My new find. Tanzanian blue legged centipede.ID.LARGE PICS

[teslo561]

I recently found this little guy on a bug hunt for my Entomology class. A gorgeous, what I am assuming is, a Tanzanian blue legged centipede (Scolopendra Mirabilis?). Any tips or info would be great. I just wanted to say hello to the forum as it seemed appropriate because allot of my initial research came from this section. This is my first Centipede and I am truly amazed learning about her or him. I'm going to assume "her, so I can name her Mira after "Mirabilis. She's just under two inches and has definitely increased in girth after her first feeding on the 6th. I'll be posting some picks from her initial capture and her newly designed holding cell. Thanks again for the information everyone on here has compiled, it is very helpful. Thanks again, James.

LARGE PICS

 

[MelissaDBrown]

Congratulations on your new beauty!

 

[JZC]

Not that I know anything about pedes, but it doesn't make sense for a tanzanian sp. to be in florida. Unless they are an invasive species?

 

[teslo561]

and her new home

Question 1: She is now burrowed in and I will of course keep the substrate from drying out. The question I have is , how often , when , how can I check to make sure she is still alive. I will of course use the paintbrush to lightly brush away the substrate.

Question 2: When feeding her a meal worm, she loves meal worms! , do i pinch it first and leave it outside the initial burrow hole? or do I just drop it in and she'll feel it out. Will the meal worms not dig down into the substrate? I don't want a dying meal worm to dig down out of reach and die.

Question 3: Like I stated she is just under 2' and growing. How often do I need to feed her? Once a week? twice? and as the question above ask, what's the best manner to do this with meal worms?

I would love nothing more to see this pede grow up healthy and fat. She may even find a home at one of the labs here on campus as a specimen

---------- Post added 07-10-2013 at 06:27 PM ----------

Not that I know anything about pedes, but it doesn't make sense for a tanzanian sp. to be in florida. Unless they are an invasive species?

I would assume invasive, I'm going to be adventuring back out to the area where she was caught this week in the hopes of maybe finding another

---------- Post added 07-10-2013 at 06:30 PM ----------

Congratulations on your new beauty!

Thank you, I've never been into anthropods until now.

 

[MelissaDBrown]

I haven't done too much research on them since I only have millipedes and tarantulas.

There are a lot if knowledgeable people in this forum who can help you with your new friend. Also if you browse around you will find a lot here!

 

[Msh]

I'm not a centipede expert by any means but could this be a scolopendra viridis ?

 

[teslo561]

I'm not a centipede expert by any means but could this be a scolopendra viridis ?

A quick image search would lead me to think you are correct. I myself am no expert. I did however find a similar image captured here in Florida as well.

How did you come to that? Just curious, have you seen it before etc.?

Thanks

---------- Post added 07-10-2013 at 09:41 PM ----------

Question 1: She is now burrowed in and I will of course keep the substrate from drying out. The question I have is , how often , when , how can I check to make sure she is still alive. I will of course use the paintbrush to lightly brush away the substrate.

Question 2: When feeding her a meal worm, she loves meal worms! , do i pinch it first and leave it outside the initial burrow hole? or do I just drop it in and she'll feel it out. Will the meal worms not dig down into the substrate? I don't want a dying meal worm to dig down out of reach and die.

Question 3: Like I stated she is just under 2' and growing. How often do I need to feed her? Once a week? twice? and as the question above ask, what's the best manner to do this with meal worms?

I would love nothing more to see this pede grow up healthy and fat. She may even find a home at one of the labs here on campus as a specimen

---------- Post added 07-10-2013 at 09:46 PM ----------

I also found this regarding scolopendra viridis

http://bugguide.net/node/view/52215/bgpage

Hmm... Do we have an ID?

 

[Msh]

I say viridis because I had done some research on centipedes I could find in Florida before I went there last spring break and I remembered that was one of them.

 

[cantthinkofone]

I second viridis. Beutiful pede. Don't let him escape!

 

[lancej]

Looks like every S. viridis I have caught in Florida ( except for the one blond one I caught a couple of years ago).
Question 1: in the wild they love to burrow through loose soil, especially sugar sand. I like to keep them in the odd shaped plastic mayonnaise jars with the hinged lids with a couple of inches of moist coco fiber with a few clumps of long fiber sphagnum moss. In these enclosures, the burrows tend to be partly against the side so you can see them - the best way to see if they are still alive and well is to drop prey in there with them
Question 2: crushing the head of the meal worm would be good, just so that the pede will come to the surface to get it.
Question 3: once a week is good. They love crickets also - and it's really cool how they will stalk them

 

[sr20det510]

No need to crush the cricket head, they take down medium/large crickets.

You probably will not see it out and about until feeding time, then it will come up for a meal, kill, and head back down to enjoy its meal.

 

[lancej]

The reason to crush the head would be to encourage the pede to come to the surface to grab it. It's a good way to 'check' on it without digging it out.

 

[sr20det510]

The reason to crush the head would be to encourage the pede to come to the surface to grab it. It's a good way to 'check' on it without digging it out.

I always thought they felt the crickets movement and then came out to feed.
That is why I just feed it like crickets.

I guess either way works!
Thanks for the 411.

 

[lancej]

I always thought they felt the crickets movement and then came out to feed.
That is why I just feed it like crickets.

I guess either way works!
Thanks for the 411.

I am with you on this one, but the OP was asking about the meal worms. Plus I love watching them stalk the crickets. It sort of reminds me of a cobra.