# First Scolopendra subspinipes! Enclosure questions



## valkyrie12310 (Jul 15, 2018)

I went to a lovely reptilecon today. Set out to buy some more T's but came home with this beauty.






She's a scolopendra subspinipes and she's very, very fast. I thought I was prepared. I was not. Lol.

I've been reading up and everyone keeps talking about escape stories, which makes me a little nervous honestly. I was just wondering, what sort of enclosures do you guys have and what precautions do you guys take when feeding and cleaning?

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## Staehilomyces (Jul 15, 2018)

I use plastic tubs. As mine don't have very sturdy lids, I weigh them down with books. If the tub can lock shut, you won't need to do so.

When it comes to maintenance, I don't get too paranoid. Once pedes settle in, they generally keep to themselves. If you're worried, give the pede a feed before doing any enclosure maintenance, so it's occupied and won't bolt.

One last thing, your pede looks more like an orange-legged S. dehaani, a species often sold as S. subspinipes, as it was once considered a subspecies.

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## Greasylake (Jul 15, 2018)

Ah yes I think I saw that exact centipede and i know exactly who you bought it from. I was at the expo yesterday. Having seen the centipede in person I can pretty confidently say it's a dehaani, not a subspinipes. I remember seeing them and explaining to my mom that they were mislabeled and it was a very common problem in the hobby.


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## NYAN (Jul 15, 2018)

As already mentioned that’s a dehanni. I keep mine in a plastic storage tub that has holes poked in the sides and lid. Inside the enclosure is 3-4 inches of substrate which is sandbox and coco fiber. There is also a water dish and 2 hides. Pretty simple species to keep. They indeed can be very fast, especially when disturbed. The venom on this species is brutal also, don’t get bitten. Other than that they are lots of fun. You will probably see your animal at night or early mornings, so that’s something to look forward to. Welcome to the hobby! Curious, what other pedes did you see?


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## Greasylake (Jul 15, 2018)

NYAN said:


> Curious, what other pedes did you see?


It was mostly dehaani. There were a few Africans being sold by a different vendor and that's who I got my grandidieri from.


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## Chris LXXIX (Jul 15, 2018)

valkyrie12310 said:


> I've been reading up and everyone keeps talking about escape stories, which makes me a little nervous honestly.


Don't be nervous... rejoice, instad. For that maybe you just purchased a gravid female, and one day, all of a sudden, you will share the very same joy I had: lovely pedelings all over the place!

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## NYAN (Jul 15, 2018)

Greasylake said:


> It was mostly dehaani. There were a few Africans being sold by a different vendor and that's who I got my grandidieri from.


Any interesting Asian Pedes, new world Pedes such as giants, heros etc?


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## Greasylake (Jul 15, 2018)

NYAN said:


> Any interesting Asian Pedes, new world Pedes such as giants, heros etc?


There was supposed to be a cherry red dehaani, but that was sold less than an hour after the show opened. Other than that no giants.


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## valkyrie12310 (Jul 15, 2018)

Chris LXXIX said:


> Don't be nervous... rejoice, instad. For that maybe you just purchased a gravid female, and one day, all of a sudden, you will share the very same joy I had: lovely pedelings all over the place!


O.O 

That would be _something_ to wake up to


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## NYAN (Jul 15, 2018)

valkyrie12310 said:


> O.O
> 
> That would be _something_ to wake up to


Yeah... it happens more often than not. Centipedes are notorious for being bad mommies if they get stressed, as in they will eat their eggs.


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## Scoly (Jul 16, 2018)

valkyrie12310 said:


> I've been reading up and everyone keeps talking about escape stories, which makes me a little nervous honestly. I was just wondering, what sort of enclosures do you guys have and what precautions do you guys take when feeding and cleaning?


So this is your first centipede?

