Depending on the particular millipede species, their list of diet includes:
- Tree bark
- Decaying plant fescue
- Plant materials, including leaves or buds
- Decaying carcasses
- Other bugs
- Fungi or mushrooms
- Fruits
- Veggies
- Moss
- Algae
What do millipedes eat as a pet?
What do pet millipedes eat? In captivity, they can be fed a variety of vegetables and fruits, cut into small pieces. Softer vegetables and fruits are best; try leaf lettuce, cucumber (reported to be a favorite food of millipedes), tomatoes, melon, peaches, and bananas.
What do plants do millipedes like to eat?
What Plants are Impacted by Millipedes
- Strawberries
- Melons
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Onions
Does a millipede eat meat?
When it comes to what millipedes eat, they focus more on feeding on decaying matter. This could be rotting flesh, plants, dead insects, and sometimes small plants. Millipedes tend to curl up in a ball as a defensive mechanism against predators and can even secrete defensive juices to protect themselves and ward off predators as well.
What are some predators for millipedes?
- Penicillata, which has a soft body with bristles along their sides (1 order)
- Arthropleuridea, which is now extinct and is believed to have breathed through gills (3 orders)
- Chilognatha, which is divided into two infraclasses that included short-bodied millipedes and millipedes that look fairly similar to the worm
What food do millipedes eat?
In their natural habitat, most millipedes are scavengers. They eat damp or decaying wood particles. They also eat decaying leaves and other plant material. If their habitat starts to dry out, millipedes will attack living plants.
What should I feed my pet millipede?
The herbivorous millipede will happily munch on almost any fruit or vegetable you offer, although they do have favorites. They also require calcium in their diets in order to molt and grow properly. You'll need to know how to prepare their food, how to supplement their diet with calcium, and how often to feed them.
What do millipede eat and drink?
Millipedes generally feed on decaying plants and organic matter in the soil. They consume saplings, seedlings, flowers, buds, leaves, stalks, roots, wood, and leaf and plant fluids.
Do millipedes need a water dish?
Millipedes will drink from standing water – some people provide them with a small water bowl. But misting, providing a moist substrate, and providing fresh food will keep them hydrated.
Do millipedes eat lettuce?
Millipedes like to eat vegetables and fruits such as romaine lettuce, squash, carrots, apples, cucumber, melon slices and bananas that are sliced or peeled to accommodate their weak mouthparts.
Does millipede drink water?
Although millipedes will gain much of the moisture that they need from their food, they will still drink from a water bowl. This should be shallow so that there is no danger of drowning and should be kept fresh at all times.
Do millipedes eat human food?
Millipedes will sometimes search out and eat earthworms, snails and other insects. Q: DO MILLIPEDES EAT ANYTHING HUMANS EAT? A: Maybe.
Is it safe to hold a millipede?
It is not advisable to handle millipedes with your bare hands. Persons handling millipedes may also notice a lingering odor on their hands. After contact with millipedes, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water until the odor is gone. The solvents ether or alcohol will also help remove the noxious fluid.
Do millipedes eat potatoes?
Populations of millipedes regulate themselves, though they have been known to eat potatoes and other root crops when too many were present. These are long-lived creatures that often live for several years.
How do I feed my millipedes calcium?
These can be given by adding a few flakes of fish food or rabbit pellets each week. Calcium is very important in the diet and this should be given in the form of cuttlefish, which is usually given to aviary birds. Water should not be necessary unless you are keeping the cage fairly dry.
How long do millipedes live in captivity?
There's no clear consensus of millipede lifespans in the wild, but those kept in captivity can live up to 10 years. That lifespan, along with ease of care means that millipedes are considered a good pet for “insect” lovers.
How do you keep a giant millipede as a pet?
Giant millipedes need a secure aquarium tank with a warm light source and regulated humidity. They eat easy-to-find vegetables, and they generally don't mind being handled. Just make sure to wash your hands after handling a millipede because it can emit a toxic substance from its body when alarmed.
How many legs does a millipede have?
The number of legs varies by species, but most have approximately 300 legs.
What do millipedes eat?
Millipedes like to eat vegetables and fruits such as romaine lettuce, squash, carrots, apples, cucumber, melon slices and bananas that are sliced o...
What is a millipede?
A millipede is an arthropod, an invertebrate animal of the large phylum Arthropoda
How long do millipedes live?
A millipede can live up to 11 years with proper care.
How does a millipede drink water?
Millipedes get a majority of their water from the fresh fruits and veggies that they eat, but their cuticle is also somewhat water permeable and wi...
How to keep millipedes from drowning?
Discard uneaten vegetables and fruits each morning. Water - Always have a shallow dish of chlorine free water available ; place a sponge or stones in the dish to keep the millipede from drowning; if a sponge is used in the dish it must be replaced often due to bacteria growth.
How many legs does a millipede have?
Millipede. narceus americanus. The millipede’s name means "thousand-legger", which is what they appear to be. Millipedes actually have only 200 to 300 legs and at least four eyes. They are gentle and easy to handle, sleep during the day and come out in the evening to eat.
What is the best diet for a swollen mouth?
Diet. A well-balanced diet consists of: Vegetables and fruit,such as romaine lettuce,squash, melon slices and bananas; avoid iceberg lettuce because it does not provide enough nourishment. Apples and cucumbers are favorites but everything must be sliced or peeled due to their weak mouthparts. Ground cuttlebone will supply needed lime salts.
Do millipedes bite?
Normal Behavior. Generally easy to handle; millipedes don’t bite, move slowly and have tough shells. Nocturnal (active at night). When feeling threatened, they curl up into a tight spiral with their shells to the outside to protect themselves and may secrete a foul-smelling and -tasting fluid meant to repel predators.
How to care for millipedes?
The key to caring for millipedes successfully is to provide them with the appropriate habitat. Millipedes require ample floor space, while the height of the terrarium is less important. You can use a number of different materials for the substrate. An appropriate water source for your millipede is important as well.
Where do millipedes come from?
Most large millipedes you can purchase from pet stores or science catalogs come from the tropics. They require a higher temperature and humidity level than other arthropods commonly kept as pets. All pet millipedes need adequate moisture, which means you must use a proper substrate and mist the terrarium regularly.
What is an African giant millipede?
An African giant millipede, is a popular arthropod pet. Ants. Bees, & Wasps. Debbie Hadley is a science educator with 25 years of experience who has written on science topics for over a decade. If you've never cared for an arthropod pet before, a millipede is a good first choice. Millipedes are herbivorous, so they are easy and inexpensive to feed.
Do millipedes eat fruit?
The herbivorous millipede will happily munch on almost any fruit or vegetable you offer, although they do have favorites. They also require calcium in their diets in order to molt and grow properly. You'll need to know how to prepare their food, how to supplement their diet with calcium, and how often to feed them.
Can you find millipedes at a pet store?
In general, millipedes have few health issues, and you're unlikely to find sickly millipedes at your local pet store. Still, it's good to know how to recognize an unhealthy millipede before you make a purchase, so you can avoid problems once you bring one home.
Do millipedes feel nervous?
Even a millipede can feel nervous! You should always strive to keep your millipede feeling secure and comfortable, even when you are handling it. It's also important to know how millipedes defend themselves, in the event your pet millipede does feel threatened in your hands.
