I do believe this is the species I played with as a child in West Texas. They definitely were not the gold color, but a much darker brown color and secreted a brown substance. I learned to handle them very young so the smell never turned me off from them, and I was a good handwasher! I love the desert species!
Very informative video. I picked one of these guys up at a show the other day as my very first species of millipede to take care of. Thank you for bringing up how they prefer a drier environment! When I thought of millipedes in the past I always assumed they all loved wet, damp conditions, but these guys don't. Thanks!
@@chumon1992 the Southern California reptile super show is an awesome and huge one that takes place around orange county and LA a few times a year. They have tons of insects, reptiles, amphibians, and supplies. I picked up a curly hair tarantula recently for like 10$ there.
Thanks for these vids! I've been watching them religiously for a while now!! I finally added two golds, and two sonorans to my desert beetle viv its a 75gal, deep moist section, shallow stone and sand section like a dried creek and a deep dry area which is on the hot side. Its heavily planted with biome specific species and the watering has been successful with not making the beetles uncomfortable (the bdfbs haven't lost any of their sunscreen has been my monitoring zone there) My hope is the millipedes borrow and create small moist pockets for beetle larvae to inhabit I'm usually hesitant to use multiple species but with so many spaces and biomes its seemed okay so far...I'm watching it like a hawk though! Lol
Ivories are always a top recommendation. Great to see you Crystal! I swear you were one of my first followers when I started the channel up just over a year ago. Thank you!
It's interesting to read that the smell hurts your head. I wonder if more people experience that but just never express it. I've never experienced that and find they they don't have a smell unless they are disturbed to the point they secrete their defensive fluids. Thanks Mia!
I've seen people run them in tanks with the blue df beetles. I don't know how well that works out in the long run but it sure looks neat in photos! I haven't watched it yet but the thumbnail for your recent vid just cracked me up! Will check that out a bit later after I drop my packages off at the PO. Don't usually ship on Fridays but those darn postal holidays just throw a wrench in routines, eh? Thanks Rus!
Just received my first ever shipment of Desert Gold's as shown in this clip from your website. Awaiting a delivery of your Millipede Substrate. These are truly beautiful specimens, and I definitely made a great choice for my first millipedes. I have kept everything from salamanders to octopus and these are absolutely one of the coolest creatures I have ever had! Thanks!!
Thanks so much, Andy and it's always neat to read comments from people that have kept a wide variety of things and can appreciate an arthropod that much!
This is a great video! Thanks! My daughter recently acquired one of these guys and we have a question! Is it normal for them to burrow down deep into the substrate and curl up for an extended period of time? It was very active in the small enclosure we brought it home in. We switched it over to a 5 gallon tank with substrate specifically for isopods and millipedes. Within 24 hours it disappeared. We finally found it by looking through the glass at the bottom of the tank. It has been there curled up for almost two weeks now.
It just depends so much on the temperature in the home and the amount of ventilation. A slightly moist substrate on at least one side of the tank is recommended and often it's a game of trial and error to find the right amount to add, which itself can change based on temp and how often you open the tank, etc.
My Sonora millipede recently burrowed, and I can't find it! I specifically got it for handling and showing, are there any tricks for getting it to surface without hurting it?
In colder weather they'll sometimes do that. Many people offer a shallower substrate to the point the millipede can't easily hide from them. Of course, in nature they do seek the comfort of depth and so that is the ideal. I might guess it is molting since this isn't a cold time of year, but perhaps you live in the mountains of Colorado or something. Recently is a very vague term, too. I'd certainly not do any digging for up to 3 wks in case it is molting.
@@bugsincyberspace Thanks! I know that burrowing is pretty normal for a number of reasons. We're in Massachusetts, but the room is kept generally above 65, however there's a heat lamp on the enclosure. I guess I'll just wait and see! I've lost a previous millipede where she didn't make it through molting, so this one will be left well enough alone!
It's hard to imagine how those 2.5 gallons spread out as so many varieties of tanks come in that size, but I think it is safe to say that would be just fine.
Hello, very new to the world of insects as pets. My son wants one and I asked that he find something native to North America,...this is what he chose. I have a question: If these millipedes are difficult to breed in captivity, how are they available for the pet trade? Are some people successfully breeding them, or are they gathered from the wild? Thanks so much.
This species has been in the hobby for several decades and kept in labs and with only a couple less than perfectly verifiable records have they ever been reproduced. They are wild caught in all cases. In wet weather, in areas they occur in, they emerge in vast numbers and across very wide areas. Fortunately they are rather long lived and so the market for them is rather small.
Also quick question, from what i know dead leaf mantises are carnivores, and my madagascan marbled has been doing amazing with gut loaded crickets, but i often see sites selling honey sticks for mantises. Do any of my 3 species (caribbean, malaysian, madagascan) need honey? Or will gutloaded flightless fruit flies be fine for the dead leafs and crickets for the marbled like ive been doing?
