- Caring for your Giant Millipedes
Introduction
Millipedes do not actually have 1 000 000 legs, or even 1 000
(milli is the Latin for 1 000) but they do have a lot, and some
species can have more than 700, though yours will probably have
between 200 and 300 when it is an adult (count the body segments
multiply by 4 add subtract 8).
All Millipedes are members of the phylum Arthropoda, and the
Class Myriapoda (along with the Centipedes) and the subclass
Diplopoda. This is a reference to the fact that each of what
looks like the Millipedes body segments to you is in fact 2 body
segments fused together. This explains why they have 2 pairs
(4) legs on each apparent body segment.
Millipedes are essentially soil animals, and in some ecosystems
they are more important than worms as agents of soil turn over,
and like worms they eat the soil as they burrow through it.
Housing
The cage should be larger than the Millipedes, I prefer a fish
tank at least as wide and twice as long as the length of the
largest Millipede. All Millipedes are burrowers to some extent
and the cage should contain at least 5 inches of a damp mixture
of peat and sterilised compost in the bottom. The substrate should
be kept damp at all times, remember it will dry out from the
bottom if heated from below by a heat-pad and you might not notice
and that it will dry out more quickly at the heated end. Remember
Millipedes produce a lot of faeces and eat the soil so clean
them out occasionally.
Temperature
All Giant Millipedes come from tropical or sub-tropical environments
and you will need to keep them warm, the best way to heat the
cage is to a Heat-mat, this should be placed so that half the
cage is resting on it and half isn't this will create a temperature
gradient and allow your pets to find their own favourite spots.
Feeding
Different species of Millipede feed on different things in the
wild, many eat rotten fruit and veg, but some are specialist
on fallen and decaying leaves, and you should ask your supplier
what yours eat when you get it. If he seems unsure or you have
already bought them try offering your Millipedes a mixture of
leaf-litter in various states of decay and some freshly over
ripe soft fruit (stone friuts, tomatoes and bananas are good
as are small melons and pumpkins) with some mushrooms and or
lettuce occasionally.
It is important to remember that Millipedes have a positive requirement
for CALCIUM in their diet (they use it to build their skeletons)
and you will need to supply them with some, you can buy calcium
supplements from most pet shops these days. You can also make
your own by scraping a cuttle fish skeleton with a knife over
their food and into the compost.
Breeding
Your millipedes will breed naturally if they are adult and happy.
Their genitalia are on their 3rd body segment, and the males
have their 1st pair of legs on their 7th body segment modified
into a special pair of clasping organs, they often carry these
held up close to the body and this allows you to tell what sex
your Millipede is. Millipedes have a simple courtship which involves
the male walking along the males and stimulating her with rhythmic
pulses of his legs. When the female raises her front segments
the male entwines her body around her and when their genitalia
are opposed sperm transfer occurs. Females can and will mate
many times, but can be damaged or even killed by larger males
which can force them to bend backwards to far (though I have
never seen this happen).
The female will lay her eggs in a nest she constructs of compressed
soil below the soil surface, in many species she will stand guard
over her eggs until they hatch. Baby Millipedes are born with
only 4 or 5 body segments of which the first has no legs at all
and the next three have only one pair of legs each and the rest
have none, as they grow they rapidly add more 'diplo' segments
(each of these has the normal 2 pairs of legs) each time they
moult. Like all other Arthropods Millipedes grow by moulting
(shedding their skins), millipedes moult underneath the soil
surface in a special little chamber they build for this purpose
so don't worry if you don't see them doing it. Be patient though
that millipedes are slow growers and the largest species can
take up to 10 years to raech maturity. Most different species
of millipedes can be kept together providing they have the right
foods.
Warning
Some species of Giant Millipedes can exude a defensive fluids
from some special glands in their bodies and in some cases these
can be very corrosive so be careful, I have never been hurt by
any of the Millipedes I have kept.
On a final note Millipedes make wonderful and fascinating pets
if cared for properly and I wish you lots of fun with yours.
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By gordon@earthlife.net
© Earth-Life Web Productions
Bringing Insects to the World http://www.earthlife.net/insects/
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