Seasonal variations in Centrobolus sp. Mozambique?

[Farouche]

Hello there!

So, I have had half a dozen members of this species for less than a year and it's their first winter with me. Up until November/December, the species was very active or alternating a few days of rest or digging with a few days of exploring the terrarium and getting a variety of supplemental food that I would provide.

However I have noticed since December especially that my pedes have a much, much reduced activity, barely eating at all and usually absent from sight; I even wondered if some of them might be dead somewhere, and I've opened the terrarium to check on my critters but won't dig up the soil. I have noticed a few babies so I take that as a good sign, but aside from one adult individual (male) that still regularly explore the terrarium, the other pedes I've seen spend all of their time curled up in the decor (I have wood and live plants, which they love to climb) and they won't touch the various supplemental food I'm providing anymore. They do not appear to be molting, laying eggs, etc right now.

The parameters of the terrarium have not changed: the humidity is balanced (around 70%, varies depending on the temperature and watering of plants), the temperature is at least 23°C by night and at most 25°C by day. The terrarium has a growth light for the plants but a lot of dark and shaded spaces under the plants, decor, and at the back of the terrarium. They did explore in the light when they were more active anyway.

I have noticed that some of my indoor plants (not in the terra) still could perceive the change of light in the room and that it was winter, even though they also have their own growth lamps, so I was wondering if millipedes could sense winter also even though they have their own stable setup. Also this is not a temperate species so I'm not sure why they would become sluggish. Winter for us is also the hot and rainy season in their natural habitat; I don't know what season my pedes think we're in right now (they were captive bred, in any case). Is this normal at all and should I expect my pedes to pick up in activity in a few months?

I did receive them as full-grown adults. Could it just be that they are reaching the end of their life-span? I've read they're more short-lived than some of the larger species.

Would love to read about other people's experience and input with the various Centrobolus types.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

They are probably getting ready to molt. They often do this in concert. The process takes months for adults.

 

[Dry Desert]

Hello there!

So, I have had half a dozen members of this species for less than a year and it's their first winter with me. Up until November/December, the species was very active or alternating a few days of rest or digging with a few days of exploring the terrarium and getting a variety of supplemental food that I would provide.

However I have noticed since December especially that my pedes have a much, much reduced activity, barely eating at all and usually absent from sight; I even wondered if some of them might be dead somewhere, and I've opened the terrarium to check on my critters but won't dig up the soil. I have noticed a few babies so I take that as a good sign, but aside from one adult individual (male) that still regularly explore the terrarium, the other pedes I've seen spend all of their time curled up in the decor (I have wood and live plants, which they love to climb) and they won't touch the various supplemental food I'm providing anymore. They do not appear to be molting, laying eggs, etc right now.

The parameters of the terrarium have not changed: the humidity is balanced (around 70%, varies depending on the temperature and watering of plants), the temperature is at least 23°C by night and at most 25°C by day. The terrarium has a growth light for the plants but a lot of dark and shaded spaces under the plants, decor, and at the back of the terrarium. They did explore in the light when they were more active anyway.

I have noticed that some of my indoor plants (not in the terra) still could perceive the change of light in the room and that it was winter, even though they also have their own growth lamps, so I was wondering if millipedes could sense winter also even though they have their own stable setup. Also this is not a temperate species so I'm not sure why they would become sluggish. Winter for us is also the hot and rainy season in their natural habitat; I don't know what season my pedes think we're in right now (they were captive bred, in any case). Is this normal at all and should I expect my pedes to pick up in activity in a few months?

I did receive them as full-grown adults. Could it just be that they are reaching the end of their life-span? I've read they're more short-lived than some of the larger species.

Would love to read about other people's experience and input with the various Centrobolus types.

Mine are doing exactly the same, out and about until end of October/ November, now hardly see them much. Don't have Centrobolus but have several different species.
Millipedes like most creatures sense air pressure changes as well as ambient temperature changes, they're getting ready for what they think is their winter period.
They won't fully hibrinate as such as enclosure conditions will remain pretty stable.
All creatures are far more switched on to condions/ changes in environment etc. than we give them credit for.

