Entomancer
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2010
- Messages
- 351
Hey, I posted this in here after posting it in the insect/other inverts subforums, when I realized it might get more attention here.
So, I've been lurking here for a while. I want to get back into the hobby of keeping animals (mainly reptiles/amphibians) and I want to get started with keeping some of the arthropods that are kept as pets.
Anyway, I live in Oregon, and I was at someone's house, when I noticed a very large (for Oregon, anyway) millipede crawling around outside their front entryway.
I immediately (but gently) scooped it up and someone gave me an empty coffee cup to put it in. I did not have time to really examine it much, so I packed a few wet leaves from where it had been crawling into the paper cup and brought it home. Also, when I picked it up, if left some yellowish stuff on my hands that dried and turned the spots where it was left dark pink.....I don't know if it was a defense mechanism or if it was hurt and bleeding body fluids (I hope not ;___![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Anyway, I don't have a digital camera at the moment to take a picture of it, but it's about 5 inches long, and olive brown. I found it in a moist, lowland, lightly forested rural area in mid-west Oregon.
Right now, I have it in a large, clear deli cup-like container with some soil from my garden (no 'cides or fertilizers), and a small pile of wet leaves.
When I found it it was moving around,but now it's curled itself tightly into a coil. If I leave it alone it peeks out of the coil, but then it just coils back up again. Is it just shy, or did I accidentally hurt it somehow?
Finally, I'm not sure about the specifics of millipede care. I seem to recall that they like things to be somewhat moist and humid, but I do not know proper feeding or watering methods, temperature requirements, or other facts pertaining to it's captive care.
To help someone ID it, here's a photo I found on google that looks EXACTLY the same:
According to where I found this photo, this person also found this (obviously dead) millipede in california/the pacific NW United States.
Any ideas about what it might be/what it needs?
So, I've been lurking here for a while. I want to get back into the hobby of keeping animals (mainly reptiles/amphibians) and I want to get started with keeping some of the arthropods that are kept as pets.
Anyway, I live in Oregon, and I was at someone's house, when I noticed a very large (for Oregon, anyway) millipede crawling around outside their front entryway.
I immediately (but gently) scooped it up and someone gave me an empty coffee cup to put it in. I did not have time to really examine it much, so I packed a few wet leaves from where it had been crawling into the paper cup and brought it home. Also, when I picked it up, if left some yellowish stuff on my hands that dried and turned the spots where it was left dark pink.....I don't know if it was a defense mechanism or if it was hurt and bleeding body fluids (I hope not ;___
Anyway, I don't have a digital camera at the moment to take a picture of it, but it's about 5 inches long, and olive brown. I found it in a moist, lowland, lightly forested rural area in mid-west Oregon.
Right now, I have it in a large, clear deli cup-like container with some soil from my garden (no 'cides or fertilizers), and a small pile of wet leaves.
When I found it it was moving around,but now it's curled itself tightly into a coil. If I leave it alone it peeks out of the coil, but then it just coils back up again. Is it just shy, or did I accidentally hurt it somehow?
Finally, I'm not sure about the specifics of millipede care. I seem to recall that they like things to be somewhat moist and humid, but I do not know proper feeding or watering methods, temperature requirements, or other facts pertaining to it's captive care.
To help someone ID it, here's a photo I found on google that looks EXACTLY the same:
![](http://sp2.fotolog.com/photo/34/26/39/treebeard/1262312856613_f.jpg)
According to where I found this photo, this person also found this (obviously dead) millipede in california/the pacific NW United States.
Any ideas about what it might be/what it needs?
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