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  • #1

    Millipede

    i've a giant millipede who i think is on the way out. i decided to wash her off today, as she was dirty, and i wanted a better look at her. she'd been very sluggish and not eating from what i've seen lately.
    when i went to wash her off, i noticed in the last sections of her body, there were little maggots around her legs, and her legs seemed dead. also her normally active defense mechanism seemed to either be not working or she couldn't be bothered. when i submerged the area, loads of maggots came out, seeking air. i held this part of her under til they stopped emerging, and then tried to hand feed her. she seemed to take a few bites from the tomato i offered.
    she left smelly, rusty stains all over my hand, which also seems weird.
    anyone have any experience with this?
    i'd love to save her, and i suspect this sort of thing is what killed her former tank mates.
    is there hope?
    Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
    -Martin Luther King Jr.

    <-Black Metal Contra Mundum->
    My Collection: - Support captive breeding
    Tags: millipede
  • #2
    Eeek...and awwww...that doesn't sound too good James...could they be scuttle fly maggots?

    I can't think of anything to help you with this one. Sorry matey...you have my sympathies though. *hugs*

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    • #3
      yeah, i'd assume they were scuttle fly maggots...next time i'm home properly i'll give her another bath to see if any more come out.
      she did seem slightly able to move the lower sections, but all her movement was sluggish.
      and i still have these horrid rusty stains on my hand!
      poor thing!
      Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
      -Martin Luther King Jr.

      <-Black Metal Contra Mundum->
      My Collection: - Support captive breeding

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      • #4
        Originally posted by James Box View Post
        and i still have these horrid rusty stains on my hand!
        poor thing!

        Is that not what millipedes squirt out, brown liquid contains cyanide doesn't it?

        Anyway bust of luck with your millipede. Try not to kill of the symbiotic mites with all that bathing...

        Regards
        Mark

        ------------------------------------------------------
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        • #5
          Sorry for the mild diversion but...

          Originally posted by Mark Pennell View Post

          Anyway bust of luck with your millipede. Try not to kill of the symbiotic mites with all that bathing...
          k
          are they really symbiotic? I was helping out with some animal handling over the weekend and the millies were crawling with them, I thought it was a sign the tank needed cleaning out, but if they are good mites then great!
          See my new blog about Bristol's bug life: Bristol Loves Bugs

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Mark Pennell View Post
            Is that not what millipedes squirt out, brown liquid contains cyanide doesn't it?

            Anyway bust of luck with your millipede. Try not to kill of the symbiotic mites with all that bathing...

            Regards
            Mark
            they do in fact squirt out horrid stuff out the back end. i don't know if it contains cyanide, but i've heard it's slightly acidic for some species.
            helper mites...they used to have them! but i didn't see a single one on her...maybe that's why the phorids got a foothold? crazy...
            thanks for the best wishes! i'm not too hopeful, and i'm going to get quite sick of rusty-coloured hands that smell odd quite soon... lol

            Originally posted by Mark Pajak View Post
            Sorry for the mild diversion but...

            Quote:
            Originally Posted by Mark Pennell

            Anyway bust of luck with your millipede. Try not to kill of the symbiotic mites with all that bathing...
            k

            are they really symbiotic? I was helping out with some animal handling over the weekend and the millies were crawling with them, I thought it was a sign the tank needed cleaning out, but if they are good mites then great!
            they are indeed symbiotic, but at a certain point they become a nuisance and you may see your millies freaking out a bit over them.
            i'm not sure why i saw zero mites on her...i did go on a bit of a mite cull ages ago...maybe i went too far, but hard to believe i got them all, not when at the time she had 4 tank mates, all with mites! maybe something else preyed on the mites, leaving the way open for phorid larvae.
            at any rate, the best i can do is attempt to keep her alive til i can get more milli's, hopefully crawling with helper mites!
            Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
            -Martin Luther King Jr.

            <-Black Metal Contra Mundum->
            My Collection: - Support captive breeding

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            • #7
              Little brown mites are termed as 'helper mites' and are really highly adventageous for the millipede to have.
              A lot of people have cleansed their milipede so as to have non and the milipede has become succeptable to fungal growths around the 'breather holes' and mouth parts.
              If there's a healthy supply then there's no problems as the mites will eat any eggs that are layed on the slow moving animal.
              Helper mites can (if the animal becomes infested) be a problem and cause great anoyance and agrovation.
              The brown liquid does in fact contain a cyanide dyrivetive and is their second line of defence (after rolling into a ball)
              The flies may not have been phorid but the small fruit flies that occur, after all the milipede is walking around all day in mouldy veg and bits of it's own faeces. the flies normall lay their eggs around the 'breather holes' and the maggots would take up residence in there as its the warmest dampest place - ideal for the maggot- bad for the milipede as it will clog up the air intake.
              Don't forget to learn what you can, when you can, where you can.



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              • #8
                i thought the maggots were a bit large for phorids, but due to the number of phorids i've been battling, i assumed i just got the size wrong.
                perhaps the mites are all dead, and that's the problem.

                this brown stain didn't come out the backend, but rubbed off the actual body, that's the strange thing. pretty disgusting and i hope it washes off soon...looks like i've drawn all over my hand with a brown marker!
                Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
                -Martin Luther King Jr.

                <-Black Metal Contra Mundum->
                My Collection: - Support captive breeding

                Comment

                • #9
                  The brown fluid may be smeared over the body of the milipede as it has rolled around in it due to being irritated by the maggots.
                  sounds like the stuff though, it does affect your skin non unlike a caustic solution
                  Don't forget to learn what you can, when you can, where you can.



                  Please Support CB Grammostola :- Act Now To Secure The Future

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                  • #10
                    ah that makes sense. thanks!
                    i think i'll be burying the poor thing tomorrow...doesn't look like it's made it
                    oh well...it was rather large, so chances are it had its good innings.

                    well, i'll attempt the ecosystem with frogs etc next time, so a few months to get a set up done before i start buying the animals.
                    Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
                    -Martin Luther King Jr.

                    <-Black Metal Contra Mundum->
                    My Collection: - Support captive breeding

                    Comment

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