Beginner centipede?

Bry · Jul 16, 2003

Okay, I wanted to ask a question that doesn't seem to have been asked before (unless I missed one while searching). What would be a good first centipede? I know centipedes really shouldn't be handled, but what species would fall under the following criteria:

hardy, easy to care for
hearty appetite
good temperament as far as centipedes go
active and doesn't hide all the time
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It would also help if you could include the average going price for the centipedes that fall under the above criteria.

Bry

Frank · Jul 16, 2003

Stone centipede

Price: free, in your house or garden

I'm not into centipedes but from everything I read it is very fine if you want a cheap one easy to care and etc etc. And they're not dangerous

They're so small.

Frank

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

BORING, get a feathertail centipede. They do hide alot, but you can't have everything. They are only about 5-6 inches long, very docile as far as centipedes go. Mine eats all the time, I am having to limit it so it doesn't overfeed. I actually hold mine quite regularly, and have not been bitten. I paid $35 canadian for mine.

Satanika · Jul 17, 2003

Originally posted by Cooper
I actually hold mine quite regularly, and have not been bitten.

IMO, holding centipedes is not a good idea, and I would NOT recommend it.

If you have been holding it regularly and have not been bitten; you are an exception, not a rule. I sincerely hope that your good luck streak continues.

For beginner stuff, you might want to check some of these threads: http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnob...id=27238&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

Hope that helps and good luck!

Debby

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

i know it is stupid, and it actually happened by accident te first time, it just ran up my hand and on to my arm. It seems not to mind if you just let it do what it pleases, but I think i will stop taking pointless risks which could be harmful to me or my precious pede.

fatbloke · Jul 17, 2003

Originally posted by Cooper
I actually hold mine quite regularly, and have not been bitten.

maybe he should have added yet to his statement

cooper have you ever read the bite forum where a few people have actually been bitten and they go through hour by hour account of the pain they go through:? that makes you think twice about handling pedes

fatbloke

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

If you had a feathertail, you would understand. All these guys do is rattle, they arent even very fast. I guess they are thechilean rose of pedes.

fatbloke · Jul 17, 2003

cooper i do own featherlegs i have 2 and mine dont rattle all they do is try and bite every thing that i put in their tanks so it looks like no 2 pedes are the same

fatbloke

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

How long is your guys body length? Mine doesnt even accept live food, but he/she eats dead, prekilledcrickets voraciously. Is there anything I could do to make it accept live food? Sorry about getting on your back there.

fatbloke · Jul 17, 2003

cooper no worrys the body length of them is about 4 inches just wondering what size food you are using:? it could be that the found items are to big for the pede i use food size which is about 20% of the body length or smaller and they take it almost straight away also i use different types of food so they dont get bored of the same thing

fatbloke

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

Could be, I was using large crix. My guys body length is only three inches, so that means yours is like 5 with the "tails"? I will try feeding smaller crix. Is it cool watching them attack the prey?

SpiderFood · Jul 17, 2003

I dont know if it is the best beginner species but my first pede was an S. mortisans pedeling. Very hardly little guy, good eater and came out to visit on occation. Easy to maintain. I would recommend one. I am no expert though, this is simply my experience.

L8R

dale

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

Does yours hide alot? Do they come out of the dirt to attack? mine is usually under the bark retreat or in the peat/soil mix.?

SpiderFood · Jul 17, 2003

Mine is mostly underneath the soil. I havent witnessed him come out to attack but he is an agressive eater. It would be neat to see though.

L8

dale

Cooper · Jul 17, 2003

I was actually talking to fatbloke, but cool.

Bry · Jul 17, 2003

Thanks for the link, Debby. From what I've read so far, I think I'll try starting out with a Texas Tiger (Scolopendra polymorpha?), or a Feathertail (Alipes sp.). I was thinking of keeping either species in a large kritter keeper (equal to 5 gal tank) with 2-3" of peat moss/Forest Bed substrate, along with a cork bark for hiding. Does this sound like a good setup?

Bry

stu · Jul 17, 2003

my first pede was a small (2 ish inch) S. cingulata. I heard these make ok 'starter' pedes - ive been told they are not as aggresive as most others?

I also have 2 S. morsitan plings (courtesy of fatbloke

)

The plings attack everything I put in their tanks (chopped up cricks) but my cingulata seems to only eat dead cricks too which I leave near his hide overnight.

I guess all pedes are different but I would never think of handling one after the reports ive read from bites.

I suppose any pede would be fine as a first one as long as you respect it, keep it in a secure tank and DONT handle it

but im far from knowledgable on these things,

cheers,

Stu.

fatbloke · Jul 18, 2003

bry the only thing ive found wrong with kritter keepers is trying to keep the humidity up as theres to many holes in the lid but if you cover most of the holes up then they work fine but what youve got to remember is the height of the tank you want at least a few inches higher then the pede is long but the higher the better i use kritter keepers and i also use those plastic shoe boxes the only thing wrong with the shoe boxes is that they arent high enough so extreme care must be used when doing maintaince but apart from that i find them ok. the way your going to set them up sounds ok but dont forget to add a water bowl as they do like to drink. but what ever you use to house them in make sure it has a tight fitting lid as they are known to push lids off

fatbloke

Beginner centipede?

Bry

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Frank

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Cooper

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Satanika

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Cooper

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fatbloke

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Cooper

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fatbloke

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Cooper

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fatbloke

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Cooper

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SpiderFood

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Cooper

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Cooper

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Bry

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stu

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