No mantises "need" honey in the same way people don't need it. It's just an option and they do enjoy it. However, there is no substitute for living prey when it comes to mantises. Honey is a treat, mainly. Sometimes a reluctant mantis will start to nibble at honey and then keepers are able to get the mantis to suddenly go for the prey they've been avoiding. Marbleds get big pretty quickly and so they are over an inch long, its probably time to upgrade to a larger feeder for them. Great questions and I'm sure lots of other will benefit by them. Thanks LaPR!
@@bugsincyberspace yeah my marbled had gotten pretty big, definitely 1.5 or more inches, i feed him large gutloaded crickets, about half to the full size of his abdomen, is that alright? If not should i upgrade to roaches? Also, i just setup 3 more bioactive terrariums, so i see that you have jeweled flower mantises and i want to order one, so i figure ill grab that and some isopods & springtails. Do you have more than 1 springtail pack in stock, and how many orders of Pill Bugs Armadillidium spp. (15 count) do you have, im looking to purchase 3
@@lapreptiles2755 Roaches can be a little scary for mantises because sometimes they make mantises sick but I use them sometimes too. Roaches seem never to make them sick but they are usually a little harder to source, of course. Shoot me an email about the things you want and I'll do an inventory check at that time on those low inventory items. I should have plenty of both. Thanks!
It's a secretion similar to how you sweat when you are nervous. It is not at all uncommon for them to secrete on you if you handle them roughly. It is best if you let them crawl onto you and off of you, and don't sort of pinch them to pick them up, etc. It is generally advised that you do not allow the secretion to get in your eyes, nose or throat. I suppose an open cut could be added to that list. It does not burn the skin of people with normal skin.
These are so cool! if you end up seeing this - do you think that these millipedes could cohabitate with desert beetles like death feigning, darklings, or iron clad? would it be possible to create a moisture gradient big enough to keep them both healthy in a large tank? Thank you for making such informative content!!
Thanks, awesome video, just found a fairly small one right by the ghost town of Ruby, AZ and I'm excited. I've been in Arizona for 23 years and this is only the second year I've seen them, the first time was like you mentioned about 20 years ago, the road was COVERED in adult. Also ended up seeing a Jerusalem Cricket which is also only the second I've ever seen.
I know Ruby and the area well and in fact if you look at the scenery/background image for my RUclips channel here, it was taken in Ruby. I'll be switching it out soon though and am not quite sure why I haven't. Perhaps I was just waiting for this moment of zero entropy. ;) Spring rains is when most people seem to see the mass emergences, and most people don't go out at night.
@@bugsincyberspace Oh that's awesome! Long road to travel late at night, I was on the road for 200 miles yesterday and I'm in Tucson. 30-40 miles of washboard is a labor of love to be sure. I did see some cool things but not the green ratsnake I was hoping to check off the list.
@@ZeroEntropy. Oh, yeah. I once took that road all the way from Arivaca through Ruby and out to Hwy 19. That was a lonnnnng night. Did that on my first trip down. Not sure I'll ever do it again. Not sure I won't either! I think I saw the green snake once at Sycamore Canyon down there, but it's been so long and I might be imagining it since I don't record those moments in my brain like the bug ones. Still have yet to see a gila monster. Saw a ring-tailed cat which I didn't even know existed up until that moment. I thought it was a Cheshire lemur, no joke.
I've always mixed it into the substrate for millipedes and uniformly/evenly. They will consume the entire substrate eventually, through all the layers.
I just got 3 of these, really enjoying having them. one is them doesn't have antennae though. Are they different sexes or is one damaged? And would they grow back with moults?
The best part of this question is that it gives me the opportunity to mention that it is believed that these millipedes are usually found around the moist root systems of plants in their native habitats, where they live before emerging in conjunction heavy rains. The whole video would have been better with a fake cactus and a more seasoned tank with noticeably drier substrate on the surface layer. At least you were able to see the cactus in your mind's eye.
You could though I would recommend it more as an ingredient since it is so loose and they would have trouble getting their footing in it, especially when it's on the drier side. Mix in some sand and soil, ideally.
Is it possible to cohab these guys with other millies I know they have different humidity requirements but I have seen other put them with ivories and some other species
Yes, it's no problem at all. Use a ten gallon tank or larger and keep one side more moist than the other by pouring some water into the substrate. These desert millipedes will spend time on both sides of the tank but they will have the option to choose the area of greatest comfort from moment to moment.
I think I found a sonoran in my bathroom here in colorado, its getting alittle cold... well its smaller than the black one and Im not 100% sure if its the one.
