Question about centipedes

[Arachnopuppy]

How long do centipedes live? I am considering getting centipedes. If you don't know me, I have always been a tarantula person. I'm thinking of going interspecies now.

 

[skolopender]

Hi Iam !

I think that nobody knows exactely how old the could get but i heard (!) that they should get around 7 years !

I also started with tarantuals several years ago and i'm keeping Centipedes now since nearly one year and i'm still very enthusiastic about these fascinating animals !

I keep all my Centipedes in tanks like this one:

 

[aftershock]

I've heard about some subspinipes subspieces that have reached 10-15 years!

 

[Mister Internet]

Lam,

Welcome to the Dark Side

Most common estimates put the longevity of Scolopendra at about 5-8 years... now, that's not to say some species don't live longer. There are very possibly some members of S. subspinipes or S. gigantea that could live longer, similar to the Grammys and Brachys being kind of freak Methuselahs in the T world. Considering constant growth rates (or more likely, diminishing growth rates), I've seen pics of some subspinipes that had to be kissing a decade or more...

If you get a full-grown adult, reasonable remaining longevity would be 3-4 years, but you never know how old they are when they get caught in the wild...

 

[Steven]

Hey, can more people give picts of their tanks, i'm also going to get some centipedes soon, but would like to know a perfect set-up for keeping those scolopendras happy and living for 10 years .

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Can they be kept communally or are they antisocial like the tarantulas?

 

[Wade]

I'd say extremely antisocial, which is one of the big problems with captive breeding (the other is that males and females are impossible to tell apart).

I think I remember someone (Bill at Invertepet maybe?) mentioning that the "Chinese redheads" were somewhat tolerant of one annother.

Wade

 

[petitegreeneyes]

Hey Skolopender- Nice tank set-up!

 

[invertepet]

Scolopendra s. mutilans does seem more amenable to cohabitation. I kept a couple of orange legged morphs together for some time.

Did you know the Chinese use these centipedes as an herbal remedy for all sorts of ailments?

bill

Originally posted by Wade
I'd say extremely antisocial, which is one of the big problems with captive breeding (the other is that males and females are impossible to tell apart).

I think I remember someone (Bill at Invertepet maybe?) mentioning that the "Chinese redheads" were somewhat tolerant of one annother.

Wade

 

[Whitdadie]

skolopender
what size tank is that? it looks big.. I have a empty 30 that i dont know what to do with.. maybe a pede set up would work in it

 

[conipto]

Originally posted by invertepet

Did you know the Chinese use these centipedes as an herbal remedy for all sorts of ailments?

Not to be a smartass, but it'd be homeopathic, I believe.. Unless Centipedes grow in bushes

Still, do they use the venom, or just eat them?

Bill

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Originally posted by conipto
Not to be a smartass, but it'd be homeopathic, I believe.. Unless Centipedes grow in bushes

Still, do they use the venom, or just eat them?

Bill

I would imagine just eat them. Taking venom from centipedes to such an amount that is actually visible to see without an electron microscope would be a pain, especially for people in that era.

 

[skolopender]

@petitegreeneyes
thanks

@Whitdadie
the tanks arn't that big - if i calculated in the right way (i'm not really familiar with the US-measures...) than the measurements are 16 inches for the length as well for the width and about 12 inches high (40x40x30cm).
But this type is meant for the bigger species - my S. subspinipes and a S. heros castaneiceps which i should (hopefully) get in June.

For my both S. morsitans' i'm using the same tank but it's shared in 2 parts - see enclosed pic !

 

[skolopender]

.... and to show you the 3rd and last of my Skolo-tanks - here's the tank for my heros castaneiceps or maybe gigantea if i wouldn't get a castaneiceps.....:

 

[invertepet]

Originally posted by conipto
Not to be a smartass, but it'd be homeopathic, I believe.. Unless Centipedes grow in bushes

Still, do they use the venom, or just eat them?

Bill

They eat them after they've been dried and crushed.

And yes, herbal would normally be considered plant-based, but if you do a search for Scolopendra mutilans and either 'chinese medicine' or 'remedy' you see it listed as an 'herbal remedy' (really).

I guess most Chinese medicinal items like this are loosely classified in that way (because you'd be hard-pressed to categorize things like ground duck poop and powdered tiger semen, I guess)...

bill