Mating Giant African Millipedes

bness2

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
Messages
150
Anyone with any experience mating the giant African millipedes? I caught two of mine mating Saturday and I'm just wondering how long it usually takes for babies to appear. And more importantly, do the babies have a tendency to escape. I keep the adults in a rubbermaid snap top storage container and the lid is not air tight by any means. Can they climb the sides of a plastic container when they are small enough to squeeze out?

Bryan
 

Wade

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
2,929
IME, they can't climb smoth surfaces, at least not if it's clean. How long you'll have to wait, I can't say. Their eggs are encased in fecal pellets, so don't clean the cage! The first time mine had babies, I thought they were maggots, because they're white. On closer inspection, however, they're recognizble as peads.

Wade
 

bness2

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
Messages
150
Wade,

Thanks for the heads up on that. I wasn't planning to clean the cage, as I read somewhere else they don't require much in that way. I didn't know the fecal pellets could contain eggs, so it is nice to know that. I guess I will see if they can climb the walls or not. I caught another couple of them mating last night. I may end up with an awful load of babies.

Bryan
 

Mister Internet

Big Meanie Doo Doo Head :)
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
1,408
Originally posted by Wade
Their eggs are encased in fecal pellets, so don't clean the cage!

Wade,

I was under the impression that the eggs merely resembled fecal pellets... not that they were actually encased by them. Have I heard wrong? I thought I read that they were very similar to fecal pellets, except that fecal pellets would be slightly irregular in shape, and the eggs would be almost spherical...

Set me straight if it's otherwise, man... :)
 

bness2

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 21, 2002
Messages
150
My, but this conversation has taken a scatlogical turn.=D =D ;P
 

Mister Internet

Big Meanie Doo Doo Head :)
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
1,408
Just trying to play off the new coprophagia angle that got brought up a few days ago.... ;)
 

Wade

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 16, 2002
Messages
2,929
I'm pretty sure they are actually encased in feces...however, it's possible that they are differently shaped than ordinary fecal pellets. It has been suggested that the hatchling peads obtain the bacterial "gut fauna" they need to digest the tough plant fibers that comprise the bulk of their diet by eating the adults feces.

Wade
 

AlbinoDragon829

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 29, 2002
Messages
383
Originally posted by Wade
I'm pretty sure they are actually encased in feces...however, it's possible that they are differently shaped than ordinary fecal pellets. It has been suggested that the hatchling peads obtain the bacterial "gut fauna" they need to digest the tough plant fibers that comprise the bulk of their diet by eating the adults feces.

Wade
Lovely thought... Makes sense though.
 
Top