Adding to my Ornatas!

[socalqueen]

Wanted to share...Just got more O. Ornatas, much bigger than my first two. They love to go vertical and attempt to escape anytime the lid is open. Awesome additions and can't wait to get more.
I've attached pics of my new lovelies.
(I'm having issues with one, which I posted on another thread, would appreciate some advice on that guy.)

 

[SlugPod]

Lovely!
I just got three of these a couple weekends ago.
I haven't seen them since I moved them into their home though. They burrowed in and haven't come back out.

 

[arizonablue]

Nice setup! Mine love climbing too. Sometimes I find them upside down on the lid, but there are enough things propped up in the corners that they always find their way back down eventually!

 

[socalqueen]

Lovely!
I just got three of these a couple weekends ago.
I haven't seen them since I moved them into their home though. They burrowed in and haven't come back out.

These guys dwell on the surface and are really active. They love the branches. Im officially obsessed with millipedes and will be getting a lot more.

 

[socalqueen]

Nice setup! Mine love climbing too. Sometimes I find them upside down on the lid, but there are enough things propped up in the corners that they always find their way back down eventually!

Thanks! We bought a basketball display case at Hobby Lobby and it's turned out to be perfect for these guys. Had enough room to put deep sub and tall enough to have the branches which they love. They congregate on the top of one of the branches and as soon as take the lid off their trying to climb out. I don't know if they can hang from the lid, not sure if they can grip the plastic.

 

[SlugPod]

These guys dwell on the surface and are really active. They love the branches. Im officially obsessed with millipedes and will be getting a lot more.

I've read they stay out more if you keep them more humid.
I intentionally have mine in a more natural setup to their environment to see if that will encourage breeding.

 

[socalqueen]

I've read they stay out more if you keep them more humid.
I intentionally have mine in a more natural setup to their environment to see if that will encourage breeding.

Breeding is most definitely a goal for mine, How did you set yours up?

 

[SlugPod]

Breeding is most definitely a goal for mine, How did you set yours up?

I don't currently have any pictures but I can explain it (I'd take pics but it's in my room and I have poooor lighting in my room and it's raining today so no sun!)

They're in a 29gal aquairum (I think that's the size), about 50% sand to 50% compost soil.
I also mixed in some aspen bedding (I plan on adding more soon).
I have some oak leaves on the surface on one side.
I have put some succulents in there as well, but they're tiny at the moment.
The substrate was somewhat moist when I put it in, so I haven't really watered the enclosure since setting it up.
I also have a heat lamp aimed into the enclosure. My lamp has a dial so I can control how bright and how hot it gets. I don't turn it all the way on, but I put it up high enough that there is bright light and heat going in. (This will help dry out the substrate and provide warmth). I read that they are a species that has been caught sun bathing, so I figured maybe that's something they need?
I also turn the light off at night. (I just set the light up yesterday so I don't know if they enjoy it yet, but it's helped dry out the substrate on the surface a bit already so!)

I plan on maybe only misting a bit every couple days and then giving them a wet season.
I'm not sure when I'm going to give them a wet season yet, I've looked at the monthly rain fall in their native areas, and May / June / October seem to be the wet months. (not more than 4 inches a month though).
So I might give them a wet season around may-june and again in october.
I'm also considering just checking the weather in their native areas and if it rains there, give them some rain.

I have no idea if this will help me be successful in breeding them or not, only time will tell that tale.
Hopefully it does work though!

 

[socalqueen]

I don't currently have any pictures but I can explain it (I'd take pics but it's in my room and I have poooor lighting in my room and it's raining today so no sun!)

They're in a 29gal aquairum (I think that's the size), about 50% sand to 50% compost soil.
I also mixed in some aspen bedding (I plan on adding more soon).
I have some oak leaves on the surface on one side.
I have put some succulents in there as well, but they're tiny at the moment.
The substrate was somewhat moist when I put it in, so I haven't really watered the enclosure since setting it up.
I also have a heat lamp aimed into the enclosure. My lamp has a dial so I can control how bright and how hot it gets. I don't turn it all the way on, but I put it up high enough that there is bright light and heat going in. (This will help dry out the substrate and provide warmth). I read that they are a species that has been caught sun bathing, so I figured maybe that's something they need?
I also turn the light off at night. (I just set the light up yesterday so I don't know if they enjoy it yet, but it's helped dry out the substrate on the surface a bit already so!)

I plan on maybe only misting a bit every couple days and then giving them a wet season.
I'm not sure when I'm going to give them a wet season yet, I've looked at the monthly rain fall in their native areas, and May / June / October seem to be the wet months. (not more than 4 inches a month though).
So I might give them a wet season around may-june and again in october.
I'm also considering just checking the weather in their native areas and if it rains there, give them some rain.

I have no idea if this will help me be successful in breeding them or not, only time will tell that tale.
Hopefully it does work though!

I love all this info. You've really done your research. Thank you! When you say give them a wet season how would you go about doing that? I plan on purchasing heat lamps, as I want to breed my hissers as well and they require higher temps. I currently have 7 and they are in a basketball display case 12x12x12, hoping that's large enough for them.

 

[SlugPod]

I love all this info. You've really done your research. Thank you! When you say give them a wet season how would you go about doing that? I plan on purchasing heat lamps, as I want to breed my hissers as well and they require higher temps. I currently have 7 and they are in a basketball display case 12x12x12, hoping that's large enough for them.

Oh yeah I did lol.
Since O. ornatus hasn't really been bred well in captivity (it has happened but not in a way to sustain captive bred colonies that are prolific) I tried to find out what I could about breeding.
I feel like a lot of that is figuring out and replicating their natural habitat. There might be something we're missing (maybe they need specific tree species or specific elements we don't know about really).
For the wet season I'd probably just thoroughly mist down the cage a few times a day. Not flood it out but definitely get it wet in there. I think that may be an important factor in breeding.
A lot of species breed during wet seasons (not necessarily millipedes just other species of animals) so maybe O. ornatus are one of those.

I don't know about the hissers, since I don't keep them personally.