Caring for pet millipede 1. What are millipedes?

Millipedes are Myriapods, which means they have long segmented bodies, short heads and many pairs of legs, their numerous legs being their most obvious feature. The name Millipede derives from Latin roots, 'milli' meaning 'thousand' and 'pod' meaning foot. However, despite their name, these creatures do not have thousands of legs.
Some rare species can have 750 legs, however, common species have between 80 and 400 legs. Millipedes have two pairs of legs attached to each segment of its body, except the very first segment behind the head and the next few segments which only have one pair of legs each. Each segment that has two pairs of legs is a result of two single segments being fused together as one. When Millipedes walk, each pair of legs is lifted at the same time, moving along in a wave motion. Millipede eyes consist of a number of simple flat lens ocelli arranged in a group on the front/side of the head. Millipedes have very poor eyesight which is sometimes nonexistent. They sense their way around by using their antennae which continually taps the ground as the millipede moves along. The head contains a pair of sensory organs found just behind their antennae and are oval shaped. They are probably used to measure the humidity in the surroundings. Millipedes are very clean creatures and spend a lot of time cleaning and polishing various parts of their body. They have a special brush-like group of hairs on the 2nd or 3rd pair of their legs which they use to clean their antennae. Most millipedes have very elongated cylinder shaped bodies, although some are flattened dorsoventrally (extending from the back to the belly), while Pill Millipedes are short and can roll into a ball. The giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas) is one of the largest of the millipedes, growing up to 11 inches (28 centimetres) in length. It lives in tropical and subtropical Africa, in rotting plant life or moist earth and usually avoids light. It is black in colour and is often kept as a pet.

2. What do millipedes contribute in the ecosystem?

When most people think of ecological food chains they picture the plants (producers) being eaten by herbivores (primary consumers) which, in turn, are eaten by predators (secondary consumers). In fact there are other food chains: that of detritivory is very important. Detritivores are scavengers which feed on dead plants and animals or their waste. They are essential for recycling of nutrients: without them dead plant material would not be returned to the soil for new growth. The earth might be covered by deep layers old vegetation and lots of animal carcasses only slowly breaking down by physical and chemical processes. Detritivorous animals and fungi speed up this process. They also provide food for many predators. Detritivores work in different ways to different ends: their combined effects lead to fairly rapid breakdown of old vegetation although some substances, most obviously wood, are slower to degrade than others.

3. What are the needs to have a pet millipede?

Housing Giant Millipedes

Cage Size: as a general rule, a 10-15 gallon aquarium is ample room for a couple of millipedes. Make sure the length of the tank is at least twice the length of the millipede (and the width as wide as the millipede is long). Floor space is more important than height. A lid is a good idea.

Substrate: millipedes like to burrow a bit so a good layer (3-4 inches) of peat moss or a peat moss/soil mixture (no chemical or fertilizer added) can form the base. This can be covered with some sphagnum moss and pieces of bark to provide additional cover. Leaf litter can also be used, although you may want to freeze it first to kill insects in it. The substrate should be kept damp (but not wet).

Heat and Humidity: there are varied opinions on the appropriate temperatures for giant millipedes. Since millipedes hail from tropical climates, many keepers recommend that the tank should be kept at about 75-80 F (24-27 C) or even as high as 85 F (30 C). An under tank heater on a thermostat (as sold for reptile keeping) placed under one half of the tank can be used to heat the tank. If placing a heater under the tank warms the substrate too much or dries it out, the heat pad can be affixed to the side or part of the back of the tank. On the other hand, many keepers do not provide supplemental heat. If this is the case, make sure your room temperature during the day is at least 72 F (22 C), although a slight drop at night should be okay. The humidity level should also be kept quite high, and this can be achieved by keeping the substrate damp (not wet) with regular misting.

Light: no special lighting is required, and should be avoided as the millipedes will spend most of their time hiding to avoid the light. Water: provide a bit fresh drinking water in a very shallow dish, and clean regularly.

