventilation, and putting it in tighter quarters. The last two combined worked for me.


----------



## Mr. Mordax (Oct 7, 2007)

The first centipede I acquired (an adult _S. subspinipes_) showed me just what my threshold was for creepiness -- watching him wander around the tank, seeing if there was anywhere he could escape.

When I got some juveniles, I discovered how impressive they are when they take down prey -- they rival Lori's tarantulas in speed (something my scorpions don't really do).  I think their speed and uniqueness in the arthropod hobby are what I really like about them.


----------



## Stylopidae (Oct 7, 2007)

They're living weapons.

As deadly as they are beautiful...I've seen my SHCs take down prey with pretty much every part of their body, from impaling roaches with their terminal legs to immobilizing them with any pair of legs inbetween.


----------



## darkeye (Oct 7, 2007)

And my personal favorite:
Coming across a prey item a little further down their body and watching them use thier legs to express ship it to their heads for consumption!  

m


----------



## Selenops (Oct 8, 2007)

Cheshire said:


> They're living weapons.
> 
> As deadly as they are beautiful...I've seen my SHCs take down prey with pretty much every part of their body, from impaling roaches with their terminal legs to immobilizing them with any pair of legs inbetween.


And because they rely heavily on touch and scent, they appear really inquisitive and intelligent bugs, usually avoid a guilty probing hand such as mine and settle down and keep a shy distance (not recommended by inexperienced keepers). Fascinating creatures that aren't hyperactive bi-polar psychos some make them out to be. Now, I ain't speaking of people participating on this board, I too, love to refer to them by such titles ... with great affection and admiration likewise. And they're fairly easy to care just provide most species with moist substrate. 

They "groom" themselves as frequently as cats do with similar feline-like movements.


----------



## Scolopendra (Oct 8, 2007)

Selenops said:


> And because they rely heavily on touch and scent, they appear really inquisitive and intelligent bugs


definetly. 
my blue-ring (Ethmostigmus spp.) is the most curious of the collection. and she's a freaking pig! there is hardly a day when she's not out on the surface waiting to see what's going on or what there is to eat. I'll open her lid and she'll start wandering about, seemingly trying to taste the air and figure out what has just changed in her environment. The haitian used to be pretty sociable too but it hasn't been seen in the last few weeks...


----------



## PhilK (Oct 9, 2007)

Yeah I love their 'inquistiveness', and their constant movement (so much better than my T that just sits in its burrow 24/7). I like how they groom themselves so fastidiously..

Also I love how they can have complete manic-depressant mood swings!


----------



## Galapoheros (Oct 9, 2007)

Scolopendra said:


> definetly.
> my blue-ring (Ethmostigmus spp.) is the most curious of the collection. and she's a freaking pig! there is hardly a day when she's not out on the surface waiting to see what's going on or what there is to eat. I'll open her lid and she'll start wandering about, seemingly trying to taste the air and figure out what has just changed in her environment. The haitian used to be pretty sociable too but it hasn't been seen in the last few weeks...


I agree.  If people would give them a chance, I think they'd see this too.  They seem to have memory, some might call it something else, like a "lasting reaction" or something like that.  But, I'll watch them come in contact with a cricket, the cricket jumps away but the hunt has started.  They start looking around, probing down in cracks and holes for it.  Takes quite a while for some to give up.  A few out of the lot that I have seem to know the food is going to drop in from above so they reach for the top when they feel a vibration.  The same ones do this, not the others.  All their containers are the same.


----------



## Rochelle (Oct 9, 2007)

I just got my first ...(S.sub. Mau Chau)....it's fabulously creepy and I'm still a little scared of it. Wildy fascinating..I can't stop watching it to see what my pet martian is gonna do next. It's name is Igor....pronounced EYE-gor, for you M.Brooks fans


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 9, 2007)

Damnit people, I've asked a bazillioni times how it is that you ever see your critters :evil:


----------



## Rochelle (Oct 9, 2007)

INSOMNIA:razz:


----------



## thedude (Oct 9, 2007)

jbrdswifey said:


> INSOMNIA:razz:


agreed lol


----------



## REAL (Oct 9, 2007)

RottweilExpress said:


> Damnit people, I've asked a bazillioni times how it is that you ever see your critters :evil:


If your asking as in referring to how you keep your centipede in viewable sight like I do. There's a few ways.

I keep a cobra heat mat beneath the container with less substrate. I also have found that subspinipes tend to do less burrowing compared to my haitians. Seems to work well, centipedes eat normally and everything. But just keep less substrate and see how they do. If they're doing okay then stick with it, if not then you have no option but to give them what they want.

For my haitians I have to give them more substrate cause I'm trying to make them happy since they're living together. I don't want them annoyed to the point that they take it out on each other (at least thats what I think). They're actually sleeping together all the time, but unfortunately I almost never see them. You win some you lose some heh...they definately seem to be a burrower kinda species. I have 5 subspinipes and ALL of them stay above in plain view sight. Subspinipes is my favorite species, but I wish I could get one that I can use a bit for handling.


----------



## Harrod (Oct 9, 2007)

I never ever get to see my pedes ever! No matter what time of the day I check on them they are always hidden. In 8 months I have seen one of my two pedes out once. I had planned on getting a few more but I have enough imaginary pets around the house. Although they are still neat creatures to see when I go in and dig them out.


