Brand new to caring for a centipede

[Myron]

Im currently loving in hawaii where centipedes are probably one of the most interesting creatures ive seen in a long time. Few weeks ago i caught a HUGE Vietnamese in my yard and wanted to keep it, but i used google and realized i couldnt take care of it so i let him go. This morning my son caught another one and i im better prepared but still inexperienced. I have a 10-15 gallon tank im keeping the homie in and it has all natural fixins and water. (Ill post photos in the AM, hopefully someone can ID as well) i would like to know if anyone can give me more info on care for him.

 

[Staehilomyces]

Keep it moist, but not soaking wet. Give it at least a couple inches of substrate. If you want to see your pede more often, I'd recommend lots of leaf litter; it makes them feel more secure out in the open.

 

[Myron]

Thank you for the advice!!
Night 1: He didnt move much unless bothered, and then it was only to strike my tongs. I put 2 roaches in and they were ignored, stabbed one to slow it down, still didnt feel like eating it, i removed the one i could locate this morning.
I have a few inches of substrate, which i think hes having issues digging into the mud, they typically just live under the top layer of grass mesh from what I've seen out here. I added some of that to his container and created some little burrows for him, hes curled up in one right now under some tree bark and grass.
As stated prior i live in HI, and you can probably imagine its a pretty humid joint and i live on top of a mountain so it constsntly rains, his current substrate reflects whats been going on the last few days w/ hurricanes.
Id like some more recommendations on the home for the lil homie ricardo and maybe an ID on species (pics to follow) also im extremely worried he might have hurt an antennae because he been moving awkward and it stays curled back all the time...

 

[Myron]

So in hawaii on Oahu there's only 3 species of pede and the closest to this one and what im assuming it is, is
Scolopendra subspinipes, the huge black and red one i caught previously was definently sco. Sub. But this one is wayyy smaller, has a less pissed off temperament and much lighter color but it LOOKs like a miniature version of the previous beast

 

[NYAN]

So in hawaii on Oahu there's only 3 species of pede and the closest to this one and what im assuming it is, is
Scolopendra subspinipes, the huge black and red one i caught previously was definently sco. Sub. But this one is wayyy smaller, has a less pissed off temperament and much lighter color but it LOOKs like a miniature version of the previous beast

I think this one is subspinipes also. The behavior you mention sounds odd. Normally they are very alert, fast and want to disappear. I fear that your’s is not in good health. You want to be careful that’s the substrate you’re using isn’t exposed to any chemicals. If you have access to cork bark, offer some pieces as hides for it.

 

[Myron]

I think this one is subspinipes also. The behavior you mention sounds odd. Normally they are very alert, fast and want to disappear. I fear that your’s is not in good health. You want to be careful that’s the substrate you’re using isn’t exposed to any chemicals. If you have access to cork bark, offer some pieces as hides for it.

Yea im not sure if the substrate i have is chem free due to me collecting it around here, he is still extremely fast and was like a lightning bolt when my son showed him to me, he is currently burrowed and resting, but im just hoping yes adjusting to the contained enviro. Im letting it dry out some since it has been raining for the last 3 days. Ive read that humidity is a huge factor in thier survival so i hope that maybe as it dries some he'll get back into the swing of things, once i get to petsmart i plan to upgrage his container and accessories but RN ive just got some bark off the tree next to where he was caught

 

[NYAN]

Yea im not sure if the substrate i have is chem free due to me collecting it around here, he is still extremely fast and was like a lightning bolt when my son showed him to me, he is currently burrowed and resting, but im just hoping yes adjusting to the contained enviro. Im letting it dry out some since it has been raining for the last 3 days. Ive read that humidity is a huge factor in thier survival so i hope that maybe as it dries some he'll get back into the swing of things, once i get to petsmart i plan to upgrage his container and accessories but RN ive just got some bark off the tree next to where he was caught

They are pretty adjustable. I think it’ll be okay.

 

[Myron]

They are pretty adjustable. I think it’ll be okay.

HES MOLTING!!! I was keeping an eye on him all day beein lazy and not eating then i came out here w/my son and seen him look like his head was gunna pop then i noticed he was sliding under his skin lol

 

[Myron]

 

[NYAN]

HES MOLTING!!! I was keeping an eye on him all day beein lazy and not eating then i came out here w/my son and seen him look like his head was gunna pop then i noticed he was sliding under his skin lol

That would make sense with how he was acting.

 

[Myron]

Yea im glad homie didnt

That would make sense with how he was acting.

Keel over and die lol im getting kinda attatched lmao

 

[Scoly]

That's pretty lucky getting to see a large centipede moult so soon after jumping in the hobby!

S. supspinipes are pretty adaptable. Seeing as it a native caught one you should be OK to keep it in the same soil as what you have outside, and not need any heating. The only thing you need to remember is that a vivarium is different to an outdoor environment in a number of ways, the first of which is air flow, which means if you you keep it moist in there, things will rot much quicker than they would if it were outdoors. Grass is a bad idea inside an enclosure because of the fungus you get. I'd keep it on the dry-ish side as you probably have quite a lot of humidity in the air anyway.

