Galap unusually active for personality

[dragonofend]

I have a dark morph galap pedeling who’s typically very skittish. I’ve been working on handling him with hand feeding with tongs (I’m a puss and he’s aggressive), which has been somewhat working. I was able to pick him up the other day with tongs while he calmly ate, though he still lunged around a couple times and ran a bit beforehand. He also was able to be pet without freaking out too much. Last night I tried handling him with tongs briefly without food and he wiggle-sprinted laps around his enclosure. Otherwise, he is typically very inactive, hiding under his cork bark hide.

Tonight, he was wandering around his enclosure calmly, not just wandering the sides but going over the terrain and actually exploring for the first time in the 2 months I’ve had him. He passed out in the open away from his hide. Im not worried about him, I just want to know why he’s exploring suddenly. This is a pede I have seen panic from touching dirt. He ate two days ago and looks slightly overweight, so he’s not searching for food. My only theories are he’s finally getting comfortable in his enclosure or he’s looking for a new hide since I’ve been bothering him. Any similar stories or new ideas?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Just normal centipede behavior in my opinion.

 

[dragonofend]

So even the really skittish ones get curious enough to explore? He’s my first so idk a ton about centipede personalities yet.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Of course!

 

[Andrew Clayton]

I’ve been working on handling him

Are you actually going to handle it? You are brave man I would never even chance holding any pede

 

[dragonofend]

Yeah of course! I'm still getting used to the idea cuz he does spook me and he can be aggressive, but I've been bit by him (idk how wet the bite was but it wasn't dry) and it was 0.5/10 pain, with a very tame sharp pulsing at the site for 5 min and some red streaks for maybe 30. You'll be abhorred to know I've held my dehaani pedeling before I held my galap, but she's also the calmer one (handfed a cricket so her forcipules were preoccupied cuz f*** that otherwise). That said, worth it, she's awesome, and I plan to do it again at some point.

 

[Ratmosphere]

Just be careful, speaking from experience. You really need to socialize them for a while.

 

[dragonofend]

How long is a while? I’ve heard some people say a week but if it’s longer I want to know. Also I’ve been hand feeding and petting them first but I’m worried abt them getting fat if I feed them every day, any suggestions for other ways to do it without exploding them like a balloon?

 

[Andrew Clayton]

Yeah of course! I'm still getting used to the idea cuz he does spook me and he can be aggressive, but I've been bit by him (idk how wet the bite was but it wasn't dry) and it was 0.5/10 pain, with a very tame sharp pulsing at the site for 5 min and some red streaks for maybe 30. You'll be abhorred to know I've held my dehaani pedeling before I held my galap, but she's also the calmer one (handfed a cricket so her forcipules were preoccupied cuz f*** that otherwise). That said, worth it, she's awesome, and I plan to do it again at some point.

Nah, you have some set on you. The pedes are scary. Get some photos next time though love to see it.
I've no issues holding T's but there all tame compared to pedes lol

 

[Ratmosphere]

How long is a while? I’ve heard some people say a week but if it’s longer I want to know. Also I’ve been hand feeding and petting them first but I’m worried abt them getting fat if I feed them every day, any suggestions for other ways to do it without exploding them like a balloon?

You should have it on lock within a month.

 

[dragonofend]

Get some photos next time though love to see it.

Since I’m such a man of the people, here’s one low quality image of each centipede. At some point I’ll probably do a showcase post for them with more, better images.

 

[dragonofend]

You should have it on lock within a month.

Good to know. I’ve just been socializing in bursts, but I’ve got to move her today to a new enclosure so I’m starting my month today. Hopefully I don’t have to write a bite report soon

 

[Ratmosphere]

Dark morphs seem to take longer to socialize than the orange variant for some reason.

 

[Andrew Clayton]

You should have it on lock within a month.

This legit? Are these basically trainable to hold?

 

[Ratmosphere]

It is legit. ThePureLife made this whole process popular really.

I've done it myself with numerous species as well.