Millipedes Burrowing More Often

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Hey! So I just wanted to see if anyone had some ideas about my pedes’ behavior recently. So I have 2 North American Giants and I’ve had them for a couple months now, and just recently I’ve noticed them burrowing a lot more frequently. I was thinking that maybe they’re molting or maybe I missed it and they mated? Coincidentally I got a female and a male! But the molting and/or breeding are my only ideas besides them just wanting to?

Tank Conditions: I have them in a 20L tank with a substrate of “creature soil”, plantation soil (made from coco husk), sphagnum moss, aspen shavings, “sani-chips” (oak wood chips/other hard woods), and tons of oak leaf litter. I also have different mosses and hides all over the place, and usually mist them 1-2 times a day to try to keep the humidity at about 70% (as per their species requires). (The overhead light is usually kept off, unless I cover their tank with something to keep it a little darker, I just switched it on for the picture)

 

[RoachCoach]

Not sure about the fauna, but that there is a nice setup.
Also, what is the purple chain around the top?

 

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Not sure about the fauna, but that there is a nice setup.
Also, what is the purple chain around the top?

Thank you! It’s sphagnum and reindeer moss, great for keeping up humidity! (The other plants are fake) And the leafy greens are kale, I supplement their diet with veggies, and oddly enough rabbit pellets and goldfish flakes! The purple chain is some string lights on the outside of the tank, I used to have one of my other animals named Luna in there, hence the Saturn lights. But I rarely turn them on, they are very dim though.

 

[Matts inverts]

They just burry them selves eavry once in a while. It’s normal. The setup. Is good but it needs a bit more substrate. Those are orthoporus ornatus millipedes which are a dry species from Texas to Arizona. They like dry on the top with more moisture on the bottom. You might have been sold the wrong millipede. Super cool millipedes. Also spray way less. I poor water on one side and let it go to the bottom of the substrate.

 

[Matts inverts]

Also when you say they are breeding, is that just what you think is happening. This species does not produce in captivity.

 

[goliathusdavid]

Definitely agree with @Matts inverts. These are Orthoporus ornatus, and require four to six inches of organic matter substrate. Personally I do not pour water, I mist daily (and know some people who mist twice daily extremely lightly). But that's really personal choice.

 

[Matts inverts]

Also when you say oak chips, it should be rotten so they can eat it. because you are misting so much, they are trying to escape the humidity on the surface so they start digging. That is the only thing wrong with the care. Just cut back on misting.

 

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Thank you! It’s sphagnum and reindeer moss, great for keeping up humidity! (The other plants are fake) And the leafy greens are kale, I supplement their diet with veggies, and oddly enough rabbit pellets and goldfish flakes!

They just burry them selves eavry once in a while. It’s normal. The setup. Is good but it needs a bit more substrate. Those are orthoporus ornatus millipedes which are a dry species from Texas to Arizona. They like dry on the top with more moisture on the bottom. You might have been sold the wrong millipede. Super cool millipedes. Also spray way less. I poor water on one side and let it go to the bottom of the substrate.

Okay thank you! I have some more substrate ready to mix up already so I’ll just add some more in. And omg! I just looked it up was definitely sold the wrong one I didn’t even think to question it. Thank you for your advice will definitely cut down on the misting.

 

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Also when you say they are breeding, is that just what you think is happening. This species does not produce in captivity.

Yeah that’s just what I assumed could be it but that’s also good to know.

 

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Definitely agree with @Matts inverts. These are Orthoporus ornatus, and require four to six inches of organic matter substrate. Personally I do not pour water, I mist daily (and know some people who mist twice daily extremely lightly). But that's really personal choice.

Okay, thank you for the info! The higher ground has 4 inches so I’ll just mix up some more substrate and add it in to bring everything up a few inches!

 

[Nikitasnaturenook]

Also when you say oak chips, it should be rotten so they can eat it. because you are misting so much, they are trying to escape the humidity on the surface so they start digging. That is the only thing wrong with the care. Just cut back on misting.

Okay so I’ll take the remaining oak chips I have and start trying to get those to rot. I figured they were burrowing to try to get to a more humid environment (where the substrate would be more moist). Thank you so much for the info! I can’t believe they were mis named!!

 

[Matts inverts]

Also the morph is Texas gold or gold banded