LeFanDesBugs
Arachnobaron
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2015
- Messages
- 574
Hey guys,
Fed up with the amount of wrong information that’s out there on the internet about centipede husbandry, I decided to work on a general centipede information sheet I intend to post on Wikipedia.
Here it is, copy-pasted and without any formatting. Let me know what you think!
I. Introduction
Centipedes are a group of predatory arthropods belonging to the class of Chilopoda, and the subphylum Myriapoda.
They are unique amongst Arthropods, and differ in many ways from other groups of carnivorous arthropods more commonly kept as pets, such as tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions, praying mantises or assassin bugs.
Their temperament, size and diet make for interesting observations. For this reason, a small community of enthusiasts hold them captive for entertainment or study. However, these appealing characteristics can also make for dangerous pets if improper care information is provided. Many websites display outdated, misleading or inaccurate information that could have disastrous consequences, whether it be for the keeper, or the animal. Therefore, this page will be an attempt at creating a general caresheet for new centipede keepers to follow, with special notes for particularly demanding species.
II. Ethics
Wild collection.
Wild-caught (often abbreviated “WC”) specimens should be avoided when possible. That’s because while some species thrive in their natural environment, a few well-known and highly desired species such as S. paradoxa , S. subcrustalis, or even S. alternans could see their populations decrease quickly over time due to the rapid growth of large cities, overcollection, deforestation, or natural disasters (the rainforest of Borneo, for instance, has seen its area dramatically decrease over the last decades, to the inevitable detriment of its native species). To decrease centipede-keeping’s impact on the wild populations, one should always be on the look-out for captive-bred specimens
Living conditions
Centipedes do not seem to be particularly prone to stress in captivity, often thriving for over a decade for captive-bred specimens. However, proper care should always be provided to your animal(s). Do not purchase a new pet without ensuring you are able to provide it with the best care possible.
III. Available species in the pet trade
Four genera are particularly common in the centipede trade: Alipes, Ethmostigmus, Rhysida, and Scolopendra. Cormocephalus will not be covered in this list, as too many species are inaccurately identified. A list would therefore be unusable.
Different species are available in different parts of the globe, due to exporting or importing regulations. Please note that some of these are, as of yet, undescribed or unidentified. They will therefore be named Scolopendra sp. “market name”
Europe
-Alipes grandidieri
-Alipes multicostis
-Ethmostigmus rubripes
-Ethmostigmus rubripes spinosus
-Ethmostigmus rubripes ssp.
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra alternans (regular and “red giant” morph)
-Scolopendra angulata
-Scolopendra cingulata
-Scolopendra dawydoffi
-Scolopendra dehaani
-Scolopendra galapagoensis
-Scolopendra hainanum
-Scolopendra hardwickei
-Scolopendra morsitans
-Scolopendra multidens
-Scolopendra mutilans
-Scolopendra paradoxa (VERY rare)
-Scolopendra polymorpha
-Scolopendra subcrustalis
-Scolopendra subspinipes
-Scolopendra sp. “White legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “Malaysian jewel”
-Scolopendra sp. “Mint legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “robusta”
-Scolopendra sp. “viridicornis”
-Rhysida longipes
-Other unidentified Rhysida species..
United States
-Alipes grandidieri
-Alipes multicostis
-Ethmostigmus rubripes spinosus
-Ethmostigmus rubripes ssp.
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra alternans (regular morph)
-Scolopendra angulata
-Scolopendra aztecorum
-Scolopendra cingulata (?)
-Scolopendra dehaani
-Scolopendra galapagoensis
-Scolopendra hainanum
-Scolopendra heros
-Scolopendra longipes
-Scolopendra morsitans
-Scolopendra multidens
-Scolopendra mutilans
-Scolopendra polymorpha
-Scolopendra spinossissima
-Scolopendra subcrustalis
-Scolopendra subspinipes
-Scolopendra sp. “White legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “Malaysian jewel”
-Scolopendra sp. “Mint legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “robusta”
-Rhysida longipes
-Other unidentified Rhysida species..
Australia
-Ethmostigmus muiri
-Ethmostigmus rubripes rubripes (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra morsitans (several different morphs)
Asia
Available species will highly depend on the country. Common species are:
-E. rubripes
-S. dehaani
-S. morsitans
-S. paradoxa
-S. spinossissima
-S. subspinipes
IV. Beginner species
A lot of centipedes are unsuitable for inexperienced keepers: whether they are too expensive, too big, too fragile, have too potent venoms or have a combination of those traits, some species are not a good pick.
An inexperienced keeper is prone to making mistakes concerning the living conditions of the animal, or the safety precautions he takes while working with the animal.
