Stone centipede care?

[VolkswagenBug]

I caught an adult stone centipede outside (not sure what species, but definitely a lithobiid and probably a Lithobius) and decided to try keeping it as a pet, but my guess is that stone centipedes have rather different care requirements than Scolopendra and co. and I'm having trouble finding a good care sheet specific to this family. I'm just keeping it in a basic 16 oz deli cup with about 3 cm of moist coconut fiber substrate and it seems to be doing alright, but I've only had it for a day, so I'm not sure if that's the best setup long-term. I'd appreciate it if anybody who has experience with these guys can answer the following questions:
- What size container do they tend to prefer? Would a 32 oz tall deli cup be preferable so it has more room to burrow?
- How frequently do they need to eat (adults and juveniles)? Do they have any favorite feeders?
- How easy are they to breed in captivity?
- Do they prefer to have above-ground hides or are they fine burrowing?
Thanks!

 

[Ponerinecat]

A small container will be alright but you may want to give it a larger container with more surface area. I'm not sure of diet, but I know they are very generalistic and will eat most small soft bodied invertebrates. Breeding should be easy, I know of people who have kept many individuals of smaller species together and used them as feeders. Above ground hides are ideal.

 

[ThemantismanofPA]

i keep about 10 together in a tupperware, and they reproduce regurlarly

 

[Percy]

In concerns to what they eat, they'll take anything. You could give them wet catfood or wet dogfood and they'd eat it. Also seen them eat isopods, fish flakes, springtails (plings especially). They don't need a living food source, honestly. You can even give them fruits and they'd probably eat them. They're very adaptable.

They'll burrow sometimes, but yeah.. above ground hides are best. They may compete with/eat each other, if there are no good hides.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

In concerns to what they eat, they'll take anything. You could give them wet catfood or wet dogfood and they'd eat it. Also seen them eat isopods, fish flakes, springtails (plings especially). They don't need a living food source, honestly. You can even give them fruits and they'd probably eat them. They're very adaptable.

They'll burrow sometimes, but yeah.. above ground hides are best. They may compete with/eat each other, if there are no good hides.

Thanks! I'm getting a shipment including springtails and D. hydei on Wednesday or Thursday, but I can try feeding it a bit of my cat's wet food in the meantime. I believe I have some spare cork bark somewhere, so I can give it that to use as a hide (a half log is probably too big for its container, though).

 

[StampFan]

i keep about 10 together in a tupperware, and they reproduce regurlarly

Any casualties when you're keeping these communally?

 

[ThemantismanofPA]

yep, all but 1 are dead now.

 

[RTTB]

They are a communal species. Pre kill mealworms and they’ll feed off that or offer micro mealworms. Have been kept up to 5 years in captivity. Fun species. Flat stones are good hides over a coco or pear substrate.

 

[Nebula]

yep, all but 1 are dead now.

Hi all, just joined!
I just caught 7 and probably have 100's more in a log pile out back. What were you feeding them and how much? I wonder if they have an abundance of food they'll be less inclined to prey on each other. I have a spare acrylic 1.5 gal Tetra Cube, but the top isn't sealed. Is this safe or should I craft a sealed lid (vented of course)? It's 7.5" tall.

 

[StampFan]

Hi all, just joined!
I just caught 7 and probably have 100's more in a log pile out back. What were you feeding them and how much? I wonder if they have an abundance of food they'll be less inclined to prey on each other. I have a spare acrylic 1.5 gal Tetra Cube, but the top isn't sealed. Is this safe or should I craft a sealed lid (vented of course)? It's 7.5" tall.

I've tried pre-killed mealworms and isopods. They seem to prefer the mealworms.