I know this is an old video, but i just got one of the gold verify. I have been wanting a milipede for a while and have done a lot of research but had never seen these kind, but she was at my local exotic pet store and i had to get her because she was very active compared to the others they had. She has been a dream hassent musked at all or anything she will climb on me all on her own and im surprised how social she is. But ive been having trouble finding info on thses kind of dryer milipedes, im glad i found this video
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Charlie and they are just one of the most solid pet millipede species in the history of the hobby. Happy keeping!
I'd not recommend a heat lamp or heat pads for them, although a side mount one in temps under 70 might be advisable. Just depends on where you live and household temps. There is a millipede care sheet on my website (of the same name as this channel) and that should reflect everything you need to know for them.
@@Joch2009 The one in the video is a 5 gallon glass fish aquarium like the kind you can find at a pet store. They offer lids too. Often you can find tanks super cheap on Craiglist, etc. There is a care sheet on my website that discusses other factors. You might check that out as it's a lot to paste in here. ;)
This isnt too bad, i was actually looking for some nice bug enclosures online and it amazes me how small the market for it is. Theres a few sites that sell small breeding box type enclosures, theres cricket keepers and food storage containers of course, but id love it if someone started producing nicer bug sealed enclosures with ventilation and a feeding latch. Antscanadas outworlds are nice, i have one of his hybrid nests, but theyre really pricey if you arent using it for ants specifically. Exo terra has a couple alright ones. There needs to be some nice 32-64oz crystal clear enclosures though. Its hard to find glass ones and im a bit too lazy to run around home depot looking for parts 😂
Agreed, all of it! I tried to inventory ET but they wouldn't ship their products to me because I don't have a store front. So, this is the last time you'll probably ever hear me mention them. ;) In any case, I've been dealing with multiple levels of reality with respect to this topic for years. I have featured some cool cages over the years but some of them go out of business, like the deco cubes I used to offer until 2 or so years ago. They were so great for many things. I see you just posted in the new contest thread and so I'll pop over there. Thanks LaPR!
@@bugsincyberspace My laziness might be my downfall here, i just realized, i have a 3d printer and i have a lot of experience with 3d modeling... I think when i have free time, im going to try to make & print a PET frame, and get some glass or very clear plastic to silicone into it. Ill try to figure out a nice lil design for it. If i can get it to work nice ill stick the STL files on thingiverse or something. Who knows, might be a fun project. Been a while since i busted my 3d printer out.
Hey Peter just bought a giant chocolate from you and was wondering what is the sand you use to mix with your substrate? I bought a bag from you for a 5 gallon tank and wanted to pick up some sand as well just to make sure my pede has enough burrow room!
Shouldn't matter too much really but I'd personally avoid the powdery hydrophobic sands that many pet stores sell and lean more into something a bit granular.
@@bugsincyberspace are there any other bugs that would be safe to keep with them? Like maybe isopods or darkling beetles? Sorry to ask on here but this information is hard to find with a simple google search.
@@nonexistent608 I appreciate your interest and questions and am very happy to answer them here! I have never personally kept darklings with them but I don't see why you couldn't. It's actually blowing my mind that nobody has ever mentioned doing this before. Isopods are totally compatible, yes.
67 isn't too cold for them. I can't ever make a perfect answer on a heat pad question w/o seeing the tank including its size, substrate depth, etc. The concern is direct and radiant heat. Heat can potentially cause a lot more problems than temps in the 50's or 60's, especially if those temps are just seasonal. They don't "need" sand but it's a pretty simple ingredient to source and offer as a common component of their substrate. It often helps substrates to retain their shape when animals burrow through them.
I have 3 questions. 1)I have a large plastic storage tubs and I was wandering, as long as I am on top of the watering, do I need a lid? 2) If I kept other species with these fellas, which ones would be best? 3) can I keep live plants n with them? I figured that their poop would help my plants grow and clean the tank better.
Hello ok so am not an expert but I can awnser number 3 so I wouldn't recommend live plants because they are capable of having a wee much and it can cause damage in the long run
@@volking6338 The brown form of the same species (called Sonoran or chocolate form, also in this video) can live with them just fine. It really depends on how often you add water to the tank and what is in the tank. I need to do a video on a moisture gradient tank where one side is kept more moist than another. In a tank like that you can keep both dry-loving and moisture-loving species together. It's helpful to put slabs of bark down on the moist side though, so that you can always have a micro-climate/micro-habitat for isopods or more moisture loving millipede species to retreat to if it's getting dry out on the surface. If you have any questions about specific insects, etc. feel free to ask!
Yayy! Great video and super informative not only do I love that gold colour but I'm a transplant from Texas to WA so double meaning! I will have to put these guys on a list of to get pets! How many would you suggest to normally keep in a tank that size? I'm assuming not that many naturally?