----------



## Mr. Mordax (Oct 9, 2007)

My immature subspinipes "Hong Kong Giant" stays on top of the substrate, my deceased adult always burrowed, and my immature "Chinese Redhead" almost always burrows.  :?


----------



## Tony92 (Oct 9, 2007)

I keep my 3 subspinipes barbados juvs in containers only twice their body length with less than a 1.5 cm of very tightly compressed down moist substrate ( potting compost ) had them since hatchlings Aug 06 & they are loking mighty fine & big now, nearly always visible 80% of the time.


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 10, 2007)

Yeah, I'm about to decrease the amount of substrate too. The new little S. Heros I got will have some trouble burrowing as I've put only red sand and a small amount of peat. Quite some moisture (although decreasing slowly) and a piece of bark to hide under. At least partially. The little one wants to burrow though, I can tell  I'm paranoid that it'll stress the animals too much and lessen their lifespan.

S. "Stripe legs" has easier burrowing but doesn't do it too much.

The S. Subspinipes "De Haani" is never ever ever visible, I'm thinking of remaking his box, but that'll be a task, hehe. He's also the biggest of the bunch. 

The other 3-4 I sold.


----------



## PhilK (Oct 10, 2007)

Personally (and this is just my opinion, you can do whatever you want) I think that not providing a burrowing animal with enough substrate to burrow in just so you can view it is extremely selfish and you shouldn't keep burrowers if that's the attitude you have... But each to their own.


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 10, 2007)

I agree with you, but I'm open to try things out.


----------



## REAL (Oct 10, 2007)

PhilK said:


> Personally (and this is just my opinion, you can do whatever you want) I think that not providing a burrowing animal with enough substrate to burrow in just so you can view it is extremely selfish and you shouldn't keep burrowers if that's the attitude you have... But each to their own.


Can't always be unselfish about everything or else you might never get what you want.

And saying whats selfish and whats not is quite debatable because if I was a centipede I rather be free then in a container, even if I get food, water, and a mate, i would rather die free then live encaged for the rest of my life.


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 15, 2007)

NoViA515 on youtube.com has afew vids of his pedes living in small vials, and no real mean to burrow. They seem to feed and grow with no problems. I've not tried keeping them as he does, but one gets curious...


----------



## beetleman (Oct 15, 2007)

ive always loved centipedes:clap: the bigger the better everything about them,i never tire of them doing their stuff(hunting,just cruising around the enclosure etc) awesome critters they are:drool:


----------



## REAL (Oct 15, 2007)

RottweilExpress said:


> NoViA515 on youtube.com has afew vids of his pedes living in small vials, and no real mean to burrow. They seem to feed and grow with no problems. I've not tried keeping them as he does, but one gets curious...



Ever wonder if he ever comes here?


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 15, 2007)

Ti's you?


----------



## Scolopendra (Oct 29, 2007)

RottweilExpress said:


> Damnit people, I've asked a bazillioni times how it is that you ever see your critters :evil:


*
dont feed them for a week or two*...or three. that and, like previously mentioned, 1 gallon jars are probably most likely the most awesome thing ever produced by wallllllmart for centi enclosures!


----------



## Ted (Oct 29, 2007)

my polymorpha seem to enjoy staying on top in a deep deli dish with the same depth substrate, but tended to burrow and tunnel in a plastic shoebox sized container, with identical substrate depth.:? :? 
maybe its individualistic?


----------



## RottweilExpress (Oct 30, 2007)

Well, my little 2" stripeleg pling is in my view for all times now, as it's dead :evil: I had a mite problem which disturbed it, and I change substrate for it and went away for the weekend. Perhaps dehydration did it, perhaps not. It sucks so bad anyways. First Scolo I've lost.

An 18 cm Haiti giant and a 20 cm Dehaani will make me happier


----------



## ArachnidArmy (Oct 30, 2007)

*why I chose pedes*

I could probably be still regarded as a newbie to owning centipedes.  I'd been collecting and looking at all kinds of critters for as far back as I remember, especially Huntsmans.  I bought two Australian Tarantulas (Selenocosmia stirlingi) and after two years of good success I decided to try something with more of an attitude and a different way of hunting, and I immediately thought centipedes. I bought my first one last february: an Ethmostigmus rubripes of an impressive 170mm in length.  I just got my second centipede today   and I can't wait to see how it goes.

  If you'll all allow me to waffle on, I had this idea years ago that one day there will be bio-engineered centipedes used by hospitals to treat cuts and lacerations, instead of the usual stitches.  One of these centipedes is applied onto the wound and it uses it's fangs to bite and legs to clamp the seperated flesh together and from it's venom glands are secreted anaesthetic and anti-biotics into the patient.  When the wound is healed the doctor can peel the centipede off and the patient can then take it home to show their friends or whatever.


----------



## PhilK (Oct 30, 2007)

They use ants to clamp wounds shut all over the world... but as for the antibiotics... hmm..


----------



## dthbhk (Nov 1, 2007)

I've owned mostly S. subspinipes for pedes. Why do I love them? I guess cause there so brutal, and like it was posted before the chase you can't beet that entertainment. When the cricket is let loose or gets away, and the pedes like "Where are you runnin to"


----------

