some millipede questions????

[corwin3180]

I know that it isnt uncommon for a millipede to burrow itself down into the substrate and not be seen for a day or two. But my female AGB has been borrowed for about a week. Midway through the week she poked her head out of her hole for about 20 sec. but then retreated back into her burrow. For the last month her and my male have been mating pretty regularly, and I dont know if the burrowing is to lay eggs or what. Is this somthing i should worry about?

The other quetions I have are in regards to a millipedes senses:

Can a millipede hear or smell, if so which organs do they use????

How good of vision do millipedes have???

 

[spydrhunter1]

My AGB's do the same as far as burrowing. Sometimes I won't see one for a couple of weeks, they have created a great network of tunnels. They could be molting under the substrate, so the less disturbance the better.

 

[Snipes]

Since I have increased the quality of the substrate, ie adding more types of substrate and rotting wood and leaves, I have noticed that they like to burrow. A lot. When the substrate was bad, they would just lay on the surface. I think that its ok that they are underground a lot. In Africa they probably would not sit on the surface like a sitting duck. I wouldnt disturb em. Also, they come out at night.
I am not sure how they hear, but the have those nice antennae. Thats probably their main way of taking senses in.

 

[Voodooschaaf]

Hi, Corvin

Millipedes are able to hear and smell tru a organ, which is called TÖMÖSVARY´s
Organ which can be located behind the base of each antennae.
It is described as a round hole which is 15mykrom large and opens up into a 30mykrom round epidermal cavity.
In there are several cells which are able to evaluate the impressions from outside, such as odor, noise, humidity and also changing of the atmospheric pressure.
This organ is highly sensitiv and has different cells in it, which have all different uses.

The organ was first described by Joachim Haupt in July 1971 in "sense organs of myriapoda".

Here comes a little text from him:
The temporal organ is situated in a pit just behind of the antenna. The pit represents an epidermal invagination. Its coated by cuticle and corresponds to the outside by a circular opening.More of the half of the pit is filled up with a complicated network of branching and anastomosing cuticular protuberances.The cuticle of the protuberances is very thin and perforated by tiny pores.There are about 10 sence cells situated under the pit, each of which forms a distal as well as a proximal process. Each distal process shows 2 ciliary structures. After brancing they enter the cuticular protuberances and branch inside of it as well.The sesnse cells are surrounded by glanduar sheath cells, in which trichogen and tormogen cells can be distinguished. The secretion product of the sheath cells surrounds the distal parts of the sense cells inside of the cuticular protuberances. By comparision to sense organs of insects it must be presumed that the temporal organ represents an olfactory organ which may also function as a hygroreceptor.

Key words for search:
Temporal organ/Myriapoda

Hope this helps,
Greez,
Shura and the whole bunch