Thanks a bunch, GC! There's a neat millipede called Tylobolus up here in the PNW that you might see if you go out and prowl around at night. As for quantity, it sort of depends on what size they are when you get them. I'd say 3 adults is a pretty solid number for a tank that size although you could run more. It also depends on the depth of substrate. Lots of people add in branches and such too and occasionally they are found in trees and bushes in the wild, lending them a bit of a reputation for being arboreal (to some degree). Basically, whatever you do to increase the surface area in terms of living space will also increase the number that can be reasonably kept in a given size of tank.
@@bugsincyberspace awesome! That sounds like an awesome display set up to work on! I'll have to do some hunting in the warmer months to see what's around me! I took an entomology class in college but we didn't find any millipedes but we didn't look at night which now that I think about would have helped lol
@@gingecharmander You can often find them by flipping logs and other ground cover during the day, but in late spring and fall when it is still somewhat warmish and especially if it rained for a bit you can find them out roaming as you walk around. Thanks for the great request and I'm in the process of uploading the contest results here, this evening!
For adults of this species, given the depth of substrate you see in the video, it can still vary. I think 5 is a good number but some people will put in more or less based on what looks good in their eyes.
Was wondering got 2 of them last week one now look limp and dead for the last couple days but he still moves his little antenna so i guess hes not completely dead was wondering if that normal or if he's molting? usually I thought when they molt they go underground. I also keep low humidity at the surface and was wondering what you feed them?
Shoot me an email through my website of the same name with a photo of your setup and provide background info there on the full history of the situation. There is a possibility that your immobile one is molting but I'd like to see some photos so that you have the best answer to an important question.
@@alexcontreras6103 My small group I simply offer the same I feed to all others. Crushed leaf litter, fish food pellets and little bits of fresh organic produce, as well as decaying wood. I keep them a bit drier than most people, probably.
@@alexcontreras6103 Try the cheap stuff! I like the smallest cichlid pellets I can find because individual isopods will carry them off to eat in peace.
Yes you can, but because the gold millipedes like it drier than the ivories it's a good idea to wet down one side of the tank more than the other so that both species can find an area that makes them comfortable. Thanks CG!
I do believe this is the species I played with as a child in West Texas. They definitely were not the gold color, but a much darker brown color and secreted a brown substance. I learned to handle them very young so the smell never turned me off from them, and I was a good handwasher! I love the desert species!
Very informative video. I picked one of these guys up at a show the other day as my very first species of millipede to take care of. Thank you for bringing up how they prefer a drier environment! When I thought of millipedes in the past I always assumed they all loved wet, damp conditions, but these guys don't. Thanks!
Happy to help and thank you for commenting. Enjoy your new pets and good luck!
What was the show if I may ask? I've been looking for a good one for a while
@@chumon1992 the Southern California reptile super show is an awesome and huge one that takes place around orange county and LA a few times a year. They have tons of insects, reptiles, amphibians, and supplies. I picked up a curly hair tarantula recently for like 10$ there.
Thanks for these vids! I've been watching them religiously for a while now!! I finally added two golds, and two sonorans to my desert beetle viv its a 75gal, deep moist section, shallow stone and sand section like a dried creek and a deep dry area which is on the hot side. Its heavily planted with biome specific species and the watering has been successful with not making the beetles uncomfortable (the bdfbs haven't lost any of their sunscreen has been my monitoring zone there) My hope is the millipedes borrow and create small moist pockets for beetle larvae to inhabit I'm usually hesitant to use multiple species but with so many spaces and biomes its seemed okay so far...I'm watching it like a hawk though! Lol
Thats a beautiful set up for your milliepeeds i got me ivory milliepeeds now there so much fun
Ivories are always a top recommendation. Great to see you Crystal! I swear you were one of my first followers when I started the channel up just over a year ago. Thank you!
how wonderful! the smell hurts my head so much, but i love my millipedes lol. they’re just so freakin cute!
It's interesting to read that the smell hurts your head. I wonder if more people experience that but just never express it. I've never experienced that and find they they don't have a smell unless they are disturbed to the point they secrete their defensive fluids. Thanks Mia!
Yass!! I have been waiting for this!! Thank you. I love my orthoporus ornatus from you.
Yeah, it's all about the ventilation for this species. Nail that variable and you're pretty much, well, golden! ;)
Great video! I learned about the needs of this unique desert millipede genus 👍
I've seen people run them in tanks with the blue df beetles. I don't know how well that works out in the long run but it sure looks neat in photos! I haven't watched it yet but the thumbnail for your recent vid just cracked me up! Will check that out a bit later after I drop my packages off at the PO. Don't usually ship on Fridays but those darn postal holidays just throw a wrench in routines, eh? Thanks Rus!
Learnt a lot. Thanks
Just received my first ever shipment of Desert Gold's as shown in this clip from your website. Awaiting a delivery of your Millipede Substrate. These are truly beautiful specimens, and I definitely made a great choice for my first millipedes. I have kept everything from salamanders to octopus and these are absolutely one of the coolest creatures I have ever had! Thanks!!
