Will an injured millipedes carapace heal?

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
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94
Hello guys, new to the forum, but have been raising millipedes from my area for years. Typically I collect them from the wild around my home (mainly because if I don't I tend to see them run over the next day, I spot them on roads), and a week ago I found a small one (2 and a half inches) that is injured. She has a crack on two places on her carapace, and they look the same as when I found her (not sure how fast they heal). She isn't as lively as my others, but very friendly (they all are really, if they think you're a stick) and can walk with ease.
Can I help her recover? Should it go away when she molts?
 
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paumotu

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
438
When a millipede is injured like that, the wound will either never heal/become infected and it will waste away, or it will become patched up with a ‘scab’ and recover after a molt or two. Typically, they will bear these scars for quite a long time afterwards, potentially for their whole lives.
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
When a millipede is injured like that, the wound will either never heal/become infected and it will waste away, or it will become patched up with a ‘scab’ and recover after a molt or two. Typically, they will bear these scars for quite a long time afterwards, potentially for their whole lives.
Could the infection put her tank mates at risk? She's with 3 other larger females. The wounds look bad, like a stab wound or cut in the armor, but aren't looking worse. Hope she makes it
 

paumotu

Arachnobaron
Joined
Aug 11, 2019
Messages
438
Could the infection put her tank mates at risk? She's with 3 other larger females. The wounds look bad, like a stab wound or cut in the armor, but aren't looking worse. Hope she makes it
As long as the rest don’t have any open wounds or anything, transmission of infection is unlikely. I would recommend isolating her just so she isn’t too disturbed as she recovers.
 

Godzilla90fan

Arachnosquire
Joined
Sep 4, 2021
Messages
94
As long as the rest don’t have any open wounds or anything, transmission of infection is unlikely. I would recommend isolating her just so she isn’t too disturbed as she recovers.
I left her alone for a week, and hadn't seen her. Very gently checked her substrate today, and she's still alive. The wounds seem to have closed mostly, but there's still black splotches where she was hurt. I think she will make it, she was very active and seems full of color.
 
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