Vietnamese giant centipede lack of appetite

[hectorthecentipede]

Hey guys I’m new to keeping centipedes and I just got my first one about a week ago, I have tried numerous times to feed him and he doesn’t seem to want to eat, I have tried feeding him crickets as well as roaches. I even left a cricket in his home while I went to work but he didn’t even touch it. He never seems to leave his little burrow at night either. The temperature in his cage is about 70 while the humidity is around 75%. Could he be about to molt? I’ll also include some pictures.

 

[Liquifin]

Not in premolt, it's most likely not hungry, but who knows for sure as many of them are wild caught so health conditions may vary. A pre-molt S. dehaani is usually goes into into a lighter color when in premolt as a sign.

 

[hectorthecentipede]

Not in premolt, it's most likely not hungry, but who knows for sure as many of them are wild caught so health conditions may vary. A pre-molt S. dehaani is usually goes into into a lighter color when in premolt as a sign.

The store that I got him at said that it had been a couple days since he ate so it’s now almost been two weeks since he’s eaten anything. Is this normal?

 

[Liquifin]

The store that I got him at said that it had been a couple days since he ate so it’s now almost been two weeks since he’s eaten anything. Is this normal?

Well, for certain I can say that centipedes don't need eat as much so it's not always a concern if it doesn't eat. You don't really have to feed too often as their metabolism isn't that fast and they store fat quite well. Yours doesn't appear fat, but it's not skinny either. So there really isn't anything I can say that's concerning at the moment. To be honest, it can be a normal thing you're experiencing and unless the pede is skinny then there isn't much of a concern.

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

The store that I got him at said that it had been a couple days since he ate so it’s now almost been two weeks since he’s eaten anything. Is this normal?

Yes, it’s normal for a Pede to go without eating for a decent amount of time. And there are many possible explanations for this. It could be entering premolt, it could be succumbing to old age, it could still be adjusting to its new environment, it could also come down to the simple fact that it’s just not hungry. Pedes can be weird sometimes.

Your setup looks okay, the best thing you can do is simply keep offering it prey items, and if it doesn’t eat them, remove them and attempt to feed it again a few days later. He/She doesn’t look very skinny, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much....

 

[mantisfan101]

These are all wc so age isn’t really a given, it could be freshly adult or near the end of its life. Also yours looks quite plump already and these have been know to fast for some timr

 

[hectorthecentipede]

Well, for certain I can say that centipedes don't need eat as much so it's not always a concern if it doesn't eat. You don't really have to feed too often as their metabolism isn't that fast and they store fat quite well. Yours doesn't appear fat, but it's not skinny either. So there really isn't anything I can say that's concerning at the moment. To be honest, it can be a normal thing you're experiencing and unless the pede is skinny then there isn't much of a concern.

Do you think that it could be the size of the food that I’m trying to feed him? The only crickets at the pet store were pretty small and the only roaches were fairly large. Should I go to a different store and try to find some more medium sized feeders?

 

[Teds ts and Inverts]

Do you think that it could be the size of the food that I’m trying to feed him? The only crickets at the pet store were pretty small and the only roaches were fairly large. Should I go to a different store and try to find some more medium sized feeders?

Nope, as long as you’re not trying to feed it FFFs or something like that, the size of the prey you’re offering shouldn’t really matter. Like I said in my previous post, there’s not much you can do except to keep offering him/her prey items, and if he/she refuses to eat, simply take them out and wait a week before attempting to feed again. Also, if he/she is hiding during the day, don’t be afraid to leave the feeder(s) in overnight. I do this all the time. If they’re still alive the next day, take them out, and wait a week or so before trying again.

I know that this is your first Pede, and it’s not uncommon for those new to this hobby to start worrying when their pet is refusing food. But just think of the old saying, “You can lead a Horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” You can try everything you can to get him/her to accept food, but if the Pede doesn’t want to eat, it’s not going to eat. Simple as that. The best you can do is offer it some prey item(s) every once in a while, and just give it the opportunity. If it eats, great! If it isn’t hungry, take the prey item(s) out, and try to accept the fact that it doesn’t want to eat. I know that you’re unfamiliar with their tendencies, and that you’re still learning, but don’t stress out over things that you don’t have control over. You don’t have control over whether or not your Pede is hungry, so it’s pointless to stress out about it. Instead, focus on what you can control. For example, making sure it’s substrate is kept moist so it doesn’t get dehydrated, or keeping the water dish full at all times, etc.

That way, if he/she ends up passing away for whatever reason, you can still hold your head high, knowing that it’s not your fault, and that you did everything in your power to give your pet the best care you could provide

 

[hectorthecentipede]

ok thank you so much for the information. Ill keep trying to feed him but if he doesn't want to eat ig thats on him and ill try not to worry haha.