Thanks so much, Andy and it's always neat to read comments from people that have kept a wide variety of things and can appreciate an arthropod that much!
how tf do you keep octopus
great video, it is helping me on a notepad for what i should add!
do you know what the temperature i should keep the tank at?
I aware of I watch one insect video I get hooked for a couple months😂 Beautiful creatures!
Welcome to the pet bug hobby!
This is a great video! Thanks! My daughter recently acquired one of these guys and we have a question! Is it normal for them to burrow down deep into the substrate and curl up for an extended period of time? It was very active in the small enclosure we brought it home in. We switched it over to a 5 gallon tank with substrate specifically for isopods and millipedes. Within 24 hours it disappeared. We finally found it by looking through the glass at the bottom of the tank. It has been there curled up for almost two weeks now.
It may be overwintering, or preparing to molt and so be careful with respect to the latter, especially
How often should you be pouring water in the substrate? Should you mist daily alongside that? Great video :)
It just depends so much on the temperature in the home and the amount of ventilation. A slightly moist substrate on at least one side of the tank is recommended and often it's a game of trial and error to find the right amount to add, which itself can change based on temp and how often you open the tank, etc.
Beautiful video. Also have some european millipedes species in a terrarium. But this makes me happy to watch!
When I first came into the hobby in the 90's I traded a lot of phasmid material with EU breeders!
My Sonora millipede recently burrowed, and I can't find it! I specifically got it for handling and showing, are there any tricks for getting it to surface without hurting it?
In colder weather they'll sometimes do that. Many people offer a shallower substrate to the point the millipede can't easily hide from them. Of course, in nature they do seek the comfort of depth and so that is the ideal. I might guess it is molting since this isn't a cold time of year, but perhaps you live in the mountains of Colorado or something. Recently is a very vague term, too. I'd certainly not do any digging for up to 3 wks in case it is molting.
@@bugsincyberspace Thanks! I know that burrowing is pretty normal for a number of reasons. We're in Massachusetts, but the room is kept generally above 65, however there's a heat lamp on the enclosure. I guess I'll just wait and see! I've lost a previous millipede where she didn't make it through molting, so this one will be left well enough alone!
Would a 2.5 gallon tank be too small for two desert millipedes?
It's hard to imagine how those 2.5 gallons spread out as so many varieties of tanks come in that size, but I think it is safe to say that would be just fine.
I love setup videos! Keep making them!
I will definitely do that, Angela, assuming I don't accidentally drown myself while cleaning a tank at some point! 💦 😂
@@bugsincyberspace I hate when that happens! 😋
Subscribed awesome video thank you for sharing
Appreciate it, AGZ!
is a 5.5 gallon terrarium OK for a giant American millipede or is it too small
It's definitely a suitable size!
@@bugsincyberspace how about 2 subadults
What humidity and temperature levels do you keep these?
Hello, very new to the world of insects as pets. My son wants one and I asked that he find something native to North America,...this is what he chose. I have a question: If these millipedes are difficult to breed in captivity, how are they available for the pet trade? Are some people successfully breeding them, or are they gathered from the wild? Thanks so much.
This species has been in the hobby for several decades and kept in labs and with only a couple less than perfectly verifiable records have they ever been reproduced. They are wild caught in all cases. In wet weather, in areas they occur in, they emerge in vast numbers and across very wide areas. Fortunately they are rather long lived and so the market for them is rather small.
I’m not sure if you’ll respond to this being this video is older but what kind of fish food do you tend to feed them?
Still answering questions, and it's cichlid fish food pellets in this case. Thanks for your interest!
Also quick question, from what i know dead leaf mantises are carnivores, and my madagascan marbled has been doing amazing with gut loaded crickets, but i often see sites selling honey sticks for mantises. Do any of my 3 species (caribbean, malaysian, madagascan) need honey? Or will gutloaded flightless fruit flies be fine for the dead leafs and crickets for the marbled like ive been doing?
No mantises "need" honey in the same way people don't need it. It's just an option and they do enjoy it. However, there is no substitute for living prey when it comes to mantises. Honey is a treat, mainly. Sometimes a reluctant mantis will start to nibble at honey and then keepers are able to get the mantis to suddenly go for the prey they've been avoiding. Marbleds get big pretty quickly and so they are over an inch long, its probably time to upgrade to a larger feeder for them. Great questions and I'm sure lots of other will benefit by them. Thanks LaPR!
