Please help! Millipede escaped

[Diplopoda4]

Hello all. Last night I apparently left the lid of the terrarium not completely closed, and my millipede escaped. I live in a 500 sq ft apartment and have no pets. The enclosure was on a counter, so she evidently survived the 3 foot fall and was able to walk away. I've currently searched every nook and cranny, and am continuing to do so. I've also left out vegetables and water in a few places.

My questions are this:

1) It's been anywhere up to between 12 to 16 hours by now. How much longer do you think she can survive, if still alive?

2) Does anyone have any other tips/thoughts to offer?


Thank you!


I'm actually unsure of the species, but it's the one pictured here:

 

[mickiem]

It has a lot to do with the humidity and temperature in your home. I had a millipede loose for a little over a week and he was fine. I quarantined him for a few weeks to watch him and he just went on like nothing had happened. I found him in the folds of a sofa skirt so it may have been a little warmer and more humid under there. My home is dry; about 30-50% (too dry for a millipede) but he made it. My temperature stays around 73˚. But I would worry more about the fall. They don't always die right away but that is a difficult injury from which to recover. Best of luck to you.

 

[Exoskelos]

If you have a typical kitchen with cabinets above the counter, there is a space between the cabinets and the ceiling. I would check up there. A fall of 3 feet would most likely kill any millipede. If you didn't visibly see it fall, then it probably climbed down. Those pinkleg millipedes are arboreal with long legs perfect for gripping surfaces, so I would almost guarantee it climbed either up or down and is hiding somewhere. If you have an AC unit or humidifier, check around those.

 

[Diplopoda4]

Thank you both! At this point I've looked absolutely everywhere: Under/behind every appliance and piece of furniture, above the cabinets, in plant pots, in the couch, radiators, every corner of the floor, you name it. I've searched every place she could conceivable and inconceivably be. I've set out lots of small plates with cucumber slices (which always get devoured) and water, but they haven't been touched. I'm not sure what else I can do, but not really optimistic at this point.

 

[Dapink02]

I’ve had something similar in one of my terrariums. I wasn’t sure of the species, it was gone for a few days and turned up when I caught it out and about during the night. Trying to find it during the day is not going to have a high rate of success.

 

[maxpede]

This is all good things to look at for a inexperienced keeper (myself).

 

[MadMilli]

Is there any chance you could put your terrarium on the floor for a few days? As intriguing as this may sound, one of my millipedes escaped while cleaning and I found it 24 hours later crawling across my rug during the day heading back in the direction of the enclosure. I think if you put the enclosure somewhere accessible, he or she may be able to return. I wouldn't worry about it though, because even some of the tropical millipedes can survive when they escape. While I've never dealt with one escaping for long periods of time, I would continue your search and as mentioned above, check at night.

 

[Diplopoda4]

Is there any chance you could put your terrarium on the floor for a few days? As intriguing as this may sound, one of my millipedes escaped while cleaning and I found it 24 hours later crawling across my rug during the day heading back in the direction of the enclosure. I think if you put the enclosure somewhere accessible, he or she may be able to return. I wouldn't worry about it though, because even some of the tropical millipedes can survive when they escape. While I've never dealt with one escaping for long periods of time, I would continue your search and as mentioned above, check at night.

Nice idea, giving this a shot.

 

[Jerry]

The one thing I was thinking after reading this is you could set up a couple bait stations around the house in various places which might catch his attention if he's moving around and give him a spot to hold up and eat giving you a better chance of finding him

 

[mickiem]

I had a White's Tree Frog escape and was gone for 3 days. I was beginning to think I would find him by the smell of dead frog. I read on a frog forum to put dishes of damp sphagnum moss around. I put about a half dozen dishes around and that is probably what kept him alive, even though I didn't catch him there. I was feeding his frog wife and found him clinging to the side of her tank! But maybe if you put dishes of substrate and moss around with a slice of cucumber, you could lure him or sustain him.

 

[Jerry]

Any luck location the awall milli