Feeding Giant Millipedes Giant millipedes are herbivores, dining in the wild on decaying lat material. In captivity they can be fed a variety of vegetables and fruits, cut into small pieces. Softer vegetables and fruits are best - try leaf lettuce, cucumber (reported as a favorite food of millipedes), tomatoes, melon, peaches, bananas, etc. The food can be fed in a shallow dish or jar lid. They prefer food that is starting to decay so leaving it for a day or so is not a problem. It is also a good idea to provide some leaf litter (decaying leaves - freezing is a good idea to reduce the number of bugs introduced on the leaves).

Calcium should be added to the diet - dust the food lightly with a vitamin supplement containing calcium.

Vegetables Millipedes can be given most leafy greens. These can be from leftover dinners, or nontoxic plants clipped from the yard. Choices can include salad mix, potato peels, shredded carrots or shredded yams. If you do not use toxins in your yard, such as herbicides or insecticides, then you can feed them your dandelions or grass clippings. Fruits Millipedes especially enjoy overripe, or partly molded, fruits such as grapes, pears, berries, bananas and apples. These will also give them a source of water. They will enjoy most any fruit and even the banana peel. Vitamin Supplements To provide for any missing nutrients, such as calcium, in their diet the insects can be given a reptile vitamin supplement found at most any pet store. Sprinkle a pinch of vitamins on their food once or twice a week.

How to Feed The food can be placed on a small dish with low or no sides so that the millipede can get to it. A plastic lid also works well to control its diet. Feed them three to four times a week and leave the food out for a couple of days (they like it rotting). Be warned that this will attract flies so do remove the food before the flies set in. The amount of time you can leave the food may vary depending on your climate and region. Don't leave the food out for the millipede more than a couple of days, you don't want to have an over growth of bacteria or fungi that can make the insect sick. They should have food available at all times. Water Most of its water intake will come from its food and humid environment. You can place a soaked sponge or cotton ball on a plastic lid to help with the humidity and to offer an additional source of water.

Read more: Millipede Diet | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/way_5659425_millipedediet.html#ixzz21SKAvGUp

4. What are the precautions in handling millipede?

Most of the commonly kept giant millipedes are perfectly harmless if treated with respect during handling, the easiest and safest method is to allow them to crawl on to your hand of their own accord by placing your hand flat on the ground in front of them. If you pick up your millipede from the compost then it may roll in to a ball as it's first level of defence. If you try to prize open the living bundle then it may exude chemicals, this is when you can be harmed in some species. This is their second level of defence and only occurs if the animal feels it's life is in danger. Always handle your millipede firmly but gently and you will have no problems. It is important to know which species are more likely to exude the liquid and which aren't, even more importantly you should be aware of which ones produce the most toxic of these fluids.

5. How do millipedes reproduce?

Millipede Reproduction Males and females usually have to mate to produce offspring, with males usually depositing sperm directly into the reproductive organs of the female. There may or may not be any courtship behaviour. Bristly millipede males must first spin a web on which they deposit their sperm. The female then approaches the web and puts the sperm into her own reproductive organs. In some pill millipedes a male attracts a female to mate with squeaking noises made by rubbing the bases of his legs against his body. He then grasps the females body with his legs. A sperm packet is released behind his head and passed back from one pair of legs to the next, until it reaches the reproductive organs of the female. In other pill millipedes the male covers the sperm packet in dirt before passing it back with his legs to his mates reproductive organs.

Millipedes lay their eggs in the soil. Some species make individual cases for their eggs out of chewed-up leaves. In some species, the female, and occasionally the male, guard the eggs until they hatch. Although young millipedes resemble small adults, they are usually have no legs when they first hatch from the egg. After they molt, or shed their exoskeleton for the first time, they have six body segments and three pairs of legs. They add additional body segments and pairs of legs with each molt until they reach the maximum adult number. Millipedes molt in sheltered places underground or in cracks in the soil. This is a very delicate stage of their lives. Millipedes reach adulthood in one or two years, sometimes longer. Adults live for one to eleven years, although some individuals may live longer.

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