@@bugsincyberspace yeah my marbled had gotten pretty big, definitely 1.5 or more inches, i feed him large gutloaded crickets, about half to the full size of his abdomen, is that alright? If not should i upgrade to roaches? Also, i just setup 3 more bioactive terrariums, so i see that you have jeweled flower mantises and i want to order one, so i figure ill grab that and some isopods & springtails. Do you have more than 1 springtail pack in stock, and how many orders of Pill Bugs Armadillidium spp. (15 count) do you have, im looking to purchase 3
@@lapreptiles2755 Roaches can be a little scary for mantises because sometimes they make mantises sick but I use them sometimes too. Roaches seem never to make them sick but they are usually a little harder to source, of course. Shoot me an email about the things you want and I'll do an inventory check at that time on those low inventory items. I should have plenty of both. Thanks!
Nice video😃question if you've ever been sprayed by their fluids does it burn you and is it bearable when handling it?
It's a secretion similar to how you sweat when you are nervous. It is not at all uncommon for them to secrete on you if you handle them roughly. It is best if you let them crawl onto you and off of you, and don't sort of pinch them to pick them up, etc. It is generally advised that you do not allow the secretion to get in your eyes, nose or throat. I suppose an open cut could be added to that list. It does not burn the skin of people with normal skin.
@@bugsincyberspace ok sounds great thank you so much🥲😉
What size tank is this shown in the video?
5 gallon
These are so cool! if you end up seeing this - do you think that these millipedes could cohabitate with desert beetles like death feigning, darklings, or iron clad? would it be possible to create a moisture gradient big enough to keep them both healthy in a large tank? Thank you for making such informative content!!
I believe that would work out just fine and it's surprising I've not talked to anybody over the years that has given me any feedback on trying it out!
@@bugsincyberspace Thank you!! If I get around to setting it up I'll update this thread with the results :)
@@bugsincyberspace I recently bought both from you, and they seem to be chilling together in the same space well enough.
Anyone with a follow up on how this has gone? I really want to try this combo of desert inverts!
Thanks, awesome video, just found a fairly small one right by the ghost town of Ruby, AZ and I'm excited. I've been in Arizona for 23 years and this is only the second year I've seen them, the first time was like you mentioned about 20 years ago, the road was COVERED in adult. Also ended up seeing a Jerusalem Cricket which is also only the second I've ever seen.
I know Ruby and the area well and in fact if you look at the scenery/background image for my RUclips channel here, it was taken in Ruby. I'll be switching it out soon though and am not quite sure why I haven't. Perhaps I was just waiting for this moment of zero entropy. ;)
Spring rains is when most people seem to see the mass emergences, and most people don't go out at night.
@@bugsincyberspace Oh that's awesome! Long road to travel late at night, I was on the road for 200 miles yesterday and I'm in Tucson. 30-40 miles of washboard is a labor of love to be sure. I did see some cool things but not the green ratsnake I was hoping to check off the list.
@@ZeroEntropy. Oh, yeah. I once took that road all the way from Arivaca through Ruby and out to Hwy 19. That was a lonnnnng night. Did that on my first trip down. Not sure I'll ever do it again. Not sure I won't either! I think I saw the green snake once at Sycamore Canyon down there, but it's been so long and I might be imagining it since I don't record those moments in my brain like the bug ones. Still have yet to see a gila monster. Saw a ring-tailed cat which I didn't even know existed up until that moment. I thought it was a Cheshire lemur, no joke.
What are your thoughts on mixing calcium carbonate into the substrate or having a pile of it on top of the surface?
I've always mixed it into the substrate for millipedes and uniformly/evenly. They will consume the entire substrate eventually, through all the layers.
@@bugsincyberspace Very good point. It cannot hurt, right?
I just got 3 of these, really enjoying having them. one is them doesn't have antennae though. Are they different sexes or is one damaged? And would they grow back with moults?
Can you talk about their molting? I think mine is molting right now
That's very cool, Peter! Funny blooper, clean tank and beautiful millipedes! I have but one question, where's the cactus decoration?😊🤔
The best part of this question is that it gives me the opportunity to mention that it is believed that these millipedes are usually found around the moist root systems of plants in their native habitats, where they live before emerging in conjunction heavy rains. The whole video would have been better with a fake cactus and a more seasoned tank with noticeably drier substrate on the surface layer. At least you were able to see the cactus in your mind's eye.
@@bugsincyberspace I pictured it just as you described! It was, dare I say, so beautiful!😁
Could you use peat moss as a substrate?
You could though I would recommend it more as an ingredient since it is so loose and they would have trouble getting their footing in it, especially when it's on the drier side. Mix in some sand and soil, ideally.
@@bugsincyberspace Thanks! I had some on hand and was wondering if I could use it for them
Is it possible to cohab these guys with other millies I know they have different humidity requirements but I have seen other put them with ivories and some other species
Yes, it's no problem at all. Use a ten gallon tank or larger and keep one side more moist than the other by pouring some water into the substrate. These desert millipedes will spend time on both sides of the tank but they will have the option to choose the area of greatest comfort from moment to moment.
