Save some kid buying Centipede by buying it myself (beginner to intermediate)?

Went to my local exotic pet shop today to find they are selling a giant centipede (they haven't labelled it's species). It's probably 3-4 inches (wild estimate) and it could clearly very easily escape its short enclosure if opened and kids come in to the store often and I'm worried that some kid might try and buy it. I'm not that experienced myself but It seems really dangerous. Also the enclosure also has no air holes and quite shallow substrate :/ I feel I should purchase it for everyones sake, I haven't got much experience as a keeper (I have a N. chromatus sling, a C.fasciatum sling, an A.avic, a Vietnamese rainbow millipede, a red clawed scorpion and a corn snake). Should I get it or just hope someone more experienced happens to come across it before a kid does?
Also although I probably am not prepared I do think it's a beautiful specimen and generally think they're awesome but I was never planning to get one due to it's venom and aggression etc until now that is :/

If you don't think you're prepared, don't buy it. Maybe ask the LPS if they'll make sure to not sell it to a minor.

freedumbdclxvi said:

If you don't think you're prepared, don't buy it. Maybe ask the LPS if they'll make sure to not sell it to a minor.

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Will do, I made sure to mention how venomous it was to them but I was in a bit of a rush, it only occurred to me after I left how absurd it was for them to be caring for it let alone selling it. I was busy buying my spiderlings. they didn't know they were getting till it arrived this morning so they've done no research on it or anything

Responsible pet store workers would normally warn parents about 'pedes. Bratty kids who continue to cry about it should be spanked. I remember in 7th grade I went to an expo and wanted an S. alternans. The individual in charge of the stand immediately conversed with my mom about the potency of centipedes and thus I never got centipedes until very recently. Safe to say that I settled on a breeding pair of Eurycantha calcarata which were an enjoyable experience.

I was at an expo about 6 months ago and got my first pede, I just turned 15. I was with my grandma, they had an S. dehaani and when I bought it...all the person said was "You know these can bite, right?". Overall.....pretty boring animal but I like it lol.

Biollantefan54 said:

I was at an expo about 6 months ago and got my first pede, I just turned 15. I was with my grandma, they had an S. dehaani and when I bought it...all the person said was "You know these can bite, right?". Overall.....pretty boring animal but I like it lol.

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Honestly I wish the stand owner's response for me was more vague like the one you got lol- perhaps I'd have gotten mine earlier, but then again, I probably would've never experienced my Eurycantha calcarata pair (and have an awesomely mounted male to show off and say "Yea, I mounted that myself, in mint condition!")- they are listed as illegal phasmids to own now in the US, so I guess I was lucky to get them when I did. The pede at the expo, being an S. alternans, was perhaps one of the less likely to send you to the hospital, however (I was pretty young, though... like 12...). I was considering an S. subspinipes recently, but I settled to get an alternans shipped next week for the reason that if I do get bit, pets are already illegal in my dorm and if I get found out, a whole mess would ensue on a potent animal like that. Don't worry though, I will definitely go for a dehaani or subspinipes when my birthday rolls around

Glad I got mine when I did though, taught be that I don't really want to shell out a big chunk of money for another. It is a pretty active pede, actually explored it's tank earlier today. It's fun to watch for a few minutes but then I get bored and it hides lol. I can watch my Damon diadema for a long while but then I realize I was in the middle of doing something and stop, those are my favorite animals lol! The only other pede I would consider getting is an Alipes sp.

Biollantefan54 said:

Glad I got mine when I did though, taught be that I don't really want to shell out a big chunk of money for another. It is a pretty active pede, actually explored it's tank earlier today. It's fun to watch for a few minutes but then I get bored and it hides lol. I can watch my Damon diadema for a long while but then I realize I was in the middle of doing something and stop, those are my favorite animals lol! The only other pede I would consider getting is an Alipes sp.

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Feather tailed pedes would be awesome to have, and I'm not sure what it is; maybe it's the feeding response that draws me into the centipede hobby, but after restarting my invert hobby after a few years of indifference towards it, I've decided to focus mainly on the odd-ball arachnids (amblypygids, uropygids, solifugids, and the occasional scorpion) and centipedes. I still have my G. rosea and may consider getting a few dwarf T species in the future, but I think I'm going to stand by my philosophy of collecting the former two for now haha.