 

[Farouche]

They are probably getting ready to molt. They often do this in concert. The process takes months for adults.

I assumed that if they wanted to molt they would dig in the substrate and not, like, curl up on the decor. But I'll be extra careful in any case in case a freshly molted individual pops up!

Mine are doing exactly the same, out and about until end of October/ November, now hardly see them much. Don't have Centrobolus but have several different species.
Millipedes like most creatures sense air pressure changes as well as ambient temperature changes, they're getting ready for what they think is their winter period.
They won't fully hibrinate as such as enclosure conditions will remain pretty stable.
All creatures are far more switched on to condions/ changes in environment etc. than we give them credit for.

Thank you for your input. It was a hunch I had but can't find any decent information about my species, so it's interesting to know that at least some other species do that. I would expect it more from temperate species than sub-tropical but they do experience a wet+hot season VS dry+warm season so who knows. I do think they can perceive the room they're in got a lot darker as winter came, even though their terrarium has LED for plant growth. You're right in saying we don't give them enough credit. Even my plants that are under growth lamps on shelves on the far end of the room away from the window still noticed there was less UV/light coming in and have switched either to semi-dormant state, or some started flowering even though I barely had any drop in temperature (they're succulent plants so some of them are dormant when it's hot and flower when it's cooler in the winter). Not the same as inverts since plants are very tuned to light, but I'm sure inverts still sense a lot.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

I assumed that if they wanted to molt they would dig in the substrate and not, like, curl up on the decor. But I'll be extra careful in any case in case a freshly molted individual pops up!

Mine were buried and molting for a few months and popped back up recently.

 

[Farouche]

Mine were buried and molting for a few months and popped back up recently.

Yeah I know that happens but mine are not buried at all. Just curled up on the plants and whatnot, nowhere near the substrate. Most of them are situated above the area where I spotted a baby pede so I'm wondering if they watch over them or something (baby disappeared, I know they're too small to stay on the surface at that age & tend to stay in the substrate).

 

[Arthroverts]

They do hail from area that has pretty drastic seasonal variation so this is not necessarily surprising that they would go into a period of relative inactivity. Two thoughts; 1) they are becoming inactive during the rainy season in Mozambique (taking into account the seasons are flipped for the southern hemisphere), which is a period when most millipedes become more active, and 2) unrelated but it is interesting to note that this species doesn't seem to need seasonal variation to breed consistently unlike other African species.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

P.S How many species do you have @Farouche, just out of curiosity?

 

[Farouche]

Thank you for your input. Indeed it is summer at the moment in southern Mozambique, and also the rainy season. I'm not sure what my captive bred millipedes think is happening right now season-wise. They were breeding actively up 'til late November in any case.

I've restocked the terrarium in white rotten wood and decaying leaves and have noticed an increase in activity for a couple of them (I think they're both males). I don't think they were starving though as the substrate isn't all that old. And I'm moving to another city next month so that will be fun to deal with... The terrarium is glass but small enough that I may just carry it as is rather than disturb my millipedes to put them elsewhere. I don't think it'll be too heavy, keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Farouche]

Well today I saw 4 5 out of the 5 adults, it seems the food-restocking really did the trick.

I have seen a couple earthworms in the substrate, which were introduced accidentally when I dumped the bag in (that I had bought, so I did not foresee hitchhickers to be as much as a nuisance). I suspect they are the culprits in depleting the food resources faster than anticipated after all, which left my millipedes with not much to get by. When I'll be settled in my new place around March I may look into setting up a new terra for my Centrobolus, without earthworms this time, and also a different plant choice/decor.

While the plants I have are working fine, it was more of an experiment and I would do some things differently.

 

[Farouche]

I've moved to a new place and the millipedes have been doing just great, aside from one female that lost the end of one of its antennae (possibly a bad fall during the move).

Lately they've been exploring and mating most of the time. They are super easy to watch, I love them!