Archispirostreptus gigas, commonly known as the Giant African Millipede, is a captivating invertebrate popular among zoos, educational institutions, and hobbyists. Known for being the largest of the millipede species, reaching impressive lengths of 10-14 inches, these creatures are relatively easy to care for and handle, making them ideal for beginners. This article delves into the specifics of their diet, housing, and overall care to ensure their well-being in captivity.
Natural Habitat and Role
These millipedes naturally inhabit the subtropical rainforests of Africa, where they thrive as detritivores. As detritivores, they play a critical role in their ecosystem by feeding on dead and decaying matter such as leaves, wood, and fruits found on the forest floor. They clean up rotten and decaying matter, and in turn, their waste becomes new soil for the rainforest.
Diet in the Wild
In their natural habitat, African giant millipedes are decomposers, consuming rotting leaf litter, fruits, and vegetables they find on the ground. Neonate millipedes are coprophagous, meaning they consume the dung of adults, which provides them with pre-digested food and essential nutrients for their early development.
Captive Diet
Traditionally, captive African giant millipedes are fed lettuce, apples, potatoes, oranges, cucumbers, and grapes. However, a more holistic approach emphasizes creating a substrate that serves as the primary food source, supplemented with occasional fresh food items.
Recommended Substrate Composition
The ideal food substrate consists of:
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- 25% high-quality compost
- 25% coco fiber
- 50% crushed leaf litter (oak is preferable, limit pine needles)
This layer should be approximately 6 inches deep, topped with a 2-inch layer of crushed leaf litter and rotting wood from non-pine trees, soft enough to dig into with a fingernail.
Sterilization and Supplementation
All substrates should be sterilized to eliminate potential pests and pathogens by drying in the oven or microwaving while moist. Chalk and/or a vitamin/mineral supplement should be added to the substrate mix.
Supplemental Feeding Schedule
Supplemental foods should be offered once weekly initially, scaling back if not consumed vigorously. Keep the substrate moist but not saturated, and add more substrate/food layer monthly to maintain a continuous food source.
Produce Rotation Examples
Various institutions utilize different produce rotations to ensure a balanced diet:
- Blank Park Zoo: Sweet potato, carrot, cucumbers, apple, pear, romaine leaves (replaced as needed, about 3 times per week).
- Akron Zoo: Greens, apples, sweet potato (replaced MWF), dusted with calcium powder.
- Santa Ana Zoo: Spinach, romaine, carrots, sliced yams, broccoli, apple, banana peel.
- Columbian Park Zoo: Green peppers, squash, green beans, pumpkin, peas, sweet potato, carrots, collard greens, grape leaves, mustard greens, turnip greens (given MWF), dusted with calcium powder.
- North Carolina Zoo: Sweet potato, apples, lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, oak leaves (switched out once weekly).
Housing
Enclosure Size
The recommended enclosure size for a giant millipede is 36”L x 18”W x 18”H, or about a 40-gallon tank. However, larger enclosures are preferable as long as the space is well-cluttered. Housing multiple millipedes in the same terrarium is possible, but keeping only one per enclosure is best if breeding is not desired.
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Substrate
A deep substrate is essential for housing A. gigas properly. The general rule of thumb for millipede keeping is to have a substrate no less than the length of your millipede. Since they get such a large size, it is suggested no less than 12” deep. Preferably you want 14” or more. The substrate should be full of decomposing wood, leaf litter, and other organic matter with NO COCONUT COIR. You also want a thick leaf layer (1.5”-2”) on the surface. The combination of substrate depth and leaf layer will play a big role in maintaining adequate moisture for the millipedes during cycling.
Temperature and Humidity
Giant millipedes should be kept around 70°F-75°F. As a tropical species, giant millipedes do best with humidity levels between 70-80% during the day and higher at night. One of the best ways to do this is keeping the substrate appropriately damp. Simply pour water into 1/3 of the substrate until it’s moist, but not saturated or swampy. This gives the millipedes options of dampness levels they can be in.
