RED MILLIPEDE
- Adults average about 6 inches.
- Despite their name meaning "thousand feet," most millipedes do not have 1,000 legs, usually possessing 300 -400 legs.
- Are relatively docile and easy to handle.
- Easy to care for and keep!
Diet
Millipedes will eat a wide variety of foods such as romaine lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, apples, pears, and other fruits, vegetable, and plant materials. They should also have a powdered calcium supplement sprinkled over their food a few times a week or offered in a separate dish that the millipede has access to at all times.
Housing
A single adult millipede can live in a five gallon tank. However, red millipedes can live communally and a community of millipedes will need at least a ten gallon tank. Floor space is more important than height with red millipedes; it should be at least twice as long and as wide as the largest individual in the tank.
Place a generous amount of peat moss or soft soil in the bottom of the tank, at least two to three inches, for the millipedes to burrow into. Moss may also be placed over the top of the soil to help hold the humidity levels. A hide place and a water dish are the only necessary decorations, however, a few decorative plants, rocks, or driftwood may be placed in the tank.
The enclosure should be kept between 75-80º with a humidity level of about 75%.
Handling & Care
Water dishes should be cleaned daily and any uneaten food needs to be taken out weekly. Substrate tends to get moldy quickly because of daily misting, so regular cleaning will be needed. At least twice a month all bedding should be thrown away, the cage wiped clean, and replaced with fresh new substrate.
Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap after handling any animal.
All millipedes secrete a liquid in defense when they feel threatened so careful handling is a must. While this secretion does not typically irritate most people, there are a few who may experience an allergic reaction. Always be careful when handling your millipede!
