Terrestrial centipedes

[Colby1100]

Hey whats up guys. Does anybody know which centipedes are the most terrestrial? I know most burrow and spend a lot of time under substrate, but I'm trying to find one that spends a good amount of time above ground. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Hercules Hernandez]

All Chilopoda have the innate instinct to burrow in order to retain moisture via osmosis. In my experience, mostly large subtropical to tropical species—most Asiatic and South American—will stay on the surface if their environment is kept at a high enough moisture level (not drenched as that can lead to extreme health issues and infections in centipedes). Also, I know I said large subtropical to tropical species, but stay away from ALL Scolopendridae (Newport, 1844): Otostigminae (Kraepelin, 1903), and Scolopendrinae (Leach, 1815): Cormocephalus (Newport, 1844), due to their large spiracles.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Hey whats up guys. Does anybody know which centipedes are the most terrestrial? I know most burrow and spend a lot of time under substrate, but I'm trying to find one that spends a good amount of time above ground. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

I am confused by how you are using the term terrestrial. Maybe you mean you're looking for arboreal centipedes? I am sorry to say arboreals are pretty much just the big scutigeromorpha (house centipedes and relatives). The others all live within the terra.

 

[Hercules Hernandez]

I am confused by how you are using the term terrestrial. Maybe you mean you're looking for arboreal centipedes? I am sorry to say arboreals are pretty much just the big scutigeromorpha (house centipedes and relatives). The others all live within the terra.

There are multiple species of arboreal Scolopendromorpha. Most of these arboreal centipedes are Aciatic, although there are many with arboreal tendencies in the Americas and Indo-Australia.

 

[Hercules Hernandez]

All Chilopoda have the innate instinct to burrow in order to retain moisture via osmosis. In my experience, mostly large subtropical to tropical species—most Asiatic and South American—will stay on the surface if their environment is kept at a high enough moisture level (not drenched as that can lead to extreme health issues and infections in centipedes). Also, I know I said large subtropical to tropical species, but stay away from ALL Scolopendridae (Newport, 1844): Otostigminae (Kraepelin, 1903), and Scolopendrinae (Leach, 1815): Cormocephalus (Newport, 1844), due to their large spiracles.

Burrow or hide* as some species are far too fragile to toil with soil. Lol

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

There are multiple species of arboreal Scolopendromorpha. Most of these arboreal centipedes are Aciatic, although there are many with arboreal tendencies in the Americas and Indo-Australia.

I think we may be using different definitions for the same words. Nearly all Scolopendromorpha climb branches but that doesn't make them arboreal in the sense they do not live or rest on the surface most of the time. Again there are many small species that live under the bark of dead trees or within the soil in tree holes but the original post is about them not hiding all the time.

 

[Hercules Hernandez]

I think we may be using different definitions for the same words. Nearly all Scolopendromorpha climb branches but that doesn't make them arboreal in the sense they do not live or rest on the surface most of the time. Again there are many small species that live under the bark of dead trees or within the soil in tree holes but the original post is about them not hiding all the time.

Yes. I did misinterpret the OP then. Sorry.

 

[Staehilomyces]

A good rule of thumb is to avoid species with proportionally short legs, as they tend to be the burrowers. Pedes with longer legs tend to stay out more. Also, centipedes tend to get used to light - many of the ones I've owned for a while sit in the open most of the time.

 

[Colby1100]

Yeah by terrestrial I mean being visible and not staying buried all the time. I have a adult Scolopendra Dehaani that stays buried for days at a time and was looking for something I could visibly see more often.