In this regard, the following species should be avoided:
-all Asian species except S. mutilans and S. multidens, for their often potent venoms
-the South-American giants (S. galapagoensis, S. sp “White legs”, S. sp “Robusta”, S. sp “Viridicornis”), for their price and sometimes unsettling size
-fragile species such as S. paradoxa and S. sp “Malaysian Jewel”: although they are extremely pretty, those species have very strict and particular care requirements that are not suitable for a new centipede keeper.
Beginner species should be the following:
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus
-Any Rhysida or Alipes species
-S. cingulata, S. multidens, S. mutilans, S. Polymorpha, S. Morsitans, S. Alternans (although they may have slightly more potent venom than those other species), ..
V. Housing and feeding
Housing correctly a centipede is much more difficult than it might first seem. That’s because they are highly intelligent amongst other arthropods, and will rapidly find any possible way of escaping their containers thanks to their physical adaptations: hiding under rocks and logs in the wild, they are capable of flattening their bodies to sneak into any small crevice.
An escape-proof enclosure should thus be provided. A good choice is a tub, with a very tight lid that will need to be checked systematically after being closed. Other options are Exo-Terra enclosures provided that the animal is big enough, so that it will not be able to fit through the front ventilation holes or the top cable-management holes.
The enclosure should be twice as tall as the animal is long, and be at least as long and wide as the animal fully extended.
Moreover, to avoid the appearance of any fungal infections in the enclosure, the latter should always have a large amount of ventilation.
Drilling a number of small aeration holes in tubs is thus a necessity . This is particularly important in semi-arid species:
E. rubripes, S. cingulata, S. heros, S. polymorpha and S. sp “white legs”
Once the enclosure chosen, the keeper can become creative with their setup, to create a naturalistic look. However, they have to keep in mind that the complexity of the enclosure’s internal arrangement will decrease their odds of observing the animal frequently, and that with the right knowledge, they can put together a simpler setup without it being detrimental to the animal’s health.
The following elements are necessary:
-A layer of substrate at least half as deep as the animal’s length. The substrate should be, for most species, comparable to coco fiber. For more arid species such as E. rubripes, S. cingulata, S. heros, S. polymorpha and S. sp “white legs”, one can use a mix of coco fiber and sand.
– Hides: a high number of suitable hides will encourage the animal not to burrow, which will allow the keeper to observe it more often.
– A clean water dish, that will help raise humidity and let the animal drink if needed.
Important note: any decor element collected in the wild —stones, branches, leaves..— should be either boiled or placed in an oven to eliminate any parasites, fungi, diseases or undesirable animals that could be harmful to the pet.
Additional parameters:
Humidity.
The substrate, as most centipede species come from tropical regions, should be humid. This is critical, since centipedes are bad at retaining moisture and therefore prone to desiccation.
However, relative humidity in the enclosure —in the air— should be minimal, and that’s why high ventilation is needed.
Bad humidity management can lead to fatal health issues such as fungal infections (mycosis), which the aforementioned semi-arid species are particularly sensitive to.
Heat
Heat should, for the majority of centipedes, be around 25-28 degrees Celsius by day and drop down to 22 at night.
Important note: S. sp “Malaysian Jewel”, S. paradoxa and S. sp “Mint legs” (to a lesser degree) should be kept cooler, and temperatures should not exceed 21 degrees Celsius by day.
Diet
Centipedes will eat almost any animal they can overpower and ultimately kill. In captivity, one should avoid any prey larger than a third of the animal’s size or that possesses venom, fangs, claws, etc, to avoid accidental injuries.
A recommended food source is roaches; pet store crickets carry diseases and should therefore be avoided.
Large species should also be occasionally offered red meat or boiled chicken as a complement. Another possible complement is fruit: that’s because centipedes are known to have omnivorous tendencies in the wild, and fruit will offer them vitamins and moisture.
VI. Temperament, safety and handling
Centipedes are fast animals that will not bite unless severely provoked. However, sometimes the keeper’s hands can trigger a feeding response resulting in an active attack. A centipede bite can be as mild as a bee sting, as in most of the “beginner’s species” mentioned above, but also bad enough to make one wish they were dead. However, only one death has ever been confirmed to have been caused by a centipede bite.
As a safety precaution, during feeding and maintenance, forceps, or tongs, should be used. For larger and more potent species (S. dehaani and S. hainanum, notably), large 30cm forceps are recommended.
Free-handling those animals has sparked heated debates amongst centipede enthusiasts, and should never be attempted , especially with the potent Asian species. However, the animal would not bite unless threatened and some people who have experimented with handling their centipedes have found that they can indeed be worked with. It can sometimes be useful if a situation gets ouf of hand and one isn’t able to grasp their forceps in time.
