# Archispirostreptus gigas (Giant African Millipede)



## krazycricket21 (Apr 7, 2011)

I just recently received mine and am in love already! 

I have read that they really like hardwood leaves like Oak.  I was wondering if anyone has an oak tree or leaves they would be willing to part with.  I would cover shipping.

I also am curious about keeping other milli's in with mine.  Could i add other types?  Do they fight?

I have some stick bugs in there with them but haven't seen any problems so far.

Thanx in advance,
~Anna


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## Fyreflye (Apr 7, 2011)

Wow, that's quite the group you have there!  These guys are hard to find right now, how did you come across so many?

Oak leaves and bits of bark they DO love, and require for good health, just be sure that you get it from a pesticide-free source, and clean it up real well before adding it to your tank. 

Different species of millipedes can co-habitate fairly well, but the problem you come across there is that when they are ready and start reproducing, you will not be able to tell what species the young pedelings are until they grow. 

It may just be a bad angle in the photo, but the dirt looks a little shallow- you might consider adding more soil.  Pedes love to burrow, especially young ones. They will submerge to molt, and it is important that they have lots of privacy and stay hidden when doing so.  

I recommend this book:  Giant Millipedes- The Enthusiast's Handbook, by Elytra and Antenna.  Very informative on how to raise and care for happy healthy pedes!


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## krazycricket21 (Apr 7, 2011)

Fyreflye said:


> Wow, that's quite the group you have there!  These guys are hard to find right now, how did you come across so many?


A friend of mine was breeding them but her house sitter didn't care for the tank and these were the only survivors.  She was sick over it and sold them to me.  Do you know how soon i can sex them?



Fyreflye said:


> Oak leaves and bits of bark they DO love, and require for good health, just be sure that you get it from a pesticide-free source, and clean it up real well before adding it to your tank.


If i find a few Oak leaves from last fall how do i make them safe?  Is there any way to know if something has pesticides on it?



Fyreflye said:


> It may just be a bad angle in the photo, but the dirt looks a little shallow- you might consider adding more soil.  Pedes love to burrow, especially young ones. They will submerge to molt, and it is important that they have lots of privacy and stay hidden when doing so.



Its about 2 inches of 'dirt' and another inch of moss.  Is that enough or should i had more?


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## J Morningstar (Apr 7, 2011)

You can sex them by looking under their head...if you count down 7-9 legs from their mouth, if they are missing their legs and instead have a depression or little bumps they are male...females will have a continuous row of legs. 
By the way I am VERY willing to take one or two pairs off your hands.
Did I say I would love to take any you need to be rid of?!?!?!??


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## Travis K (Apr 7, 2011)

Well it looks like these are, what, about 4-6 inches at the moment?  You have a lot of time before they start duplicating themselves.  I currently have 16 almost mature A. gigas and am looking forward to them breeding.  They are lots of fun.  I am curious, do yours have any kind of mite?


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## Fyreflye (Apr 7, 2011)

krazycricket21 said:


> If i find a few Oak leaves from last fall how do i make them safe?  Is there any way to know if something has pesticides on it?


There are several different methods to prepare 'leaf litter' for your pets, the main goal is to remove any pests that might cause harm.  This thread has a discussion on the topic: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=169186&highlight=leaves

As for pesticides, ask your friends and family if they have any hardwood trees by their homes.  Then ask if they ever use pesticides.  Renters may not know, but home owners should have a good idea of what chemicals they use on their yards.  Unfortunately, you can't look at a leaf and see if it has anything on it or not, but that's why you should always clean, clean and clean again anything you put into your millipede home.  




krazycricket21 said:


> Its about 2 inches of 'dirt' and another inch of moss.  Is that enough or should i had more?


Floor space is more important than depth, and you have plenty of room in there for them.  But 2 inches of soil is a bit shallow- i've read that 3-5 inches is the recommended depth.  I have mine at about 4 inches of soil.


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## The Collector (Apr 7, 2011)

:clap:Wow, you're lucky to have those! If you ever have any extras, pm me! I was (at one point) going to spend $100 and get two, lol. I'll gladly take ANY at ANY time! 

PS They love to burrow! I remember having these a few years back, and they bred like mad. Their favorite temp. for breeding was between 75 and 90 (f). Your set up looks great, but the deeper the better. I had some live plants in mine that the babies would like to nibble on.

Good luck with these.


