ivories not burrowing at all?

[yaih0550]

Hi! i'm new to millipede keeping, I have two ivory millipedes that i think are doing well, but they're not burying themselves at all? I've been told that ivories don't burrow as much as others, but i've only seen them burrow twice and both times it was because it got cold in my room. Sometimes they do hang out inside a log i have in their enclosure though. They have about 3-4 inches of substrate that i keep moist, do they really not burrow at all or is it a sign of them being unwell / uncomfortable?

 

[HooahArmy]

Hey there new milly owner! Welcome to the fascinating and sometimes-complicated world of millipedes. Millipedes have been befuddling humans since the dawn of man, and their behaviors are always intriguing. My family has had ivories for many years, and they sometimes don't burrow as much as other species, but that does depend on their environment. I found that when our air temperature is warmer due to the space heater we have in our invert room, all the millies like to be out, since the air is warmer than the slightly damp soil we keep them in. Millies also do like to come out quite much when they feel comfortable, meaning that whatever is in the room is not being perceived as threatening. Our millies experience the most activity on the surface when their room is dark and quiet, or when nobody's walked around for quite some time. Lastly, we've seen our millies come out the most for another bigger reason--they're hungry. These active little munchers will always be on the hunt for food at the surface, since naturally they're looking for rotten vegetation or other like detritus. Not burrowing is a totally normal behavior. Enjoy seeing your new friends as they venture about and explore their environment! Feed them plenty of fruits and vegs as well to watch them fatten up, then finally disappear underground for up to a month or so to molt.

 

[yaih0550]

Hey there new milly owner! Welcome to the fascinating and sometimes-complicated world of millipedes. Millipedes have been befuddling humans since the dawn of man, and their behaviors are always intriguing. My family has had ivories for many years, and they sometimes don't burrow as much as other species, but that does depend on their environment. I found that when our air temperature is warmer due to the space heater we have in our invert room, all the millies like to be out, since the air is warmer than the slightly damp soil we keep them in. Millies also do like to come out quite much when they feel comfortable, meaning that whatever is in the room is not being perceived as threatening. Our millies experience the most activity on the surface when their room is dark and quiet, or when nobody's walked around for quite some time. Lastly, we've seen our millies come out the most for another bigger reason--they're hungry. These active little munchers will always be on the hunt for food at the surface, since naturally they're looking for rotten vegetation or other like detritus. Not burrowing is a totally normal behavior. Enjoy seeing your new friends as they venture about and explore their environment! Feed them plenty of fruits and vegs as well to watch them fatten up, then finally disappear underground for up to a month or so to molt.

Thank you for all the advice! I've been giving them lots of fruits and veggies so they get all the important minerals. grapes and carrots are their favorites i think :]
i'm glad to hear that they're comfortable, I was worried that they might be unhappy in their enclosure.

 

[Diplopodia]

Thank you for all the advice! I've been giving them lots of fruits and veggies so they get all the important minerals. grapes and carrots are their favorites i think :]
i'm glad to hear that they're comfortable, I was worried that they might be unhappy in their enclosure.

Mine love cucumber. All my millipedes love it actually.