house centipede / Scutigera coleoptrata

[Kaddock]

How do I take care of it? :blink: My girlfriend caught it this morning! Beautiful little feller... I can't believe I finally trained her to start catching bugs when she sees them... Best girlfriend ever. :lol:

 

[Orin]

You can feed it fruit flies or tiny crickets. A deli cup with a few pinholes and half an inch of damp substrate will make a suitable cage.

 

[Kaddock]

You can feed it fruit flies or tiny crickets. A deli cup with a few pinholes and half an inch of damp substrate will make a suitable cage.

Cool! I assume a hiding space would be good... How about water? Would floral foam work, misting, or do they get water from their prey?

 

[Emile.Wilson]

you could also try isopods

 

[Orin]

It will only drink water if its cage is too dry. While not impossible this species generally won't touch isopods.

 

[Zephyr]

I almost had the heart to keep one of these yesterday when I found it in one of my buckets... But my orange head roaches needed some extra protein...

 

[Giosan]

Are these harmless? I know centipedes have venom and can bite, how about this one?

Found some on holiday once, indeed they are cute! But we didn't know if they were harmless or not..

 

[beckyl92]

what is it? xD

 

[Orin]

Are these harmless? I know centipedes have venom and can bite, how about this one? Found some on holiday once, indeed they are cute! But we didn't know if they were harmless or not..

I've picked them up and they have no ability to bite into my skin. Even if a person had freakishly thin skin the bite would likely feel like a minor itch.

 

[Giosan]

Thanks for the info! We were carefull cause we had a baby and toddler with us so you never know... But glad i know now!

 

[hibiscusmile]

I must say it is wonderful! I am afraid to say what I really think cause when I do I end up keeping them, so WHAT a beautiful bug! :lol:

 

[Katnapper]

I must say it is wonderful! I am afraid to say what I really think cause when I do I end up keeping them, so WHAT a beautiful bug! :lol:

:lol:

 

[Kaddock]

It is wonderful! The one I kept is a voracious eater, and pretty docile... Doesn't seem to mind the light much. I haven't handled it, and have read they can't break skin as Orin stated, however, their venom would cause the pain of a wasp sting if successfully used!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Oh wow! This has to be one of the cutest critters on earth. When I was a kid we used to find a lot of them in bombed out houses (this was around 1945). When they die, they just dry up, and we used to collect "centipede ghosts." After that, they seemed to follow me all over the world.

When I was a staff sgt in Kenya, we lived in an off-base encampment and we had a pet centipede named Cpl. Fred. We kept him(?) in a carboard box until one day a WO from the base inspected us, and as as the two of us went round the barracks, I saw that the men's eyes, instead of being "eyes front" were looking furtively at the floor. Too late, I saw the WO's mirror shiny boot come down on the poor corporal, and that was that. We gave him a military funeral (as well as you can at platoon strength), with reversed rifles, slow march and the Last Post played on the bugle and I read the Office for the Dead: "At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember him." We buried him in his carboard box covered with a handkerchief that someone had painted a Union Jack on (yes I know that that is not its proper name) while our flag flew at half mast. It occured to me later that if any MauMau had been watching us, they would have fled in supernatural terror. I saw them, or something very like them in Thailand and in Germany and some very large ones in Hawaii. I have only seen a couple in AZ in my son's garage, but it is good to know that they are still keeping an eye out for me.

Yay Scutigera coleoptrata!

 

[Kaddock]

I have only seen a couple in AZ in my son's garage, but it is good to know that they are still keeping an eye out for me.Yay Scutigera coleoptrata!

Cool Phil! It's awesome to learn about your history, and your love for Scutigera coleoptrata!

As long as we are still on this topic, mine is very sluggish and will barely even react when poked at the moment... There is plenty of moisture in it's cage, and it has places to hide (which it doesn't take advantage of!). Any ideas on this problem? Just fed two days ago, two good size crickets, and might feed again today. My crickets seem healthy and they are well fed on gut load and veggies! Help! Maybe it is too hot (that seems silly... )

Also, how do you go about sexing centipedes?

I love this forum!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Hi Kaddpk. To sex 'em, you go by the "pilosity of the ultimate legs." It's true : http://www.scolopendra.be/breeding.php

I think that your guy may be sluggish because he's still digesting his last meal!

 

[PhilinYuma]

Hi Kaddok. To sex 'em, you go by the "pilosity of the ultimate legs." It's true : http://www.scolopendra.be/breeding.php

I think that your guy may be sluggish because he's still digesting his last meal!

 

[Kaddock]

Hi Kaddpk. To sex 'em, you go by the "pilosity of the ultimate legs." It's true : http://www.scolopendra.be/breeding.phpI think that your guy may be sluggish because he's still digesting his last meal!

Phil, thanks! I was worried, but that sounds resonable.

OK, soooo... I get the pilosity thing, if it has more hair on it's ultimate legs, it's a male. Lol. Guess I need one of each gender to really be sure. Plus, I don't really see any hair! It doesn't really matter too much I guess!

 

[Eldur]

wow, nice centipede