Have a read through some of the threads on here for advice, you may need to dig quite far back. But in summary:

That species is fast, aggressive, grows pretty large and has a very, very nasty bite. Never handle it, and be careful with manoeuvring and feeding etc...
They can squeeze and through narrow flat gaps, and push loose lids open
The can't climb smooth surfaces, but almost always reach the lid of the enclosure
Any weakness in the lid will likely result in an an overnight escape

They dig, burrow and hide very well, so check the cage thoroughly if you suspect an escape
Most escapees are not found again
So basically make sure you have a super secure cage, with tall walls (at least the length of the centipede for this species) to make working with it easier. A large cookie jar with a screw on lid is a safe bet until it outgrows that. RUBs can be OK so long as the lid cannot be pried open, it really depends on the design. Any flimsy attempt at putting your own lid on an aquarium or similar is asking for trouble, unless you're pretty confident with what you're doing. They will use the space you give them, but can also live in quite a cramped space for a long time too, so better go small & secure than large.

I can't remember the temperature guidelines for this species, but they need warmth, and also an escape from warmth, some centipedes can overheat.

They need water which they can drink, which is not the same as high humidity. These ones tolerate wet and dry conditions.

If the dorsal scales overlap it could do with a bit more food. If they don't touch then you should wait a while before feeding again. You'll get a feel for this over time.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## valkyrie12310 (Jul 16, 2018)

Scoly said:


> So this is your first centipede?
> 
> Have a read through some of the threads on here for advice, you may need to dig quite far back. But in summary:
> 
> ...


This is very helpful. Just to clarify, what does RUB's stand for again? and what are the dorsal fins?

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## Scoly (Jul 16, 2018)

valkyrie12310 said:


> This is very helpful. Just to clarify, what does RUB's stand for again? and what are the dorsal fins?


Did I say dorsal fins???  I meant dorsal scales, And RUB is "Really useful Box" -- a quick google search will show you. I think the actual "Really useful Box" brand ones snap shut quite securely, but there are many similar brands, some of which are not safe for centipedes. If you think you could push a metal wire through a gap between the wall and lid in the middle of the long section (that's where there is the most give) then you shouldn't consider it safe.

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## Scoly (Jul 16, 2018)

You might also want to check out this recent thread: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/scolopendra-subspinipes-dehaani-how-to-work-with-them.309254


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## valkyrie12310 (Jul 18, 2018)

Scoly said:


> You might also want to check out this recent thread: http://arachnoboards.com/threads/scolopendra-subspinipes-dehaani-how-to-work-with-them.309254


Bless. Thanks a ton. I went out and bought a bin today. Imma post a picture of the setup when I'm done.

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## InvaderTarantula (Jul 31, 2018)

I’ve kept a ~7” S. dehaani for about 6 months now, originally in a shallow tub that was about 12x8x6 in. for almost 5 months. Had a locking lid and I duct taped the sides but over time I found that I got anxious keeping it in there as there was maybe 3 inches from the substrate to the top of the tub so opening it to feed/clean was always a surprise. I recently rehoused it into a taller tub about a foot tall with 4” of substrate because I felt like it couldn’t properly dig in the other and moved my Heterometrus into that one since they don’t pose much risk with stings or escapes. I haven’t been able to find a tub with a really good lid seal so I duct tape this one too. It sucks having to take it off or put it on every time I do maintenance but I only feed once sometimes twice a week and there’s springtails in there so cleaning isn’t a big issue. I also don’t have to mist much because tubs hold in moisture really well and duct tape is relatively cheap so it works for me. I fed the pede today and after it was done it looked like it was trying to escape. First time I’ve ever seen it do that, luckily the plastic is really smooth so it couldn’t reach the top but I know those things are crafty! Good thing I put on extra tape today lol.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## basin79 (Jul 31, 2018)

I know it's a bit pedantic but centipedes aren't aggressive. Just like tarantulas aren't. Left to their own devices they're calm beautiful inverts.

They can however be defensive. Defensive isn't the same as aggressive. 

As above pedes are 100% best kept in RUBs or plastic containers. Unlike aquariums or exo terras that have silicone in the corners that pedes have absolutely no problem climbing up plastic tubs don't. 

Bare in mind once you get past 24lt RUBs though some of them have gaps in the lid. 

If you have a pede in a plastic tub that is taller than the pede with sub in you're fine. Although obviously if you have say a cork bark hide at the side the pede will use that as a leg up. 

Honestly commonsense goes such a long way with pedes. Whilst I wouldn't advise it I keep 2 of my pedes in enclosures they can climb out of. I just have various lids/tubs handy to guide them back in.

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