And not sure if worth mentioning seeing as you live in an area where centipedes come into houses anyway, but make the lid is secure!!!

 

[Myron]

I hate to break the news guys but Ricardo the centipede passed the night after he molted. ( im sad i failed to keep homie living but i think the soil i used was sprayed with pesticides recently (him being caught in housing area)... thats my only assumption as to his passing. Its been a week or so since and i plan to catch a new pede but this time use substrate from out in the field where they dont spray around here... regardless thank you for the info and im going to use it with the next one. As dar as substrate goes i know coconut fiber is great but what about sawdust?

 

[NYAN]

What about sawdust?

I would stick with coco fiber as the main ingredient. Some woods are toxic to invertebrates.

 

[Scoly]

I hate to break the news guys but Ricardo the centipede passed the night after he molted. ( im sad i failed to keep homie living but i think the soil i used was sprayed with pesticides recently (him being caught in housing area)... thats my only assumption as to his passing. Its been a week or so since and i plan to catch a new pede but this time use substrate from out in the field where they dont spray around here... regardless thank you for the info and im going to use it with the next one. As dar as substrate goes i know coconut fiber is great but what about sawdust?

It could be pesticides in the soil, but to be honest it's quite unlikely. If there were pesticides in concentrations high enough to kill, I doubt your pede would have survived a week in there. If you fed it insects collected from your housing area, then it becomes a slightly more plausible scenario, but 9/10 times we suspect pesticides, it's actually captive conditions.

What is more likely is that the grass in your vivarium erupted into a bacterial/fungal bloom, the kind of which your centipede's immune system is not geared to handle (they can deal with what festers under stones and wood, but mouldy grass is a different kettle of fish). As I said in my last post, a vivarium is different to an outdoor environment, primarily because of air flow. If you take the same materials you see outside and place them in a glass tank with high temperature and humidity and poor air-flow, you will get massive bacterial and/or fungal outbreaks. And if you go for sawdust your pede will suffer exactly the same fate, in fact you're almost asking for it...

You have an all-glass aquarium, which means there are (presumably) no ventilation holes in the walls, which means poor air flow, which means high humidity & C02 concentrations (at the base), which means things will turn mouldy, which increases humidity and C02, which accelerates the whole process.

You should keep the enclosure mostly quite dry, along with a large hide (bark, broken flow pot etc...) under which it will be a bit more humid. Unless the lid is 100% mesh, or you are using excessive heating, there will still be enough moisture in the air.

What is the lid like?

 

[Staehilomyces]

For a future enclosure, I'd personally recommend a plastic storage container. Way cheaper, and you can drill holes in the sides to provide better cross-ventilation.

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

I hate to break the news guys but Ricardo the centipede passed the night after he molted. ( im sad i failed to keep homie living but i think the soil i used was sprayed with pesticides recently (him being caught in housing area)... thats my only assumption as to his passing. Its been a week or so since and i plan to catch a new pede but this time use substrate from out in the field where they dont spray around here... regardless thank you for the info and im going to use it with the next one. As dar as substrate goes i know coconut fiber is great but what about sawdust?

My pedes (R. longipes and S. heros castaneiceps pling) are kept in just coco fiber, or coco fiber mixed with sand and this “creature soil” I bought at pet smart, as this allows them to burrow without much difficulty. I’ll post a pic or two so u can get an idea. The acrylic cubes I keep them in are WAY too small to house even a juvi subspinipes/dehaani, but I do keep a “moisture-dependent” invert (T. stirmi) in a 10 gal. aquarium, but I blocked off some of the screen lid with paper towel and drilled some small holes into the side of the tank, and this ventilation allows the environment inside the enclosure to stay relatively moist without supporting fungal growth (still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass with holes drilled in it, as Ts can get their feet stuck in the screen lid, but I don’t think that’d be an issue for a pede). Key info for drilling holes for a pede enclosure: make sure the holes aren’t big enough for the pede to squeeze through, as centipedes can fit through seemingly impossibly small spaces, they can seem borderline malleable! Don’t include dead grass in your enclosure as mold will grow on it rather quickly, the same goes for saw dust, and I wouldn’t recommend making a vivarium for your animal, just because it sounds like you’re only a newbie and I’ve heard they are fairly difficult to properly maintain (and that plastic plants are just as aesthetically pleasing IMO). I’ve also heard that pedes can climb the silicone on the corners of aquariums, and pedes are also MUCH stronger than they look, so a locking lid is definitely advised. Having an enclosure that is taller than the centipede is long will also help in preventing escapes. I don’t have water dishes in my pede enclosures as the substrate is sufficiently moist, but I would include a small water dish so it can have the option to drink. Even though pedes will usually burrow into their substrate, include one or two cork bark hides to give it the option of hiding under them. No heating source is needed, pedes are fine kept at room temp, and this is especially true if your animal is/was caught locally. This is how I’ve been keeping my pedes and, granted I’ve only been keeping them for a few months, but they are all doing well! Hope this advice helps when u catch another one (wish I could catch subspinipes in my backyard ), and I’m sorry for your loss

And here’s some pics for substrate and setup references, as well as the way I set up the ventilation in an aquarium for a “moisture-dependent” invert, which centipedes are.