Fed up with the amount of wrong information that’s out there on the internet about centipede husbandry, I decided to work on a general centipede information sheet I intend to post on Wikipedia.
Here it is, copy-pasted and without any formatting. Let me know what you think!
I. Introduction
Centipedes are a group of predatory arthropods belonging to the class of Chilopoda, and the subphylum Myriapoda.
They are unique amongst Arthropods, and differ in many ways from other groups of carnivorous arthropods more commonly kept as pets, such as tarantulas, true spiders, scorpions, praying mantises or assassin bugs.
Their temperament, size and diet make for interesting observations. For this reason, a small community of enthusiasts hold them captive for entertainment or study. However, these appealing characteristics can also make for dangerous pets if improper care information is provided. Many websites display outdated, misleading or inaccurate information that could have disastrous consequences, whether it be for the keeper, or the animal. Therefore, this page will be an attempt at creating a general caresheet for new centipede keepers to follow, with special notes for particularly demanding species.
II. Ethics
Wild collection.
Wild-caught (often abbreviated “WC”) specimens should be avoided when possible. That’s because while some species thrive in their natural environment, a few well-known and highly desired species such as S. paradoxa , S. subcrustalis, or even S. alternans could see their populations decrease quickly over time due to the rapid growth of large cities, overcollection, deforestation, or natural disasters (the rainforest of Borneo, for instance, has seen its area dramatically decrease over the last decades, to the inevitable detriment of its native species). To decrease centipede-keeping’s impact on the wild populations, one should always be on the look-out for captive-bred specimens
Living conditions
Centipedes do not seem to be particularly prone to stress in captivity, often thriving for over a decade for captive-bred specimens. However, proper care should always be provided to your animal(s). Do not purchase a new pet without ensuring you are able to provide it with the best care possible.
III. Available species in the pet trade
Four genera are particularly common in the centipede trade: Alipes, Ethmostigmus, Rhysida, and Scolopendra. Cormocephalus will not be covered in this list, as too many species are inaccurately identified. A list would therefore be unusable.
Different species are available in different parts of the globe, due to exporting or importing regulations. Please note that some of these are, as of yet, undescribed or unidentified. They will therefore be named Scolopendra sp. “market name”
Europe
-Alipes grandidieri
-Alipes multicostis
-Ethmostigmus rubripes
-Ethmostigmus rubripes spinosus
-Ethmostigmus rubripes ssp.
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra alternans (regular and “red giant” morph)
-Scolopendra angulata
-Scolopendra cingulata
-Scolopendra dawydoffi
-Scolopendra dehaani
-Scolopendra galapagoensis
-Scolopendra hainanum
-Scolopendra hardwickei
-Scolopendra morsitans
-Scolopendra multidens
-Scolopendra mutilans
-Scolopendra paradoxa (VERY rare)
-Scolopendra polymorpha
-Scolopendra subcrustalis
-Scolopendra subspinipes
-Scolopendra sp. “White legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “Malaysian jewel”
-Scolopendra sp. “Mint legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “robusta”
-Scolopendra sp. “viridicornis”
-Rhysida longipes
-Other unidentified Rhysida species..
United States
-Alipes grandidieri
-Alipes multicostis
-Ethmostigmus rubripes spinosus
-Ethmostigmus rubripes ssp.
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra alternans (regular morph)
-Scolopendra angulata
-Scolopendra aztecorum
-Scolopendra cingulata (?)
-Scolopendra dehaani
-Scolopendra galapagoensis
-Scolopendra hainanum
-Scolopendra heros
-Scolopendra longipes
-Scolopendra morsitans
-Scolopendra multidens
-Scolopendra mutilans
-Scolopendra polymorpha
-Scolopendra spinossissima
-Scolopendra subcrustalis
-Scolopendra subspinipes
-Scolopendra sp. “White legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “Malaysian jewel”
-Scolopendra sp. “Mint legs”
-Scolopendra sp. “robusta”
-Rhysida longipes
-Other unidentified Rhysida species..
Australia
-Ethmostigmus muiri
-Ethmostigmus rubripes rubripes (several different morphs)
-Scolopendra morsitans (several different morphs)
Asia
Available species will highly depend on the country. Common species are:
-E. rubripes
-S. dehaani
-S. morsitans
-S. paradoxa
-S. spinossissima
-S. subspinipes
IV. Beginner species
A lot of centipedes are unsuitable for inexperienced keepers: whether they are too expensive, too big, too fragile, have too potent venoms or have a combination of those traits, some species are not a good pick.
An inexperienced keeper is prone to making mistakes concerning the living conditions of the animal, or the safety precautions he takes while working with the animal.