@@bugsincyberspace great thanks so much. I have a 10 gal set up already so I'll star adding friends
I think I found a sonoran in my bathroom here in colorado, its getting alittle cold... well its smaller than the black one and Im not 100% sure if its the one.
What size tank is this?
10 gallon
I know this is an old video, but i just got one of the gold verify. I have been wanting a milipede for a while and have done a lot of research but had never seen these kind, but she was at my local exotic pet store and i had to get her because she was very active compared to the others they had. She has been a dream hassent musked at all or anything she will climb on me all on her own and im surprised how social she is. But ive been having trouble finding info on thses kind of dryer milipedes, im glad i found this video
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Charlie and they are just one of the most solid pet millipede species in the history of the hobby. Happy keeping!
@@bugsincyberspace you have a great channel! I am amazed that a milipede will eat out of my hand!! Not what i was expecting im pleasantly surprised
@@charlieaddams5331 They are very gentle animals and definitely like a snack!
Bro was drowning the chocolate milipedes ☠️ Jp but fr tho, when I go to buy millipedes in the future, ur the first person imma go to!!
What kind of cage should I get for ivory millipede’s
I'd not recommend a heat lamp or heat pads for them, although a side mount one in temps under 70 might be advisable. Just depends on where you live and household temps. There is a millipede care sheet on my website (of the same name as this channel) and that should reflect everything you need to know for them.
@@bugsincyberspace thank u for the info what kind of tank do you have like what’s the spacing of it or where can I get one like it from
@@Joch2009 The one in the video is a 5 gallon glass fish aquarium like the kind you can find at a pet store. They offer lids too. Often you can find tanks super cheap on Craiglist, etc. There is a care sheet on my website that discusses other factors. You might check that out as it's a lot to paste in here. ;)
@@bugsincyberspace alright thanks for the info man
This isnt too bad, i was actually looking for some nice bug enclosures online and it amazes me how small the market for it is. Theres a few sites that sell small breeding box type enclosures, theres cricket keepers and food storage containers of course, but id love it if someone started producing nicer bug sealed enclosures with ventilation and a feeding latch. Antscanadas outworlds are nice, i have one of his hybrid nests, but theyre really pricey if you arent using it for ants specifically. Exo terra has a couple alright ones. There needs to be some nice 32-64oz crystal clear enclosures though. Its hard to find glass ones and im a bit too lazy to run around home depot looking for parts 😂
Agreed, all of it! I tried to inventory ET but they wouldn't ship their products to me because I don't have a store front. So, this is the last time you'll probably ever hear me mention them. ;) In any case, I've been dealing with multiple levels of reality with respect to this topic for years. I have featured some cool cages over the years but some of them go out of business, like the deco cubes I used to offer until 2 or so years ago. They were so great for many things. I see you just posted in the new contest thread and so I'll pop over there. Thanks LaPR!
@@bugsincyberspace My laziness might be my downfall here, i just realized, i have a 3d printer and i have a lot of experience with 3d modeling... I think when i have free time, im going to try to make & print a PET frame, and get some glass or very clear plastic to silicone into it. Ill try to figure out a nice lil design for it. If i can get it to work nice ill stick the STL files on thingiverse or something. Who knows, might be a fun project. Been a while since i busted my 3d printer out.
Hey Peter just bought a giant chocolate from you and was wondering what is the sand you use to mix with your substrate? I bought a bag from you for a 5 gallon tank and wanted to pick up some sand as well just to make sure my pede has enough burrow room!
Shouldn't matter too much really but I'd personally avoid the powdery hydrophobic sands that many pet stores sell and lean more into something a bit granular.
Thanks a bunch and please let me know if you have any other questions along the way!
@@bugsincyberspace Thank you Peter! You are a good man 😄
Would I be able to keep my ivory millipedes and my golds in a tank together
Is it ok to keep the brown and yellow varieties together like this?
Because if so I'd love to get some yellow ones to put in with my Sonorans.
Yep, Skyler! Their requirements are the same!
@@bugsincyberspace awesome! Thank you.
@@bugsincyberspace are there any other bugs that would be safe to keep with them? Like maybe isopods or darkling beetles?
Sorry to ask on here but this information is hard to find with a simple google search.
@@nonexistent608 I appreciate your interest and questions and am very happy to answer them here! I have never personally kept darklings with them but I don't see why you couldn't. It's actually blowing my mind that nobody has ever mentioned doing this before. Isopods are totally compatible, yes.
@@bugsincyberspace Awesome! Thank you so much. You are very helpful. :)
Do Texas golds need sand? And also should I buy a heat mat since the temp in my room is only 67
67 isn't too cold for them. I can't ever make a perfect answer on a heat pad question w/o seeing the tank including its size, substrate depth, etc. The concern is direct and radiant heat. Heat can potentially cause a lot more problems than temps in the 50's or 60's, especially if those temps are just seasonal.
