# Alternans and Polymorpha strange interactions Vid



## Mastigoproctus (Mar 11, 2016)

I want to first strat off with please refrain from calling my stupid, it happens enough already and I'm totally awar of how frown upon what I'm doing is but to each their own. First off all the centipedes in all my videos have been worked with on some level using my as I call them, "socialization" methods. There are numerous videos on my YouTube explaining them and I have not received a single envenomation as long as I always fallow them. Now the Alternans in this video I actually received yesterday and only did one hand feeding but the results were just like all the other centipedes I have ever worked with. 

Now the misconception exists that centipedes are aggressive and they envenomate for no reason at random, that's 100% faulse and my years of work with them is proving that to me ever so repeatedly. This video will show you 2 separate species interacting with 0 aggression towards each other or me. I have used my methods extensively on the polymorpha but as I stated prior, the Altenans has just stared becoming accustom to people. I plan to do some taxonomical comparing of the 2 soon and even a possible Hybridization attempt, though I doubt it will work. Now I have observed that the mating patterns of these 2 species are identical so only time will tell. 

Also please note first I am not putting my centipedes in any danger, I did extensive interactions with both in a cage before holding them both at once to be sure they were 100% ok with each other. At any rate I hope everyone enjoys and I don't get too much bad feed back.

Reactions: Like 3 | Award 1


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## craze horse (Mar 11, 2016)

Wow ! That's amazing.


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## AlbatrossWarrior (Mar 11, 2016)

Woooah, that's so cool! And adorable <3 I didn't know you could do that with centipedes! Now I want one even more!

Reactions: Like 1


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## craze horse (Mar 13, 2016)

^^^^ hahahahaha I don't know if it's worth the risk. My scolopendra is far to volatile to even contemplate that.


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 13, 2016)

craze horse said:


> ^^^^ hahahahaha I don't know if it's worth the risk. My scolopendra is far to volatile to even contemplate that.


What kinda Scolopendra is it? The only ones I typically won't handle are Subspinipes because I was envenomated by one years ago due to mishandling and inexperience, never have I ever felt anything close to that painful before or since. I pick up wild super angry centipedes including heros, Big polymorpha and Alternans pluse do it free hand with no issues ever as long as you let the centipede know you're there and mean no harm by slowly caressing its antenna and cephalic plate before attempting interaction free hand.

The only centipedes I have ever seen that are permanently aggressive (other then Dehaani, they are just pis**ed at the world) have either had one of 2 things happen to it: 1. It was caught by a human in an invasive grabbing manor and felt threatened during the catching or was even injured (lost a leg or 2 in the struggle) or 2. Someone uses Forceps or tongs to handle or move the centipede around, pedes hate being harassed by people try to manipulate them and move them around with forceps. To be honest no on likes being squeezed by two big ol' sticks that a Giants holding, it's scary. 

I once caught a 7.5" Polymorpha buy slamming my hand down on it so it couldn't run away because where I found it there where lots of close retreats so I didn't risk it running off. Let's just say being surprised in such a violent matter and smelling human when the attack occurred permanently ruined any pinch free interaction I could have ever had with that centipede.

 She invenomated me 3 times dure the catching and twice more during free handling over the 5 weeks I tried to work with her. Eventually I realize she already had a far to negative experience with humans to ever trust them I went ahead and sold her on here, the buyer was super stoked about her massive size none the less and had no desire to hold her so all worked out.


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## craze horse (Mar 13, 2016)

I've a madagascarensis .I've not even seen another on the Internet. I've very gently moved it twice with tongs. As for stroking the antenna and cephalic plate ? I'd love to have the guts to do it but don't want to risk it. Very keen to burrow instantly with no desire to make friends with me. The last time I fed it a large hisser it cleaned it back to the bare shell in under 20 minutes. And was parading around with its rear end way up in the air. Tbh I wish it would come out more often, I know it's been out as the water dish is always full of substrate after I've cleaned it.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 14, 2016)

Oh man that's one of my dream pedes!!! Ive seen a few but never that CF, always the tiger stripped variant. Could I possibly bug you and ask where you located that specimen and is that individual who sold it to you by any chance an exporter? I would love to buy a very large number of them for the US hobby if I can find a supplier.


