HUSBANDRY

A trio of these millipedes can be comfortably housed in a standard 5 gallon tank, although one that has a 10 gallon capacity allows the keeper to put more naturalistic decorations. Like other millipede species, they should be provided with a substrate deep enough to allow not only just burrowing, but also a choice of microclimates and humidity and temperature gradients. A substrate layer that is sufficiently deep has strata of varying levels of moisture content, with the lowermost layers being the most damp and therefore the coolest temperature-wise, while the topmost stratum is the driest and warmest.

Animals of the forest floor, particularly those that live a wholly- to part-subterranean lifestyle, should be permitted to select depths of their choices, as doing so allows them to seek comfort and insulate themselves from the vagaries of the prevailing climate. A soil layer consisting of mostly leaf mould, bark, and twigs from two to three inches deep is adequate. Another benefit of a deep soil is that it allows the millipedes to burrow during the molting process. If possible, try introducing springtails (Collembola spp.) into the soil as these can help maintain the health and balance of enclosures using organic-based substrates. Millipedes, in particular, can generate relatively large amounts of waste, and pellets can become moldy in damp conditions if these do not decompose fast enough.

Millipedes are extremely easy to feed, and one of the things I find so cool about them is that they will even eat whatever is in their substrate, as long as you are providing them with the correct one. They will eat decomposing plant matter, even wood, in their enclosures, although it would be best to present other food items to meet a well-rounded diet, and this is easily accomplished by introducing pieces of fruit and vegetable refuse and peelings; apple core is a particularly relished treat, as are carrot bits, cucumber, and the succulent petioles of pechay. These are animals that would never require you to spend even a centavo for their food. Still, I must warn you not to try and feed them mango peelings due to their caustic nature. Except for oranges, foods that are rich in oxalates, such as spinach, taro leaves and corms, should be eyed with suspicion, although the oxalates present are likely partly to wholly lost as the leaves start decomposing.

I’ll go even further: edible members of otherwise notoriously poisonous plant families, such as lychee, rambutan (family Sapindaceae), and cassava (family Euphorbiaceae) may be poor food choices, although potatoes and tomatoes are definitely acceptable despite belonging to the infamously deadly nightshade family Solanaceae. Sure, the millipedes may themselves avoid eating what to them may be laden with treacherous chemicals, but one cannot discount the possibility that such plants may introduce toxins into the enclosures.