Millipede Care, My Experiences in Zoos, & an Arboreal Millipede “Emergency”

findi

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Messages
698
Hi All,

Millipedes (Order Diplopoda) are among the most diverse yet least studied of all invertebrates. There are enough millipedes to keep generations of fans happy – over 12,000 species have been described so far, and we know little about most! Many species make hardy pets that adjust well to small enclosures and may even breed. All are quite intriguing - while working with arboreal South American millipedes at the Bronx Zoo, I was even involved in a mysterious “millipede emergency”…please see this article http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatr...-of-a-peaceful-terrarium-invertebrate-part-1/ for details.

The following information can be applied to the commonly-kept African Giant Millipede (Achispirospreptus gigas) and many of the others that appear in the trade from time to time. Several millipedes native to the USA, such as Narceus americanus, are also large and brightly-colored…all are ignored by zoos and deserve more attention from hobbyists. Husbandry details will vary…please post below for information on individual species.
Read more here http://bit.ly/YkyZWG
Please also check out my posts on Twitter http://bitly.com/JP27Nj.

Thanks, Frank
My Bio, with photos of animals I’ve been lucky enough to work with http://bitly.com/LC8Lbp
Face Book http://on.fb.me/KckP1m
 

Cavedweller

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
1,064
Thanks for the links!

How did that "millipede emergency" get resolved? Did they ever figure out what the researchers died from?
 

findi

Arachnodemon
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 31, 2009
Messages
698
Thanks for the links!

How did that "millipede emergency" get resolved? Did they ever figure out what the researchers died from?
Glad you enjoyed, my pleasure. It turned out to be an odd set of coincidences..the gentlemen in question were elderly, and showed similar symptoms; given their odd profession, people began drawing conclusions and spreading the word; turned out that each passing had been unrelated to their work. Best, Frank
 
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