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## malevolentrobot (Apr 7, 2011)

geez, and i was happy to get one... you lucky thing, with a whole colony of them.

ditto on them loving to burrow, give them ample sub. mine has a bunch of little tunnels in her enclosure i see her popping out of often after putting in new food.

definitely one of my favourites as far as things i own.


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## krazycricket21 (Apr 8, 2011)

Since reading all that was suggested i added another 2-3 inches.:worship:
This time i made little hills with my live moss, i think it looks a TON better and the little guys/gals just LOVE it!

Does anyone know how long or what length they need to reach to breed?  I know i have youngins but want to be on the look out when they do get there.  

Those that have had or still have these millies, what do they like to eat best?  Mine are loving a fish food blend i feed my snails and isopods.  Is there a certain fruit or veggie that doesn't go bad super fast?  I have put in bananas but they tend to mold quickly.:barf:

I have this tank in my pet room (kept at 75-85).  Is there anything i can do to see them more?  They just love tunneling (like malevolentrobot said) but i don't catch them out as much as i would like.:wall:

I've read about how to sex your GAM but don't know if there is an age that this is obvious.  Does anyone know?  I am uploading some pictures of my favorite little girl (i think).  She is the only one that is out during the day.

The cage is in a sunny window, but not direct sun.  I have put up a sheet to try and keep it a bit darker in the tank but don't know if it's helping any.

After looking at the pictures i have noticed a bit of damage on the bands 11-15.  Is there anything i should do?  Will this fix itself next molt?​


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## Philth (Apr 8, 2011)

Travis K said:


> I am curious, do yours have any kind of mite?


I dont know much about millipedes, but I thought the mites on these were common,pose no threat, and considered normal.:?

Nice millipedes
Later, Tom


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## malevolentrobot (Apr 8, 2011)

krazycricket21 said:


> Those that have had or still have these millies, what do they like to eat best?  Mine are loving a fish food blend i feed my snails and isopods.  Is there a certain fruit or veggie that doesn't go bad super fast?  I have put in bananas but they tend to mold quickly.:barf:
> 
> I have this tank in my pet room (kept at 75-85).  Is there anything i can do to see them more?  They just love tunneling (like malevolentrobot said) but i don't catch them out as much as i would like.:wall:


i'm going to preface this with the fact i am no milli expert, but i haven't killed any of mine yet 

i've had good luck with mushrooms for weekends when i go out of town. no mold, they just seem to go squishy and make an earthy smelling sludge when they go, and they seem to at least nibble on them dang near until the end. both my AGB and Thai Rainbows looooooooooooove cucumbers, but those often need to be watched. i also throw in kiwis and have experimented with less liked produce. i think banana was a miss with both so after two times i stopped buying them, since i'm not to fond of eating leftover bananas myself. 

i kind of smear calcium powder on whatever (usually the cucumbers since i know they will eat them) once a month or so, since i heard millis are calcium positive, especially AGBs.

funny i find it all relative i guess, but i consider my AGB out enough, especially compared to the TRs i hardly _ever_ see.



Philth said:


> I dont know much about millipedes, but I thought the mites on these were common,pose no threat, and considered normal.


i've heard the claim some are miteless, while also witnessed mites crawling on the legs on others before. i think these are the ones that are okay untill they are seen in copious amounts, but i could be wrong myself. 

i've seen none on either my AGB nor TRs personally, so i admit to not to knowing much about them. didn't do my homework, as the need had not yet arised, something like that anyway.


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## Fyreflye (Apr 8, 2011)

My A. gigas LOVE cucumber.  I give them some leafy greens most nights, and they'll devour it before morning.  Mine also do not care much for banana, they really seem to prefer veggies over fruits.  They enjoy the rind of a melon, but not the fleshy parts. I gave them the end bits of both a zucchini and a summer squash the other night- they chowed down on the zucchini, but never touched the yellow squash.  So, it would seem that they do have preferences, lol.

It is VERY important to clean all food items before you place them into the tank.  Commercial food is LOADED with parasites!  I recommend organically-grown produce, as they use little to no chemicals at all, but they also cost more.     Even if you purchase an item that is advertised as 'pre-washed and ready to eat!,' wash it.  Thorough rinsing under warm water is generally good enough.  

I also use calcium dust on their food every now and then. If you use the dust, be sure to use a very light coating, or the pedes might refuse to eat the food it is on.  I've read that the oak leaves themselves are actually a supply of calcium, so they don't need the supplements often at all.  Also, dark leafy greens provide some calcium as well. 

