Florida Scrub Millipede
Floridobolus penneri
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
A rare, chunky Florida-endemic round-back — critically imperiled in the wild, tied to sandy scrub habitat, so treat captive stock as conservation-sensitive. Unlike the moisture-loving giants, it comes from dry, high-sand soil, so use a sandier substrate and a drier, more ventilated setup (55-75% humidity, 70-85°F) with leaf litter and rotten wood. Research suggests it favors fungi and mushrooms over some plant matter. Slow to mature — patience required. Docile detritivore; wash hands after handling.
Taxonomy
Size & growth
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
Enclosure
Feeding
Times kept: 0