Giant African Millipede

Archispirostreptus gigas

MillipedebeginnerHarmlessCommunal OK

No venom, no sting

Millipedes don't bite or sting and have no venom. Many do secrete defensive chemicals when stressed, so wash your hands after handling and keep them away from your eyes and mouth.

Secretes benzoquinones

Stains skin brown for several days and stings badly in the eyes or on broken skin. Wash your hands after handling, don't rub your face, and keep it well away from small children.

About

The classic giant pet millipede — peaceful, long-lived, and communal. As a DETRITIVORE it eats decaying hardwood leaf litter and rotting wood (the substrate is its diet), supplemented with vegetables and a calcium source. No live prey. Harmless, though it can secrete a brown benzoquinone fluid when stressed — wash hands after handling.

Taxonomy

FamilySpirostreptidae

GenusArchispirostreptus

Native regionEast Africa

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentdocile

Size & growth

Adult size8-11 inches

Growth rateslow

Life stagesNo distinct stages

DevelopmentAnamorphic — gains segments with each moult

Millipedes molt underground in a small chamber and can stay buried for weeks. If yours has disappeared into the substrate, leave it be — digging it up mid-molt can kill it.

Climate

Temperature72–82°F

Humidity75–85%

Enclosure

Adult size18x12x12 inches

Substratedeep hardwood-leaf / coco / rotting wood mix; the substrate IS the food

Substrate depth6+ inches

Water dishOptional

Moisture gradientRequired — keep one end damp, one end dry

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Food & schedulecontinuous — supplement with veg + calcium (cuttlebone)

Supplemental calciumRequired — cuttlebone or a calcium powder

Times kept: 1 · Unverified community entry