In this regard, the following species should be avoided:
-all Asian species except S. mutilans and S. multidens, for their often potent venoms
-the South-American giants (S. galapagoensis, S. sp “White legs”, S. sp “Robusta”, S. sp “Viridicornis”), for their price and sometimes unsettling size
-fragile species such as S. paradoxa and S. sp “Malaysian Jewel”: although they are extremely pretty, those species have very strict and particular care requirements that are not suitable for a new centipede keeper.
Beginner species should be the following:
-Ethmostigmus trigonopodus
-Any Rhysida or Alipes species
-S. cingulata, S. multidens, S. mutilans, S. Polymorpha, S. Morsitans, S. Alternans (although they may have slightly more potent venom than those other species), ..
V. Housing and feeding
Housing correctly a centipede is much more difficult than it might first seem. That’s because they are highly intelligent amongst other arthropods, and will rapidly find any possible way of escaping their containers thanks to their physical adaptations: hiding under rocks and logs in the wild, they are capable of flattening their bodies to sneak into any small crevice.
An escape-proof enclosure should thus be provided. A good choice is a tub, with a very tight lid that will need to be checked systematically after being closed. Other options are Exo-Terra enclosures provided that the animal is big enough, so that it will not be able to fit through the front ventilation holes or the top cable-management holes.
The enclosure should be twice as tall as the animal is long, and be at least as long and wide as the animal fully extended.
Moreover, to avoid the appearance of any fungal infections in the enclosure, the latter should always have a large amount of ventilation.
Drilling a number of small aeration holes in tubs is thus a necessity . This is particularly important in semi-arid species:
E. rubripes, S. cingulata, S. heros, S. polymorpha and S. sp “white legs”
Once the enclosure chosen, the keeper can become creative with their setup, to create a naturalistic look. However, they have to keep in mind that the complexity of the enclosure’s internal arrangement will decrease their odds of observing the animal frequently, and that with the right knowledge, they can put together a simpler setup without it being detrimental to the animal’s health.
The following elements are necessary:
-A layer of substrate at least half as deep as the animal’s length. The substrate should be, for most species, comparable to coco fiber. For more arid species such as E. rubripes, S. cingulata, S. heros, S. polymorpha and S. sp “white legs”, one can use a mix of coco fiber and sand.
– Hides: a high number of suitable hides will encourage the animal not to burrow, which will allow the keeper to observe it more often.
– A clean water dish, that will help raise humidity and let the animal drink if needed.
Important note: any decor element collected in the wild —stones, branches, leaves..— should be either boiled or placed in an oven to eliminate any parasites, fungi, diseases or undesirable animals that could be harmful to the pet.
Additional parameters:
Humidity.
The substrate, as most centipede species come from tropical regions, should be humid. This is critical, since centipedes are bad at retaining moisture and therefore prone to desiccation.
However, relative humidity in the enclosure —in the air— should be minimal, and that’s why high ventilation is needed.
Bad humidity management can lead to fatal health issues such as fungal infections (mycosis), which the aforementioned semi-arid species are particularly sensitive to.
Heat
Heat should, for the majority of centipedes, be around 25-28 degrees Celsius by day and drop down to 22 at night.
Important note: S. sp “Malaysian Jewel”, S. paradoxa and S. sp “Mint legs” (to a lesser degree) should be kept cooler, and temperatures should not exceed 21 degrees Celsius by day.
Diet
Centipedes will eat almost any animal they can overpower and ultimately kill. In captivity, one should avoid any prey larger than a third of the animal’s size or that possesses venom, fangs, claws, etc, to avoid accidental injuries.
A recommended food source is roaches; pet store crickets carry diseases and should therefore be avoided.
Large species should also be occasionally offered red meat or boiled chicken as a complement. Another possible complement is fruit: that’s because centipedes are known to have omnivorous tendencies in the wild, and fruit will offer them vitamins and moisture.
VI. Temperament, safety and handling
Centipedes are fast animals that will not bite unless severely provoked. However, sometimes the keeper’s hands can trigger a feeding response resulting in an active attack. A centipede bite can be as mild as a bee sting, as in most of the “beginner’s species” mentioned above, but also bad enough to make one wish they were dead. However, only one death has ever been confirmed to have been caused by a centipede bite.
As a safety precaution, during feeding and maintenance, forceps, or tongs, should be used. For larger and more potent species (S. dehaani and S. hainanum, notably), large 30cm forceps are recommended.
Free-handling those animals has sparked heated debates amongst centipede enthusiasts, and should never be attempted , especially with the potent Asian species. However, the animal would not bite unless threatened and some people who have experimented with handling their centipedes have found that they can indeed be worked with. It can sometimes be useful if a situation gets ouf of hand and one isn’t able to grasp their forceps in time.
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