vietnamese centipede

[kidchameleon]

i saw one of these at a show yesterday, and it looked pretty cool. i talked to the guy about them a little, but didnt get too much information from him. i also tried doing some research online, but also didnt get too much information. if anyone has any info on these guys, please let me. they seem really interesting from what i have read and heard. thanks a lot

[Gary O]

Don't have much info on them other then I would never want to take a bite from one. lol. I have never kept these

[nguyen_inc]

cant wait till i see them in vietnam this summer! Im happy vietnam doesnt have common house centipedes!/ By any chance did u see two asian guys walking together, one wearing a blue botton up shirt (me) and the other wearing a linkin park shirt(hybrid7)? we'r short huh? hahahha asian genes....

[kidchameleon]

gary - yeah, i heard that their bite is really painful.

nguyen - i dont really remember seeing anyone specific unless they really stood out. i myself was wearing black shorts and a light grey shirt. my hair is kind of long and a mess lol. thats the best description of me i think. oh yeah, and im skinny lol.

[Gregg M]

Hey I was at that Hamburg show on sat...... So was Matt and John Adragna from cybersalvator.....
Anyway, The bite sucks big time...... I got hit about 5 years ago and it was not fun..... Cant kill you or do ant real damage but you dont want to get bitten..... You can keep them pretty much like Emp scorps......

[kidchameleon]

actually, i read somewhere that someone did die from a bite. it was a seven yearo ld girl who was bitten in the head. she only lived for 29 hours afterwards.

anyway, so youre saying they require the same temps/humidity as emperor scorpions? what about feeding? how often should they eat? thanks

[Gary O]

There are many subspecies too.I am not sure how many though.

[Crotalus75]

Scolopendra sp. are some of the toughest to properly identify.....tons of species and subspecies in scolopendra....subspinipes is a fuzzy complex if you ask me........local variation...many look very similar.....there is not alot of good literature on centipedes and very little visual identification resources....to properly ID many of these guys it comes down to dichotomous keys.....even then many of these guys are not even recognized yet.

[kidchameleon]

so what youre saying is that im not really gonna find too much information on them? i guess maybe ill put getting one off for a little unless i can get my hands on some really good care information.

but still, if anyone has any info on these guys, please let me know. thanks alot

[Crotalus75]

"so what youre saying is that im not really gonna find too much information on them?"

No.....just commenting on their taxonomy....general husbandry info is out there......they can be kept in a similar manner as tropical scorpions.....various substrates can be used including peatmoss/ potting soil mix etc....maybe a little green moss clumped throughout to hold in some of the moisture....substrate should be packed in the bottom of the tank so that they can dig...they love to tunnel. 80ish ambient temps. Povide a shallow water dish and mist infrequently to provide some humidity...you don't want dusty dry substrate but you never want it to be wet in the enclosure.....imagine lifting up a log or a rock in the woods.....thats the kind of moisture you want. Give them some things to hide under (they will make a burrow under objects that you place in the cage). They will sometimes climb on sticks and logs that you place in their terrarium. Feed them a few crickets weekly...you can feed them vertebrates on occasion. Be very careful that no exoparasites are introduced into their cage.....pedes spend all of their time burried in the substrate and a mite infestation can make short work of them. Pedes are escape artists so make sure that the terrarium is completely escape proof. They can stand up 3/4 of their length and hold a pinky mouse.....

The best part about keeping giant centipedes is watching them eat live pinks and fuzzies (make sure they are small and still have their eyes closed...you don't want them to kill your pede) ...they can even eat small snakes and amphibians.....they are brutal hunters...I couldn't believe how they attacked and ate their prey (sometimes still alive) the first time I saw it....intense.

[kidchameleon]

ok thank you very much crotalus.

[nguyen_inc]

kidchameleon, Gregg M and ur friends, lets meet up next time theres a show...... i think theres one on june 5. lets make plans when the time comes near. Deal?

[kidchameleon]

alright, its deal. ill PM you(or you pm me) at a later date closer to the show.

and i am going to the one june 5 in PA. i try and go to ervery hamburg and white plains show. i also went to the lititz show, but that one wasnt really that good. hamburg is definately the best.

[anacondaman]

my friend bought a viet. cent. and it was the most interesting creature ive ever seen...as soon as u made the slightest movement in its cage the thing came storming out of its hiding place for a meal....my advice to u..... dont hold.....the thing escaped twice...so make sure the lid it tight as hell... and always stay on ur toes...not only would the bite hurt like a bI@# but it would also be creepy as hell...and as for my friends centipied...as angry as it made me...he fed it to his oscars....i would of took the thing off him :(

[kidchameleon]

ah man, thats messed up. if you dont mind, can you ask him where he found out some good, general care information on them? i wouldreally appreciate it. thanks

[kidchameleon]

here:
http://www.geocities.com/lflank/millipede.html

i found a good caresheet on them, incase anyone else is interested in them.

[anacondaman]

check petbugs.com...they usually have good care sheets...in general...their care isnt different from others of the same locality and genus

adam