 

[Myron]

My pedes (R. longipes and S. heros castaneiceps pling) are kept in just coco fiber, or coco fiber mixed with sand and this “creature soil” I bought at pet smart, as this allows them to burrow without much difficulty. I’ll post a pic or two so u can get an idea. The acrylic cubes I keep them in are WAY too small to house even a juvi subspinipes/dehaani, but I do keep a “moisture-dependent” invert (T. stirmi) in a 10 gal. aquarium, but I blocked off some of the screen lid with paper towel and drilled some small holes into the side of the tank, and this ventilation allows the environment inside the enclosure to stay relatively moist without supporting fungal growth (still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass with holes drilled in it, as Ts can get their feet stuck in the screen lid, but I don’t think that’d be an issue for a pede). Key info for drilling holes for a pede enclosure: make sure the holes aren’t big enough for the pede to squeeze through, as centipedes can fit through seemingly impossibly small spaces, they can seem borderline malleable! Don’t include dead grass in your enclosure as mold will grow on it rather quickly, the same goes for saw dust, and I wouldn’t recommend making a vivarium for your animal, just because it sounds like you’re only a newbie and I’ve heard they are fairly difficult to properly maintain (and that plastic plants are just as aesthetically pleasing IMO). I’ve also heard that pedes can climb the silicone on the corners of aquariums, and pedes are also MUCH stronger than they look, so a locking lid is definitely advised. Having an enclosure that is taller than the centipede is long will also help in preventing escapes. I don’t have water dishes in my pede enclosures as the substrate is sufficiently moist, but I would include a small water dish so it can have the option to drink. Even though pedes will usually burrow into their substrate, include one or two cork bark hides to give it the option of hiding under them. No heating source is needed, pedes are fine kept at room temp, and this is especially true if your animal is/was caught locally. This is how I’ve been keeping my pedes and, granted I’ve only been keeping them for a few months, but they are all doing well! Hope this advice helps when u catch another one (wish I could catch subspinipes in my backyard ), and I’m sorry for your loss

And here’s some pics for substrate and setup references, as well as the way I set up the ventilation in an aquarium for a “moisture-dependent” invert, which centipedes are.

My pedes (R. longipes and S. heros castaneiceps pling) are kept in just coco fiber, or coco fiber mixed with sand and this “creature soil” I bought at pet smart, as this allows them to burrow without much difficulty. I’ll post a pic or two so u can get an idea. The acrylic cubes I keep them in are WAY too small to house even a juvi subspinipes/dehaani, but I do keep a “moisture-dependent” invert (T. stirmi) in a 10 gal. aquarium, but I blocked off some of the screen lid with paper towel and drilled some small holes into the side of the tank, and this ventilation allows the environment inside the enclosure to stay relatively moist without supporting fungal growth (still need to replace the screen lid with plexiglass with holes drilled in it, as Ts can get their feet stuck in the screen lid, but I don’t think that’d be an issue for a pede). Key info for drilling holes for a pede enclosure: make sure the holes aren’t big enough for the pede to squeeze through, as centipedes can fit through seemingly impossibly small spaces, they can seem borderline malleable! Don’t include dead grass in your enclosure as mold will grow on it rather quickly, the same goes for saw dust, and I wouldn’t recommend making a vivarium for your animal, just because it sounds like you’re only a newbie and I’ve heard they are fairly difficult to properly maintain (and that plastic plants are just as aesthetically pleasing IMO). I’ve also heard that pedes can climb the silicone on the corners of aquariums, and pedes are also MUCH stronger than they look, so a locking lid is definitely advised. Having an enclosure that is taller than the centipede is long will also help in preventing escapes. I don’t have water dishes in my pede enclosures as the substrate is sufficiently moist, but I would include a small water dish so it can have the option to drink. Even though pedes will usually burrow into their substrate, include one or two cork bark hides to give it the option of hiding under them. No heating source is needed, pedes are fine kept at room temp, and this is especially true if your animal is/was caught locally. This is how I’ve been keeping my pedes and, granted I’ve only been keeping them for a few months, but they are all doing well! Hope this advice helps when u catch another one (wish I could catch subspinipes in my backyard ), and I’m sorry for your loss

And here’s some pics for substrate and setup references, as well as the way I set up the ventilation in an aquarium for a “moisture-dependent” invert, which centipedes are.

Thank you all for the advice! I got a mesh locking lid reptile tank and substrate from petco now, i went out and caught 3 subs. In about 5min (will post pics of everything. Im trying to decide which to keep, as they are different variations in color...

 

[Myron]

Loving the blue legs on this guy and the darker shell on the other but i think im gunna hang on to the big guy since he was SO aggressive when i first caught him

 

[Myron]

Kept big homie and released the others down the street, here is my current container