How To Care For A Giant Millipede As A Pet
If you love all things creepy and crawly and are looking for a companion that fits this criteria, consider getting a giant millipede. The exotic pet is easy to care for, so it’s good for beginner pet owners. As long as you maintain the proper environment, your giant millipede will thrive.
The giant millipede has dozens of legs, a calm demeanor, and an unexpected charm. It’s more rewarding to care for such an insect than you might think. Watch it crawl its way into your heart!
Giant millipedes can be handled safely, but be sure to wash your hands afterward because they can emit a toxic substance from their bodies when alarmed. The substance is a yellow-brown fluid made of hydrogen cyanide. It can irritate your eyes and mouth.
They may also curl into a tight spiral when they’re scared. But for the most part, they are generally very docile and easy-going.
Housing
For housing, giant millipedes need a secure 10 to 15-gallon aquarium tank with regulated humidity and a warm light source. The lid should have holes to keep the tank well-ventilated, but the holes need to be small enough to prevent the millipedes from escaping.
Add a three to four-inch layer of peat moss to give them a place to burrow. You can use sphagnum moss, pieces of bark, and leaf litter to spruce up the environment. Just make sure to get rid of any insects that might be in it.
Millipedes are native to tropical climates, so it is recommended that the tank’s temperature be kept between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use an under-tank heater on a thermostat to keep the tank warm. Place it under one-half of the tank. The humidity levels should always be kept at 75 to 80 percent. Regularly mist the substrate to keep it damp.
You can have more than one millipede in the tank since they get along pretty well. It may not be ideal to put a male and female together, though. They breed quickly, so you might find yourself with a bunch of millipede babies.
TravelTelly – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual millipede
Diet
In the wild, giant millipedes eat decaying plant material. In captivity, they can eat vegetables and fruit. Cut up lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, melons, peaches, and bananas into small pieces.
Do not use chlorinated town or city tap water to wash food for millipedes. They are highly sensitive to chlorine toxicity.
A shallow dish of fresh, clean, chlorine-free water should be available to them at all times. Put a large stone in the dish the millipedes can use to climb out to prevent drowning. Feed the millipedes once per day in a shallow dish or jar lid.
Health Issues
Mites are the most common health problem for giant millipedes. Some mites do live on their bodies to help keep them clean, but others may cluster around the head and refuse to budge. Use tweezers to remove them.
Millipedes may also develop fungal infections, which means the tank environment is too high or low in humidity. The presence of fungus indicates that a millipede’s health is declining and can often be fatal.
When fully grown, giant millipedes can be up to 13 inches long and be about as big around as a golf ball. Their lifespan is five to 10 years.
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