Millipedes also need protein in their diet!  I have heard of people using dog food (dry), hermit crab food and tropical fish flakes for this.  I use aquatic turtle food, since I have it on hand.  Some vegetables are a decent supply of protein as well though: mushrooms, artichoke, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato- there's a long list!


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## malevolentrobot (Apr 8, 2011)

Fyreflye said:


> My A. gigas LOVE cucumber.  I give them some leafy greens most nights, and they'll devour it before morning.  Mine also do not care much for banana, they really seem to prefer veggies over fruits.  They enjoy the rind of a melon, but not the fleshy parts. I gave them the end bits of both a zucchini and a summer squash the other night- they chowed down on the zucchini, but never touched the yellow squash.  So, it would seem that they do have preferences, lol.


haha, thanks for giving me some other ideas to keep in mind. and yeah, yellow squash was a no-go. other than kiwi, i haven't found a fruit they will _reliably_ eat.

i always figured dark greens would provide calcium, but it wouldn't be enough. i recall reading AGBs needed more calcium than other millis, but i can't find where i read it. i'd love to know if this is an actual fact.


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## ballpythonteen (Apr 8, 2011)

if anyone  breeds them i would love to put on the list i love these guys wouldnt mind getting some to start a colony at my old work we used banana peel, greens, shredded carrot to feed them daily and removed the old


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## The Collector (Apr 9, 2011)

malevolentrobot said:


> haha, thanks for giving me some other ideas to keep in mind. and yeah, yellow squash was a no-go. other than kiwi, i haven't found a fruit they will _reliably_ eat.
> 
> i always figured dark greens would provide calcium, but it wouldn't be enough. i recall reading AGBs needed more calcium than other millis, but i can't find where i read it. i'd love to know if this is an actual fact.


These guys love calcium, and it helps them grow. I used to use egg shells. It is a fact that they need a lot of calcium compared to other millis, but I wouldn't say more. They're pretty tough.


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## EndlessForms (Apr 9, 2011)

luuuuuckkkkyyyyyyyyy    :} :razz: :drool: these guys are awesome!  have one male that molted to the size of these guys so glad he's finally got his black color


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## scoloclown (Apr 9, 2011)

i will add that my AGB's love cucumber as well. they also really love sweet potato, and they will go through collard green stems as well. a lot of sources on the internet say they have weak mandibles–and they probably do compared to some species–but mine will eat the collard green stems no problem. i also feed the Mazuri tortoise chow as well. AGB's will eat almost anything you place in their enclosure. some people even feed peanut butter. i've never tried it, though.

as for calcium, they need lots of it because they are a very large species with big shells. i just place some cuttle bone or egg shells into their food dish and they will nibble on it whenever they feel they need the calcium. they are excellent at regulating that themselves, as long as it is available to them. i never place any directly on food sources, but that's just me. 

they will also burrow down into the substrate to molt and will stop feeding (if you have a large colony, some will be molting and some will not. use discretion). i will stop placing food in their enclosure at this time. i don't see mine for about two weeks every other month, but when i remove the food dish i will see one buried in a chamber they have excavated. you will see the old exoskeleton once they have shed, and they will proceed to eat it for extra calcium. once they have completely shed, they will congregate back under the bark hides. that's when i know they are ready to commence eating again.

mites are fine for this millipede as long as you don't have an infestation. they won't spread to your reptiles, dogs, cats, or any other pet as they are specific to this species of millipede. they are actually beneficial as they help the millipede stay clean.


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## july_74 (Apr 9, 2011)

*Millipede diet*

I have a very large colony of AGBs that I feed Organic vegetables and some fruit. They like romaine lettuce, Tomatoes, Zucchini squash, Acorn squash, Melon, sometimes strawberries or peaches, Eggplant (both standard and Japanese), White button and Portabella mushrooms. Yes, they do love cucumbers.


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## J Morningstar (Apr 10, 2011)

As far as I know though you should remove cucumber skin bfore giving because it is usually covered in wax and pesticide, just peel them, also they have 0 nutritional value so reguard cucumber as water bites, that don't suck.


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## candace (Jan 26, 2012)

Does anyone have some of these guys available?


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## Galapoheros (Jan 26, 2012)

I know that millis bury the eggs but I still find it strange that there seems to be hardly any info on millipede eggs, ..what they look like, where they lay them, how deep, etc.  Talking about gigas btw.


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## Elytra and Antenna (Jan 26, 2012)

There are photos of AGB eggs and protonymphs in Giant Millipedes The Enthusiast's Handbook. There's some info on how they lay them but not now deep.


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