They don't "need" sand but it's a pretty simple ingredient to source and offer as a common component of their substrate. It often helps substrates to retain their shape when animals burrow through them.
@@bugsincyberspace Thanks for the advice!
I have 3 questions.
1)I have a large plastic storage tubs and I was wandering, as long as I am on top of the watering, do I need a lid?
2) If I kept other species with these fellas, which ones would be best?
3) can I keep live plants n with them? I figured that their poop would help my plants grow and clean the tank better.
Hello ok so am not an expert but I can awnser number 3 so I wouldn't recommend live plants because they are capable of having a wee much and it can cause damage in the long run
But I would recommend for the poops spring tales NOT isopods
Those are really cool. I can't remember if you said it, but what are their temperature requirements? Does room temperatures work?
Room temperature is just fine and through the normal seasonal changes.
Can you please tell me the size of this aquarium? Or an ideal size?
It depends on how many millipedes you are keeping. The one in the video is a 5 gallon.
@@bugsincyberspacealrighty thank you!
@@volking6338 Anytime!
@@bugsincyberspace one more question. Do you know of any other cool insects or species that do well with golden millipedes?
@@volking6338 The brown form of the same species (called Sonoran or chocolate form, also in this video) can live with them just fine. It really depends on how often you add water to the tank and what is in the tank. I need to do a video on a moisture gradient tank where one side is kept more moist than another. In a tank like that you can keep both dry-loving and moisture-loving species together. It's helpful to put slabs of bark down on the moist side though, so that you can always have a micro-climate/micro-habitat for isopods or more moisture loving millipede species to retreat to if it's getting dry out on the surface. If you have any questions about specific insects, etc. feel free to ask!
How can u tell the difference between male and female golds
How do you breed Orthoporus ornatus and have you had any success?
I discuss this topic at length in the video, Alex. I appreciate your interest!
Yayy! Great video and super informative not only do I love that gold colour but I'm a transplant from Texas to WA so double meaning! I will have to put these guys on a list of to get pets! How many would you suggest to normally keep in a tank that size? I'm assuming not that many naturally?
Thanks a bunch, GC! There's a neat millipede called Tylobolus up here in the PNW that you might see if you go out and prowl around at night. As for quantity, it sort of depends on what size they are when you get them. I'd say 3 adults is a pretty solid number for a tank that size although you could run more. It also depends on the depth of substrate. Lots of people add in branches and such too and occasionally they are found in trees and bushes in the wild, lending them a bit of a reputation for being arboreal (to some degree). Basically, whatever you do to increase the surface area in terms of living space will also increase the number that can be reasonably kept in a given size of tank.
@@bugsincyberspace awesome! That sounds like an awesome display set up to work on! I'll have to do some hunting in the warmer months to see what's around me! I took an entomology class in college but we didn't find any millipedes but we didn't look at night which now that I think about would have helped lol
@@gingecharmander You can often find them by flipping logs and other ground cover during the day, but in late spring and fall when it is still somewhat warmish and especially if it rained for a bit you can find them out roaming as you walk around. Thanks for the great request and I'm in the process of uploading the contest results here, this evening!
@@bugsincyberspace exciting, thanks for the tip, just got the notification so I'm on to that video :)
How many can you put in a 5 gallon?
For adults of this species, given the depth of substrate you see in the video, it can still vary. I think 5 is a good number but some people will put in more or less based on what looks good in their eyes.
Was wondering got 2 of them last week one now look limp and dead for the last couple days but he still moves his little antenna so i guess hes not completely dead was wondering if that normal or if he's molting? usually I thought when they molt they go underground. I also keep low humidity at the surface and was wondering what you feed them?
Shoot me an email through my website of the same name with a photo of your setup and provide background info there on the full history of the situation. There is a possibility that your immobile one is molting but I'd like to see some photos so that you have the best answer to an important question.
@@bugsincyberspace Ok sounds also wondering, whats the best thing to feed hoffmannseggi? Mine don't like bug burger all that much
@@alexcontreras6103 My small group I simply offer the same I feed to all others. Crushed leaf litter, fish food pellets and little bits of fresh organic produce, as well as decaying wood. I keep them a bit drier than most people, probably.
@@bugsincyberspace Awesome I appreciate it, any specific brand of fish food?
@@alexcontreras6103 Try the cheap stuff! I like the smallest cichlid pellets I can find because individual isopods will carry them off to eat in peace.
can you keep ivory and desert millipedes together? (or other species?) the gold millipede is so beautiful
Yes you can, but because the gold millipedes like it drier than the ivories it's a good idea to wet down one side of the tank more than the other so that both species can find an area that makes them comfortable. Thanks CG!