My millipedes

[Villegas23]

Hello, I am an owner to 3 millipedes soon to be four. I've only recently started getting into collecting unique pets and millipedes were inexpensive and pretty cool to let walk around. Well it's been about 2 months now for 2 of them and I rarely see them eating above ground or just exploring. I understand that they spend most of the time digging but do you think the temp is too low? They are all healthy I let them walk around yesterday. The temp stays around 20-30 celcious and the humidity stays around 60-75

 

[mickiem]

Welcome to the hobby! What kind of millipedes do you have? What do you mean, you let them "walk around"?

 

[Villegas23]

Hello I have 2 American millipedes, and a giant american millipede. And by letting them walk around on my bed I took them out and just let them walk over each other and explore

 

[Villegas23]

Here's some pics of one of mine

 

[mickiem]

Beautiful pedes!

 

[mickiem]

Hello I have 2 American millipedes, and a giant american millipede. And by letting them walk around on my bed I took them out and just let them walk over each other and explore

Gotcha! I wasn't sure if you were letting them walk outside, which is generally bad. It's fun to let them walk where you can watch them.

Maybe they are molting? I think 30C sounds high. What kind of substrate are you using? How deep is it?

 

[Ratmosphere]

Nice collection!

 

[LawnShrimp]

Good tips for any millipede owner are to keep the substrate as deep as the longest millipede is long, so they can molt properly. Substrate should be composed of 20-40% inedible material such as cocofiber or peat and the rest should be soft decaying hardwood with a few decaying brown leaves. Good supplemental foods include cucumber and melon. Your humidity is fine, but 30C is too high for millipedes from any place.

By "American Milllipedes" and "Giant American Millipedes", do you mean Narceus, or Orthoporus? Narceus is commonly called American Giant Millipede even though it is smaller than Orthoporus.

 

[Villegas23]

I have a mixture of some leafs from a website that sent the pedes, and coco mixture with moss and sticks on top to keep it moist. I believe their eating the substrate mostly. My substrate it about 4 inches in the deepest part and about 2 inches in the smallest part.

 

[Villegas23]

Nice collection!

Thanks! I'm going to a expo on Sunday and was thinking of getting more if available!

 

[Villegas23]

Beautiful pedes!

Thank you! I'll be sure to take more pics when the others get here. Have any yourself?

 

[mickiem]

Thank you! I'll be sure to take more pics when the others get here. Have any yourself?

Oh, yes! Lots! My favorites are AGBs and Ivories. I have a new one, Floridibolus floydii that are really cute and active. I never met a millipede I didn't love.

 

[Villegas23]

Oh, yes! Lots! My favorites are AGBs and Ivories. I have a new one, Floridibolus floydii that are really cute and active. I never met a millipede I didn't love.

Awesome, I just ordered a "rare" floyds millipede. And a bumblebee one I'm excited to see them in person!

 

[Villegas23]

Oh, yes! Lots! My favorites are AGBs and Ivories. I have a new one, Floridibolus floydii that are really cute and active. I never met a millipede I didn't love.

Also where did you get your AGB? I live in Texas and so far it's basically impossible to find one

 

[Villegas23]

Good news. I was digging through my enclosure earlier and dug up "train" and it just stayed curled up instead of exploring like usual I knocked it up to just being asleep so I found another and put train back on the top next to carrots within 30 minutes he was all over the carrots eating well deserved food!

 

[LawnShrimp]

It is best not to dig up millipedes as they could be molting, and even a slight disturbance could kill or disfigure a softshelled millipede. If you want to give them food, just leave it on the surface. They can smell it from beneath the substrate and will appear on the surface soon if they want to.

Your substrate looks a little dry on the surface. This is OK as long as the lower levels are moist but not waterlogged.

AGBs can be purchased online from Ward's Scientific, CapeCodRoaches, or sporadically from private owners and sellers such as @mickiem. They can be pricey ($60-100) but from what I hear they are worth the money.

 

[mickiem]

Also where did you get your AGB? I live in Texas and so far it's basically impossible to find one

I've had them a few years. I'll offer some on AB but sell trade page later this week. I have babies. They are yearlings; about 2?1/2"

 

[Villegas23]

I've had them a few years. I'll offer some on AB but sell trade page later this week. I have babies. They are yearlings; about 2?1/2"

Sweet! When you do can you please message me? I would love to see them in pictures and actually get one. But I've heard that mites could end up being with them is this true? I also heard all millipedes have mites

 

[LawnShrimp]

Sweet! When you do can you please message me? I would love to see them in pictures and actually get one. But I've heard that mites could end up being with them is this true? I also heard all millipedes have mites

Captive bred millipedes often do not have commensal mites. The commensal mites found on AGBs and other millipedes are dark, fast moving, and flattened, and are beneficial to the health of the millipedes, whereas the parasitic, round, white, slow-moving grain mite that attaches itself in large sheets are the dangerous kind.

 

[Villegas23]

Captive bred millipedes often do not have commensal mites. The commensal mites found on AGBs and other millipedes are dark, fast moving, and flattened, and are beneficial to the health of the millipedes, whereas the parasitic, round, white, slow-moving grain mite that attaches itself in large sheets are the dangerous kind.

I see! Thanks for the information!