How to catch a Scolopendra?

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
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Dec 9, 2016
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907
I'll likely be encountering some S. longipes (Florida alternans) when I visit Miami soon, and would like to catch a few of these, but I'm rather new to giant centipedes and not really sure how to capture one. I'll likely go for smaller pedelings, but if I happen upon a larger centipede, how should I catch it? Use a stick and shoo it into a jar? Pick it up with tongs? Set a pitfall trap and come back later?

Thanks for any input!
 

Jerry

Arachnobaron
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Jan 1, 2016
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594
You could set a pit fall but not sure how effective that would be flipping stones might work better and the species I catch where I live are much smaller but what I do is cut the bottom off a pop bottle I flip bark and stones when they run I lay the pop bottle in front of them and the tend to run into it tip it up and there you go
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Actually catching Scolopendridae is IMO very easy if someone knows where to search, like here in Italy for S.cingulata. What is (or could be) a challenge is offer (in the case you want to keep those) a really no-escapes enclosure :-s
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Dec 25, 2014
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This works for me: equip yourself with a clean, clear (not opaque ones) plastic container big & large enough for 'house' every juve/adult* Theraphosidae (from a little adult 'dwarf' one to a genus Theraphosa). Obviously, make air holes, lol. Take a solid piece of cardboard to put under. Done.

If you are in Italy (in the right places) start to move the hell out of stones, wood and whatnot. Spot the S.cingulata, cover the bugger with the container, put under the cardboard, enter the RPG games exp. level up theme song, back home :-s

* obviously the cm/inches of said container with slings/pedelings, or in the case of huuuge 0.1 centipedes like S.gigantea, needs to be re-viewed according to the little and bigger size of the inverts of my example.
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
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Dec 4, 2016
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Juice jugs with handles like the orange juice jugs work great. Cut at an angle to form a scoop with handle. Clear jugs are ideal. I personally use gloves when flipping rocks and logs and just grab them.
 

TheScorpionMan

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
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Jan 6, 2014
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I'll likely be encountering some S. longipes (Florida alternans) when I visit Miami soon, and would like to catch a few of these, but I'm rather new to giant centipedes and not really sure how to capture one. I'll likely go for smaller pedelings, but if I happen upon a larger centipede, how should I catch it? Use a stick and shoo it into a jar? Pick it up with tongs? Set a pitfall trap and come back later?

Thanks for any input!
Once I caught a S. Heros Castaneceps with a poptart wrapper because that was all I had on me and it was just crawling around in a public restroom I was in. Wasn't easy but I did it. I'd say flip stones and logs if you know where to look and bring a big plastic container and maybe some tongs or a stick.
 

InvertAdict

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
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19
Juice jugs with handles like the orange juice jugs work great. Cut at an angle to form a scoop with handle. Clear jugs are ideal. I personally use gloves when flipping rocks and logs and just grab them.
What kind of gloves?
 

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
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Dec 9, 2016
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907
Well when I was in Florida, my relatives didn't really have the needed equipment...
But I still managed to catch a Rhysida longipes by herding it into a Tupperware container. (pic included)
I also saw some brownish centipedes at a park, but I failed to catch them. :arghh: They were fairly small and I couldn't tell if they were S. longipes or S. viridis.
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
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Dec 4, 2016
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Oh aI wear these thinner leather tactical type gloves that are thick enough and supple to do the job.
 

LawnShrimp

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Dec 9, 2016
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Now that I've caught it, and it is living in a quart deli cup, I want to move it to a tank, but that tank has a metal mesh top. Even with the substrate, it is too tall for the Rhysida to escape. I would like to know if the substrate will dry out quickly because of ventilation. Oddly enough, the sandy area where I caught the pede was bone-dry except after a rain (when I found it). Does that mean I can keep it dry?
 

kevinlowl

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Aug 21, 2015
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Now that I've caught it, and it is living in a quart deli cup, I want to move it to a tank, but that tank has a metal mesh top. Even with the substrate, it is too tall for the Rhysida to escape. I would like to know if the substrate will dry out quickly because of ventilation. Oddly enough, the sandy area where I caught the pede was bone-dry except after a rain (when I found it). Does that mean I can keep it dry?
That's interesting... Though, I think you should keep it moist. Centipedes are prone to desiccation. I keep mine on moist substrate in a sealed screw cap plastic container without any ventilation and they're all still alive.

Nice specimen btw. I also find them here in Asia. It seems like these centipedes native to Africa have invaded every part of the world!
 

Crowbawt

Arachnopeon
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Aug 20, 2016
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Now that I've caught it, and it is living in a quart deli cup, I want to move it to a tank, but that tank has a metal mesh top. Even with the substrate, it is too tall for the Rhysida to escape. I would like to know if the substrate will dry out quickly because of ventilation. Oddly enough, the sandy area where I caught the pede was bone-dry except after a rain (when I found it). Does that mean I can keep it dry?
If you still want to use the tank but limit ventilation, you can try covering part of the mesh lid with plastic wrap/saran wrap/whatever it's called in your area. It makes a huge difference. Also make sure any pede has access to water.
 

Python

Arachnolord
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Mar 21, 2005
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Any tank that has silicone in the corners isn't tall enough to keep the pede from reaching the top. They can climb silicone like a ladder. Keep that in mind. The smaller ones are more prone to do it but an enterprising big one can still do it if it's really wanting up there
 

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
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Jan 10, 2017
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471
I cut plexi-glass on a table saw to fit the top of my aquariums then drill out a pattern of holes for ventilation and a handle. It maintains the humidity better. So far no escapes.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
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Dec 25, 2014
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Any tank that has silicone in the corners isn't tall enough to keep the pede from reaching the top. They can climb silicone like a ladder. Keep that in mind. The smaller ones are more prone to do it but an enterprising big one can still do it if it's really wanting up there
Pure truth. But they can climb plastic as well, smooth or not, using for help their climb the air holes drilled. Mine do that, lol, when she's hungry.
 

LawnShrimp

Arachnoangel
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Dec 9, 2016
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I cut plexi-glass on a table saw to fit the top of my aquariums then drill out a pattern of holes for ventilation and a handle. It maintains the humidity better. So far no escapes.
This is what I was planning to do, thanks to all for the input!
 
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