Décor
Décor isn’t too important to millipedes, but it does add variety and makes the enclosure look nice. It also gives the millipede things to hide under, which is important to their wellbeing.
Environmental Cycling for Breeding
To successfully breed Archispirostreptus gigas, mimicking their natural environment is crucial. These millipedes come from the forests of East Africa, experiencing wet and dry seasons.
Substrate and Ventilation
To house A. gigas properly to attempt cycling your animals you must ensure you have a deep substrate. The general rule of thumb for millipede keeping is to have a substrate no less than your millipede is long. Since they get such a large size, I suggest no less than 12” deep. Preferably you want 14” or more. The substrate should be full of decomposing wood, leaf litter, and other organic matter with NO COCONUT COIR. You also want a thick leaf layer (1.5”-2”) on the surface. The combination of substrate depth and leaf layer will play a big role in maintaining adequate moisture for the millipedes during cycling. They do need a good amount of ventilation and shouldn't have a constant high level of humidity.
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Diet During Cycling
At least 80% of a millipede's diet is the substrate. The reason I stress no coconut coir in the substrate is because it has been known to cause impaction which will lead to death of your animal. Ideally you’d want to use flake soil as your substrate or at least as the base of your substrate. Flake soil is fermented wood that has been allowed to break down long enough that millipedes can consume and extract the nutrients from. Without the wood being broken down, your millipede simply cannot digest it. You can mix it with plain top soil to stretch it out and fill large tubs, or use the top soil by itself. Whichever route you choose you will need to mix in decaying wood and leaf litter into it as well (even more if you use just top soil by itself). Fruits and veggies can be given every other week and should be seen as treats really. Yes your millipede loves cucumber, just like you love pizza. We all know it’s not good for us but we eat it anyway. Same thing with the millipede. Protein should be given once a week, or even twice depending on the size of the millipede and species. Unlike isopods and some other invertebrates, the exoskeleton of a millipede is made up of protein not calcium. Millipedes do need calcium but not all that much. If you offer things like fish flake, freeze dried minnows, or f/t pinkie mice as your protein source then that’ll provide all the calcium they need.
Wet Season Simulation
For the wet seasons I keep the day time temperature between 72-75°F (22-24°C) and allow the night temperature to get as low 70°F (21°C). Mist every day 1-2x a day for 3 months. This may seem like a lot but remember we want them to think there will be lots of vegetation and decay for them to feed on. Use your judgement when misting. You don't want the substrate absolutely saturated, but you don't want the top to totally dry out. This may take some trial and error. I would suggest setting up an empty tub and make sure you have your misting dialed in if you do not have experience with cycling animals before.
Dry Season Simulation
For the dry seasons I keep the day time temperature between 80-82°F (26-28°C) and let it get no lower than 75°F (24°C) for night time. Mist once lightly the first month, a heavy misting once during the second month, and once again a light misting the third month. That's all. Depth of substrate is absolutely vital during the dry season since it can be very easy to allow the tub to get too dry. Again, I suggest doing a test run with an empty tub for the inexperienced.
Breeding
During the period in between the wet and dry the female will dig down into the substrate to lay her eggs. This gives the eggs time to develop and hatch just as the wet season is approaching. The babies grow extremely slow and take around 5 years to reach sexual maturity.
Handling
Millipedes should be handled over smooth, monolithic surfaces (concrete, tile, table, tarp). Individuals are only handled if they are on top of the substrate, do not dig individuals up if buried.
Handling Protocols
- Can be presented in hand or in a terrarium.
- If millipede secretes fluid, individual must be returned to carrier/enclosure as soon as possible.
- Individuals should not be held for more than 20 minutes at a time, no time limit if in terrarium.
People with skin sensitivities should be aware that millipedes can secrete a liquid that can be irritating. This also may be a sign that the animal is stressed so it may be good to discontinue handling with that particular animal if that occurs.
Public Interaction
- May allow touching if audience number is below 30: 1-finger touch rule down the individual’s back.
- Public may touch with one finger along back.
