Nope Noodle the Alternans: Body Language

[Scoliolioli]

It's been 6 months since I found Noodle near the front door of my house. It's been super fun to watch his behavior, and I'd like to share some things I've learned from him. Who knows? Maybe other Alternans owners have noticed similar behaviors?

1. Noodle is terrified of winds caused by ceiling fans. And my breath. He'll try to strike the first thing he touches before running to the nearest hide. Turning off the ceiling fan before opening the enclosure will keep him calm.​

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2. Ever since I added in multiple hides to the enclosure, I've noticed Noodle has been spending considerably more time above ground and fully visible, almost 24/7.​

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3. Moving the enclosure around doesn't seem to bother Noodle. However, sometimes he'll wiggle different legs as if he's preparing to escape. He'll stop and stay still if I put the enclosure down. Noodle has consistently stayed in place when I do cage maintenance (ceiling fan MUST be turned off before maintenance!).​

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4. Noodle doesn't like being handled. But (after I got tagged a while back) he doesn't attack my hand anymore when I'm cleaning the cage. He'll pop up and check with his antennae, and slowly go back into his burrow. Yes, I exercise caution when cleaning.​

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5. It's spring in Puerto Rico! Temps are heating up. The cage is in a darker, shaded room, but it still gets hot...​

Noodle stays above ground until enclosure temp reaches 86.5 degrees F (30.3° C). He's lately been hiding under the water dish.​

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That's it for now!

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

I thought Noodle was a snake, but I read legs. I thought lizard, but then I read antennae. I was like, maybe centipede? And then I saw this was posted is myriapods lol. I found this in the new posts section btw

 

[Scoliolioli]

I thought Noodle was a snake, but I read legs. I thought lizard, but then I read antennae. I was like, maybe centipede? And then I saw this was posted is myriapods lol. I found this in the new posts section btw

Hahaha! It's a centipede! Scolopendra Alternans.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

You found him near your door? wow lucky! They get huge, don't they?

 

[Scoliolioli]

You found him near your door? wow lucky! They get huge, don't they?

They do! He's at 6.5". I live in a semi-rural area so these guys tend to pop up in our house from time to time.

 

[Hercules Hernandez]

@Scoliolioli can I message you privately?

 

[BugLord]

What an amazing find!! So close to home too! Lol

 

[heldipede]

I adore the name Noodle and your summary of his behavior is great! Does he feed well for you? What is his enclosure like?

 

[Scoliolioli]

To heldipede, Noodle only eats when I'm asleep, like he's some kind of Santa Claus .

He's in a sterilite bin, 2-2.5 inch eco earth and a whole lot of hides. Here's a pic from my first thread (Noodle's been hiding since a month ago).