Scolopendra Subspinipes Ate Itself

melynxmassacre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
6
Today I discovered my adult giant vietnamese centipede dead in the tank, legs are not curled and it seems that 2 legs at the end are missing on one side, looks like he ripped them of (didn't find them anywhere in the tank) or it ate them, is this even possible?

Thanks for any advice on the source of death
 

Attachments

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Today I discovered my adult giant vietnamese centipede dead in the tank, legs are not curled and it seems that 2 legs at the end are missing on one side, looks like he ripped them of (didn't find them anywhere in the tank) or it ate them, is this even possible?

Thanks for any advice on the source of death
What was the enclosure like? Pics help, it may have been dehydrated? Also, it could have been wild caught. Not much you can do then. So sorry for your loss, but what was the "daily care" for your pede?
 

melynxmassacre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
6
What was the enclosure like? Pics help, it may have been dehydrated? Also, it could have been wild caught. Not much you can do then. So sorry for your loss, but what was the "daily care" for your pede?
It was a 25cm high tank with 11cm of sub (cocos fibre), big waterdish, cork bark and some artificial plants. I sprayed every 1-3 days the substrate and sides of the tank. He ate a giant hissing roach just before christmas and I offered another 2weeks ago but he did not want it, they lived happily together. And the roach couldn't hurt the pede, right?
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
It may have eaten the pede after it died? I hear roaches can scavenge a dead corpse, but I am not sure. How long have you had it? It may just be that it had so e sort of WC virus or parasite :(
 

melynxmassacre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
6
I bought it early December, it never showed really strange behavor, but it also didn't burrow, hid most of the time under its bark and discovered the tank in the evening
 

Salvador

Arachnosquire
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
141
Roaches and other feeders will absolutley take advantage of a vulnerable centipede (moulting or dying) and eat parts of them.
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
I sprayed every 1-3 days the substrate and sides of the tank.
That's an error. Not saying in the slightest way that was the cause of death, don't get me wrong now. I have a WC 0.1 S.subspinipes and I don't spray at all. Water dish always full, and moist substrate always (I pour room temperature water directly in the substrate) are better.

He ate a giant hissing roach just before christmas and I offered another 2weeks ago but he did not want it, they lived happily together. And the roach couldn't hurt the pede, right?
I'm not a fan at all of those hissing roaches. An (adult) B.dubia or crickets are always the best option. It's better to remove the prey if the arachnid/invert doesn't want to eat, you never know.

However I'm sorry, man. Sometimes those issue happens.
 

melynxmassacre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
6
I know that crickets and the like attack molting T's, but I thought it was one of the main reasons to buy roaches, next to easy care and no noise.

As for the substrate, cocos fibre doesn't soak water really well, should I better mix some flower earth, or add some sphagnum moss?
 

Chris LXXIX

ArachnoGod
Joined
Dec 25, 2014
Messages
5,845
I know that crickets and the like attack molting T's, but I thought it was one of the main reasons to buy roaches, next to easy care and no noise.

As for the substrate, cocos fibre doesn't soak water really well, should I better mix some flower earth, or add some sphagnum moss?
Well, IMO crickets are easy to care as well like B.dubia. The only difference is that they love to sing & smell :-s

--

I use coco fiber, I usually buy KG of those (on the loose, I hate bricks) but for centipedes I prefer Irish moss peat.
 

melynxmassacre

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
Messages
6
I did not experience cannibalistic behavior with dubias, and in general they tend to live longer with less food (in comparison to crickets ^^)
Thanks for the advice :)
I'll probably get an Alipes multicostis next, wanted to buy one in December but the offer for the s.subspinipes was too good :D
 

RTTB

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
1,771
It could have taken advantage of the pede while it was in a molt. Hard to say.
 

Ranitomeya

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 11, 2012
Messages
255
Never leave an opportunistic feeder organism with chewing mouthparts in an enclosure unless you want to risk it taking the opportunity to turn the tables on a weakened or molting animal.
The centipede does not look like it was about to molt, so my guess is that it either died and was then eaten or it was near death and eaten.
 
Top