Firehead Millipede

Spirostreptus servatius

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

A large African millipede, dark olive-black with a contrasting reddish head ('fire head'). Hardy and beginner-friendly like other giant African species: damp (not waterlogged) deep substrate of coco/soil, leaf litter, and rotting wood, 70-80% humidity, room warmth, and a calcium source. Detritivore. Harmless; secretes a mild defensive fluid — wash hands after handling. (Also placed in Analocostreptus.)

Taxonomy

FamilySpirostreptidae

GenusSpirostreptus

Native regionEast Africa (Tanzania)

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentdocile, hardy

Size & growth

Adult sizeup to 8 inches (20 cm)

Body length5.91–7.87 in

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

Humidity70–80%

Enclosure

Adult sizeterrestrial tank with deep substrate; good ventilation

Substratedeep coco/soil + decaying hardwood leaf litter & rotten wood; add calcium (cuttlebone)

Substrate depth4-6 inches

Water dishOptional

Moisture gradientRequired — keep one end damp, one end dry

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Food & schedulecontinuous — leaf litter, decaying hardwood, veg + calcium

Supplemental calciumRequired — cuttlebone or a calcium powder

Times kept: 0