How are centipedes escape artists?

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
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Oct 6, 2016
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741
It seems like it would be pretty easy to not let them escape. All you'd have to do is make sure the enclosure is taller than they are from the substrate to the top. They can't climb smooth glass, so I don't get how they can get out.
 

BobBarley

Arachnoprince
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Sep 16, 2015
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1,486
Their bodies are so thin that they can fit through some small gaps. Their bodies are also long so they can prop themselves up against the sides of the enclosure and potentially touch the lid (obviously depending on the length of the pede).
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
They can also climb up a lot of sealents on the sides of aquariums as well as any cage furniture. Got my first pede a few weeks ago, and I have other cages on top of it at all times. When they can get some leverage, they can be quite strong. Sometimes enough for it to lift the top to where it's slim body can wriggle through. I also have heard of many instances when they will climb up tongs in feeding response and it can be an easy way for it to escape if dropped and it is leaning against the inside of the enclosure. They are very crafty and regarded as a more intelligent insect. My new fav though; love mine to bits :D
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
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They can also climb up a lot of sealents on the sides of aquariums as well as any cage furniture. Got my first pede a few weeks ago, and I have other cages on top of it at all times. When they can get some leverage, they can be quite strong. Sometimes enough for it to lift the top to where it's slim body can wriggle through. I also have heard of many instances when they will climb up tongs in feeding response and it can be an easy way for it to escape if dropped and it is leaning against the inside of the enclosure. They are very crafty and regarded as a more intelligent insect. My new fav though; love mine to bits :D
Sounds like you could just drop the prey in from a great height and not give them the chance to touch the tongs. If you are doing cage maintenance, you want the pede to come out anyway.
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
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Dec 4, 2016
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1,771
I'm a fan of tall acrylic or plastic enclosures with screw tops or locking tight dealing gasps for housing centipedes. No sealant or paths to escape.Not as aesthetically pleasing as terrariums to look at but with keeping large numbers of them I have to be practical. I haven't had an escape ever.
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
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Dec 4, 2016
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Ha ha. I just saw my spellcheck error. Should read sealing hasps not dealing gasps. I guess an escaped centipede but deal out a gasp or 2 from the keeper.
 

Moakmeister

Arachnodemon
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Messages
741
Ha ha. I just saw my spellcheck error. Should read sealing hasps not dealing gasps. I guess an escaped centipede but deal out a gasp or 2 from the keeper.
LOL IM DYING YOU MADE THREE DIFFERENT SPELLING ERRORS IN THE SAME MESSAGE TRYING TO CORRECT YOUR ORIGINAL ERROR
G A S P S
H A S P S
 

Telsaro

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
Messages
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You are correct in they can't climb glass. However, they can and will scale the sealant in the corners of the tank. I also have observed in my S. subpinipes that she learns quickly where she can climb and where she can't and will go right for those places. They aren't nearly as dumb as most people think. Here is a photo of my girl 2mins being in her temperary enclosure. 16195705_10158158615680554_7282864851649705527_n.jpg
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Once they full settle and their "belly" is always kept well fed, there's chances that they quit a bit with that habit :-s
 

Telsaro

Arachnopeon
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Jan 20, 2017
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Once they full settle and their "belly" is always kept well fed, there's chances that they quit a bit with that habit :-s
Yeah, she settled down very quickly. Seems she likes to roam the enclosure anytime I make a big change to it, then she settles into a burrow or under a hide.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Yeah, she settled down very quickly. Seems she likes to roam the enclosure anytime I make a big change to it, then she settles into a burrow or under a hide.
They love to burrow, or to enjoy the protection of a piece of cork bark (where my female hide pretty down under for gave birth to her pedelings) the Asian ones are pet hole, basically... even if when they're out in the open, they love to remain out for hours I have to say, more than obligate burrowers T's, on that sense :-s
 

Telsaro

Arachnopeon
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Jan 20, 2017
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I have heard of some staying burrowed for a month+ during pre-molt or if gravid and ready to lay.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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I have heard of some staying burrowed for a month+ during pre-molt or if gravid and ready to lay.
Mine more than a month, she disappeared under the cork bark, where she made a nice burrow (that today she "closed" with dirt) then she went out after her pedelings were able to crawl on their own. With me, catching 25 S.subspinipes pedelings that were jumping out from the air holes, ah ah :angelic:

They are amazing, even so little. Incredible, and total different stunning colors. But sadly 25 pedelings (one died) were a bit much to deal for me (for space issues) so I've packed them and shipped those, after two weeks, to a breeder I know.
 