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## craze horse (Mar 14, 2016)

I really don't know how or where but I got it bugzuk! Seems to have a fare bit in at the moment. Thank you for the compliment. I do have a few short videos on YouTube, nothing special just it feeding.

Reactions: Like 2


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## craze horse (Mar 15, 2016)

Was quite docile there obviously very busy. But before that was running around with tail in the air. Never seen a pic of one so in just going by what I've been told that's it's  madagascaresis.


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 15, 2016)

I think that species might exhibits the same behavior as Most Scolopendra. If I wanted it to allow me to handle it without envenomation, I would take the jumping legs off a cricket and slowly let the centipede touch me first with its antenna and then let it touch the cricket. I would stay calm at this point as it will precisely grab the cricket without harming me. I have used this method without fail for a long time and always love to try it on new species.


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 19, 2016)

My scolopendra are all really really really mean and bad tempered.

 My largest polymorpha, a big 7" female, will follow me with her forcipules wide open and will lunge at me.  While i do agree that individuals have varying personalities, i dont trust scolopendromorpha around my fingers.  Every specimen ive held eventually tried to eat me

Reactions: Like 1


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 19, 2016)

Yeah that's what the common consensus about them is, idk maybe I'm just the centipede whisperer :wideyed:... Jkjk hahaha

Reactions: Like 3


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## Staehilomyces (Mar 19, 2016)

Smokehound714 said:


> My scolopendra are all really really really mean and bad tempered.
> 
> My largest polymorpha, a big 7" female, will follow me with her forcipules wide open and will lunge at me.  While i do agree that individuals have varying personalities, i dont trust scolopendromorpha around my fingers.  Every specimen ive held eventually tried to eat me


Did you raise said centipedes from captive breeding? If you bought them as adults, chances are they are wild caught, and most likely have been subject to some sort of human induced stress, and centipedes aren't very forgiving creatures. Most of mastigoproctus' tame pedes were raised from birth to death by him. (Correct me if I'm wrong).


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 20, 2016)

Staehilomyces said:


> Did you raise said centipedes from captive breeding? If you bought them as adults, chances are they are wild caught, and most likely have been subject to some sort of human induced stress, and centipedes aren't very forgiving creatures. Most of mastigoproctus' tame pedes were raised from birth to death by him. (Correct me if I'm wrong).


Actually my nicest specimen is a WC adult female Arizonensis but my CB adult female Galapagoensis is really nice too, they both seem uhh well I guess you would call it "smarter". Now I'm NOT claiming they are super high intelligence or anything, they just interact with me in a much more complex manor. I have a WC heros castaniceps adult female who is super skittish, not bitey though, just likes to run. My WC Alternans tend to all be chill like they haven't a care in the world but I think they are quicker to envenomate then most species, luckily I've never been envenomated by one, I hear it sucks. Now my CBB Polymorpha are all super nice and calm, they have the benefit of never seeing any sort of aggression in life and start becoming accustomed to my sent from the first moment they leave the mother. I also have one CBB Xheros that I got from another member which is super nice but real jumpy, never pinches but try's to bolt when out in the open, much like my adult female castaniceps. Now yes they are definitely not forgiving. From my experience if you show aggressive behavior to the centipede and it smells/sense you at that time, from that moment on it will alway envenomate at random and no amount of socializing will stop that. I have captured some specimens in a rough manor and I was never able to get them to act like my docile centipedes, they were at that point what one would call "aggressive". It's funny, a lot of centipedes have similar natures to snakes I'm finding, I have a lot of snakes as well so I interact with them on a daily basis too.


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## Staehilomyces (Mar 22, 2016)

Mastigoproctus said:


> Actually my nicest specimen is a WC adult female Arizonensis but my CB adult female Galapagoensis is really nice too, they both seem uhh well I guess you would call it "smarter". Now I'm NOT claiming they are super high intelligence or anything, they just interact with me in a much more complex manor. I have a WC heros castaniceps adult female who is super skittish, not bitey though, just likes to run. My WC Alternans tend to all be chill like they haven't a care in the world but I think they are quicker to envenomate then most species, luckily I've never been envenomated by one, I hear it sucks. Now my CBB Polymorpha are all super nice and calm, they have the benefit of never seeing any sort of aggression in life and start becoming accustomed to my sent from the first moment they leave the mother. I also have one CBB Xheros that I got from another member which is super nice but real jumpy, never pinches but try's to bolt when out in the open, much like my adult female castaniceps. Now yes they are definitely not forgiving. From my experience if you show aggressive behavior to the centipede and it smells/sense you at that time, from that moment on it will alway envenomate at random and no amount of socializing will stop that. I have captured some specimens in a rough manor and I was never able to get them to act like my docile centipedes, they were at that point what one would call "aggressive". It's funny, a lot of centipedes have similar natures to snakes I'm finding, I have a lot of snakes as well so I interact with them on a daily basis too.


