You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

African Giant Black Millipedes are popular arthropod pets because they are docile and quite easy to keep...but what else do we know about them ?

1. African Giant Black Millipedes originate from Tropical and sub-Tropical Africa.  They are nocturnal creatures and live on the surface of the ground, and also in burrows under the surface where they usually moult and shed their exoskeleton, and where females lay their eggs..

2. The name "Millipede" literally means "1000 feet"....but in fact Millipedes have 2 pairs of legs (4 feet) per body segment and the species with the most recorded legs has less than 400 and the adults of most species only have 40-60 segments (up to 240 legs)

3. Millipedes are different from Centipedes because :

• Millipedes  have 4 legs per body segment , Centipedes only have 2 legs per segment
• The legs of Millipedes emerge from UNDER the body, the legs of Centipedes emerge from the side of the body
• Millipedes have a round body, Centipedes have a flat body
• Millipedes walk in a straight line, Centipedes move forward in a snake-like manner, moving from side-to-side
• Millipedes are herbivores, Centipedes are carnivores
• Millipedes move slowly, Centipedes move quickly !
• Millipedes don't bite - they are docile, Centipedes do bite !

4. Millipedes eat rotting vegetation (eg leaves), fruit, logs and green plants and they are called "detrivores" which means eaters of dead organic material. In captivity they are fed lettuce, cucumbers, apples, bananas, tomatoes, etc. They need a calcium supplement to their diet and may benefit from small calcium-containing stones in their environment.

5. When threatened Millipedes roll themselves into a ball to protect their head and soft underbody with their hard, protective exoskeletion.

6. Millipedes can secrete an unpleasant solution - which in some species can contain cyanide - so they must be handled carefully, not held near to the eyes, and hands should be washed well after handling.

7. Millipedes lay 100-300 eggs in soil which hatch in about 12 weeks.

8. Millipedes can live to be 7-10 years of age in captivity.

9. Millipedes can grow to be 12 " (30cm) in length.

10 In captivity they Millipedes should be kept under the following conditions :

• Temperature - 70-85 ⁰ F
• High humidity - 75-80%
• Best is a glass/plastic tank
• 3-4" moist soil or peat as substrate
• Provide a hiding place eg a hollow log
• More than one Millipede can be kept together
• A water source should be available

Updated October 2013