Giant Millipedes

BACKGROUND
This caresheet is based on my own personal experiences. I currently keep 33 giant Millipedes made up of 7 different species. I do not pretend to be any kind of expert but I do know that my millipedes appear healthy.

MILLIPEDES
There are literally hundreds of species available to keep, some are widely available and some you may only see for sale once a year. Prices can vary greatly with exotic pet shops seeming to charge a premium regardless of species. If you can then it's a lot cheaper to buy online. For UK residents I'd highly recommend http://www.virginiacheeseman.co.uk/ her stock varies throughout the year. Millipedes are not difficult to breed so always keep your eye out for members on forums selling or giving away baby millipedes.

Most millipedes will only make an appearance at night, so keep any tank lighting right down to a minimum and try and make the tank quite dark e.g. I use a large silk fern. You can see which ones I currently keep here: CLICKY by far my most active are the pink legged, they are also incredibly fast growers and produce an incredible amount of waste, they've taken to living right next to the food bowl in my tank which says it all really. The larger species are the more impressive ones but the smaller ones tend to be prettier. You can keep multiple species together without a problem.

SUITABILITY
If you want a pet you can freely handle then Millipedes are not for you. If you want a pet that is visible all day long, then Millipedes are not for you. I would say that keeping Millipedes is more of a hobby and that you really need to have a keen interest otherwise the novelty will soon wear off when you realise you may have a pet hole.

HANDLING
Millipedes can be safely handled although I very much doubt they enjoy it. They can move surprisingly quick so be very careful. Millipedes will bite although this seems to be more out of hunger than any kind of defence. I have never been bitten by any of the large species but can tell you that you shouldn't feel a bite from the smaller ones. Do not dig them out of their burrows unless absolutely necessary as this will stress them out.

LIFESPAN
It's hard to say how long your millipede(s) will live but expect years, not months. So if you intend keeping them you're in for the long haul. Perhaps not a good choice for kids.

GROWTH
Millipedes grow by shedding their exoskeleton. For the most part they will do this inside their burrow, so you may never know it's happened until you realise that your millipede has grown a few cm. Humidity and Calcium are important factors for a successful moult and are both mentioned later on in this caresheet.

HOUSING
What size housing you need depends on what species of Millipede you wanted to keep and how many you want to keep, some grow to 10cm and some grow to 12". Use common sense here and allow for at least 4" of substrate. Millipedes rarely climb so height isn't of great importance unless you intend building the substrate/decoration up. Make sure that whatever you use is escape proof, millipedes are strong and can push a loose fitting lid off. Personally I use a large glass terrarium measuring 60cm long x 45cm wide x 60cm tall and currently have 33 millipedes in of varying sizes.


SUBSTRATE
I have found Coconut fibre to be best as it's very clean and is cheap to buy. It needs to be kept damp and you want at least 4 inches of depth as millipedes are burrowers, the deeper you can give them the better. Coconut fibre can be bought in compressed blocks that expand when left in warm/hot water. You can find it under many different names e.g. Coir, Coco Block, Plantation Soil, Eco Earth etc. I also use sphagnum moss which my smaller millipede species use as cover, where as my larger species just walk over the top of it but when wet it will aid in humidity.

TEMPERATURE
All species should do fine at room temperature, however I find them more lively at 24C+ which can easily be maintained with a low watt heatmat on the side of the tank. never place the mat under the tank as you could cook burrowing millipedes. A temperature gauge is a must and you may want to consider a matstat.

HUMIDITY
You don't need anything excessive just spraying the habitat once or twice a week would do and keeping the substrate damp. Aim for at least 60%. Having a device to measure humidity is recommended.

WATER
Millipedes should have 24HR access to water. Tap water is fine, make sure the dish is shallow to avoid drowning or use stones so that they have something to pull themselves out with if they do fall in, which has to be said is unlikely with so many legs, but better safe than sorry. For the most part Millipedes obtain their water from their fruit and vegetables but water should always be freely available.

FOOD
Calcium is very important for Millipedes exoskeletons. Some people feed them egg shells or cuttlefish bone as a source of calcium but personally I have never had any luck with getting my millipedes to eat those. I use pellet tortoise food which as well as calcium contains a lot of other good stuff. My millipedes love it and often take it out of the food bowl and disappear into the depths of the tank with it. Tortoise food is cheap and will last you a very long time.

Millipedes eat a wide range of fruit and veg. I feed mine Apple, Carrot, Lettuce, Mushroom, Peas and Cucumber primarily. They have also taken small amounts of pineapple. Basically just try them with anything and see if they like it. They seem to get bored of the same thing day in day out, so either give them a variety in one go or change what you give them every few days. They will also eat oak leaves, you can buy these from dartfrog.co.uk if you collect your own you have to make sure they are free from any contaminates. Millipedes will eat fresh and rotting food. I remove any food that shows signs of mould.

In the wild Millipedes can be found eating dead animals, so feeding them the odd slither of meat every so often may be beneficial. I give mine a slither of cooked ham once a week or so. Sometimes it goes untouched and sometimes it's all eaten.

MAINTENANCE
You'd be surprised how much they poo, so get yourself some springtails and/or tropical woodlice as they will eat the poo and also any mould that may start forming. Other than that all you need to do is keep the water bowl topped up and change the food when you feel it needs changing.

I hope this has been of some help to you and if you do decide to enter the wonderful world of giant Millipedes then I wish you the best of luck.

Simon.