Telsaro

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
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Mine more than a month, she disappeared under the cork bark, where she made a nice burrow (that today she "closed" with dirt) then she went out after her pedelings were able to crawl on their own. With me, catching 25 S.subspinipes pedelings that were jumping out from the air holes, ah ah :angelic:

They are amazing, even so little. Incredible, and total different stunning colors. But sadly 25 pedelings (one died) were a bit much to deal for me (for space issues) so I've packed them and shipped those, after two weeks, to a breeder I know.
Prior to her nesting, did you notice any signs she was gravid? I just received my girl two days ago as a WC specimen from a local shop. They really didn't have tons of info on her (not even sure it's female haha). I wouldn't mind if she was, just want to be prepared if it does happen!
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Dec 25, 2014
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Prior to her nesting, did you notice any signs she was gravid? I just received my girl two days ago as a WC specimen from a local shop. They really didn't have tons of info on her (not even sure it's female haha). I wouldn't mind if she was, just want to be prepared if it does happen!
That's the main issue, man. Unlike for T's, where exists a great market and demand (in Europe as well for the U.S, no matter the difference or who's better, prices, availability etc) with centipedes is the opposite. Check every T's online, and not, shop.

Plenty of T's, mostly at 90% CB, divided in category: unsexed slings, females, pairs, mature males etc

Then check the centipede "corner" (if exists, because not everyone sold those) and you will notice few specimens (mostly Asians, since they are cheap... a plus, this, IMO :angelic: eh eh). All of those are pure finest WC, and sold as unsexed: the only info available is their size, more or less. Sadly, the demand of centipedes is very low... just check here, on this site; plenty of users with lots of arachnids/inverts, but few centipedes owners.

I bought mine that way, here in Italy, as unsexed. She was less longer than two packets of (20, normal sized) cigarettes. She settled not even after two/three days, and started to eat B.dubia (adults) like if there's no tomorrow. Then one day she disappeared under that cork bark, like I've said, and literally vanished. My guess was a pre molt or maybe molt status... but she remained sealed for too much. Until the day, a pure luck one (what if I wasn't present at home?) that pedelings started to jump out from every holes, ah ah.

No, man... I wasn't able to guess that she was pregnant. I suspected a pre molt, but not that. That's a thing that happens often with centipedes, to end with a gravid female, I mean :-s
 
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Telsaro

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 20, 2017
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37
That's what I thought. I knew that you can't sex a centipede, so most of the time its a gamble if you have a male or female. It's sad that these amazing predatory insects aren't more renown. I think a lot of people are scared off by the fact that they are venomous, which honestly I don't find to be a huge issue if you give your pede proper respect and a well built enclosure. They are intelligent and beautiful. I fell in love with them the moment I started to do research and can't get them off my mind!

I do wish there was more of a market for these amazing creatures. I think the only ones I can find around my area are the Scolopendra subpinipes (like mine), the Scolopendra alternans, and the Scolopendra heros.
 

Christianb96

Arachnoknight
Joined
Jan 7, 2017
Messages
284
That's what I thought. I knew that you can't sex a centipede, so most of the time its a gamble if you have a male or female. It's sad that these amazing predatory insects aren't more renown. I think a lot of people are scared off by the fact that they are venomous, which honestly I don't find to be a huge issue if you give your pede proper respect and a well built enclosure. They are intelligent and beautiful. I fell in love with them the moment I started to do research and can't get them off my mind!

I do wish there was more of a market for these amazing creatures. I think the only ones I can find around my area are the Scolopendra subpinipes (like mine), the Scolopendra alternans, and the Scolopendra heros.
You can sex centipedes but you have to really know what your doing as it can be dangerous for your pede. I can only seem to find S. Polymorpha, and the Vietnamese centipede where I live, although I did just order a scolopocryptops sexspinosus that I'm real excited for. People don't get into pedes because of fear. I was pretty hesitant buying my first pede
 
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