- Guests may touch if the audience number is below 50.
- Millipede is held in hand to show audience how they move, but placed back in travel box to walk through audience for a closer look. Guests may touch if audience number is below 30.
Handling millipedes seems to shorten their lifespan so plan on rotating animals used for programs so no specific animal is handled excessively. You can temporarily mark millipedes for individual identification with a dot of nail polish. This will only last until the next molt though so it is not a long term method. To allow the dot time to dry have the millipede walk around on your hand. Alternatively, you set up different tanks of millipedes and only use animals from certain tanks on certain days of the week in order to even out handling across multiple animals.
Transportation
Millipedes cannot survive falls or drops, even from short distances of a few inches.
Transport Guidelines
- Only travel with one individual at a time.
- Transported in plastic container with clasping lid.
- No substrate in the carrier. Use paper towel in bottom of the carrier misted with dechlorinated water.
- Individual carrier is transported in a cooler for secondary containment.
- May use towel to provide cushion so that carrier does not slide around in cooler.
- May take 3 millipedes at one time, only select millipedes that are on top of the soil.
- Dampened paper towel for substrate in carrier.
Common Issues
Mites
Mites are frequently seen on millipedes, and it is not yet known if the mites are commensal or parasitic. The best current rule of thumb is to not let get mite populations get too large. Mites can be controlled by substrate sterilization and substrate changes as needed.
Coffin Flies
Ray Mendez has noted that you must vigorously protect these millipedes from coffin (phorid) flies. They look somewhat like fruit flies but have a humped back and tend to walk more than fly. They have caused damage and possibly death by laying eggs in the body of the millipede which hatch out into maggots and cause a long slow decline and subsequent death of the millipede.
Breeding Habits
Millipedes will breed opportunistically. Male and female will wrap/wind around each other for breeding. Females will bury themselves and lay their eggs below the surface.
Reproduction
- Can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.
- Eggs hatch after about 3 months.
- Once they hatch, there is no parental care.
- Newly hatched young will often times eat fecal matter from the adults and transition to the produce as they get bigger.
- They are very small (only a couple segments long) and white in color when first hatched.
- Slowly turn from white to the dark brown/black color with each molt over the first couple years.
- Depending on how many juveniles you have, you may need to add more substrate or create a separate enclosure once they start to get bigger to avoid overpopulation in your colony.
- They reach maturity around 3 years of age.
Additional Considerations
Conservation
They come from the rainforests of Africa where they are thriving. However, there are several rainforests and other species of animals that are suffering due to habitat destruction and illegal wildlife trade. Being that they are detritivores, they play an important role within their ecosystem. They clean up rotten and decaying matter and in turn, their waste becomes new soil for the rainforest. These millipedes are nocturnal animals, coming out to explore and search for food at night. They are invertebrates, containing an exoskeleton made of keratin. Inside, they have organs and muscles just like any other animal and human does. They do not have lungs. Despite their name “milli” associating them with having 1,000 legs, they typically only have around 300 legs once fully grown. They have 4 legs per body segment; two on each side compared to centipedes that have 2 legs per segment. Each time they molt, they grow another segment. They are the largest of the 10,000 different millipede species, getting up to 12 inches long at full growth. They are not venomous. Their first defense is to coil up tightly into a spiral. They may also secrete a foul smelling and tasting fluid that deters predators. People with sensitive skin should avoid handling unless wearing gloves. The millipedes can secrete a toxin if stressed and can irritate sensitive skin.
Acquisition
USDA has an embargo on Giant African millipede imports, so it is difficult to acquire this species in the United States. A number of institutions are trying to captive breed this species due to this difficulty. Seneca Park Zoo has had success purchasing millipedes from Wards Natural Science in Rochester, NY. They are a national supplier of science materials for schools, so they will ship across the country if need be. or similar) that can be used in the same programs. To hold this species, an institution must apply for a USDA APHIS plant pest permit, or amend an established permit to include this species.
tags: #archispirostreptus #gigas #diet #and #care