That would explain why my Morsitans goes berserk at the slightest touch, in fact even breathing on it will cause it to dart all over the enclosure. When I first got it I was rather younger and much less patient than I am now (the pet shop owner seemed hesitant about selling a centipede to a young child), and continually prodded it to make it move. It still hasn't forgiven me. Hopefully, I will be on more friendly terms with his offspring, if I can find him a mate, that is.


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## craze horse (Mar 22, 2016)

Is there a particular species that favours the day time ? Mine are just burrowed, my alipes multicostis is out nightly but my madagascarensis hasn't been out in I don't know how long. Just hates being out. I know when it's been out as there is quite trail and upturned substrate . And it isn't often.


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 22, 2016)

craze horse said:


> Is there a particular species that favours the day time ? Mine are just burrowed, my alipes multicostis is out nightly but my madagascarensis hasn't been out in I don't know how long. Just hates being out. I know when it's been out as there is quite trail and upturned substrate . And it isn't often.


 Heros all like to be out during the morning/daytime during the rainy season if you keep their enclosure misted heavily during those months, not wet, just surface damp though because they are prone to fungal infections I've noticed in the past if kept tooo humid (mycosis of some kind). Scolopendra Subspinipes Dehaani is a active in the day time pede that likes to climb, but they are not your handleable kinda pede, the most potent venom that I've felt by farrrrrr. Way, way, way worse then a broken bone and the pain lasts a long time, like 18+ hours and seeing as I've only been hit once by a 4" juvi maybe even much longer with a large adult. Scolopendra Gigantea and Scolopendra Galapogoensis are day timers some times too and are rather docile when worked with but not easy to get at all. I hope this helps, maybe if you let me know what species you can get in your country I can give you a better idea.

Reactions: Like 1


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## craze horse (Mar 23, 2016)

Thanks for the reply, watch this space !


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## billrogers (Mar 23, 2016)

This is awesome!! You should be "The Centipede Whisperer."

Reactions: Like 2


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## craze horse (Mar 23, 2016)

Well Dehanni is available as is subspinnepis Thailand yellow leg......... which would you recommend ? My other issue is I'm having problems keeping my setup waem enough. It's currently around 75f which is probably far too cool. Was gonna look at a vivarium with heat lamp and thermostat. Any thoughts oh Pede whisperer ..........!


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 23, 2016)

Dehaani if you don't intend on touching it, they get big, almost like Gigantea length just not as robust and heavy. 75F is actually not too cold at all, centipedes spend most of their time hiding and when they do come out its typically no hotter then 80f. I have never had an issue keeping them at those temps year around. I think some people even keep their pedes as low as 60F but I've never tried that low.

Reactions: Like 1


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## craze horse (Mar 24, 2016)

Well I'm gonna be getting rid of my madagascarensis. Shame your not closer or I'd have posted it to you.


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 24, 2016)

craze horse said:


> Well I'm gonna be getting rid of my madagascarensis. Shame your not closer or I'd have posted it to you.


Oh man! There's ways to ship it to me! Hahah and I'd totally buy it, idk how much it costs to ship but it is possible.


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## craze horse (Mar 25, 2016)

Mastigoproctus said:


> Oh man! There's ways to ship it to me! Hahah and I'd totally buy it, idk how much it costs to ship but it is possible.


Its illegal to ship to USA?


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## Mastigoproctus (Mar 25, 2016)

craze horse said:


> Its illegal to ship to USA?


Is it really illegal to ship stuff from the UK to the US? I've illegally bought tons of stuff from the UK then on eBay and other online places.


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## craze horse (Mar 25, 2016)

Yeah it's stated on bugzuk. Otherwise you'd be getting all kinds of dodgy stuff ! Have a check of they're website bud !


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