# Miscellaneous Herp Interests > Invertebrates >  pics of Onyx..(WARNING...if a lotta legs creeps you out!)

## 4theSNAKElady

Onyx, my African Giant black millipede was active last night, so I took some fun shots. I have had a total of five of these guys, and besides the fact that they migh creep some people out, i think they make excellent,easy, low maintenance pets...even for kids.

closeup!...

in her cage...

on this closeup, you can see a little critter looks like a tick...It's a commensal mite, and all giant blacks have them crawling inbetween their legs. The mites are harmless; they actually serve as the millipede's own "clean-up crew", feasting on bits of food and dried feces(yum). 
...I looove my snakes, but creepy crawlies also fascinate me, as i have had several scorions, tarantulas, walking sticks,moths, etc,. over the years. I would highly recommend one of these guys to someone who wants an inexspensive, extremely low maintence pet that can live in a small space and doesn't require supplemental heating. You can evn hold em', they don't bite, and guess what??? they only eat veggies!!!! (yay no crickets!)

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## JLC

Hehe....thanks for the warning!  (You know it just made me want to look even more! LOL)  Well, whether I would ever want one for a pet or not, I must say those are fabulous pictures! That close-up shot of the legs is just amazing...even if it does creep me out some!  :Razz:  


How long do those usually live in captivity?

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## recycling goddess

oh i so need to get my kid one of these!

give us more details!!! are they toxic at all?

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## 4theSNAKElady

I am not exactly sure, because (beleive it or not) they are not as popular as many other invert pets, so the knowledge of their actual bios is still under reasearch...it has been reported however, of them being kept for nine years. My fave, Minion, died after five years, but she was big when I got her.I wanted to breed them, because they have neen bred in captivity, but it's extremely diffucult to find a male...the girls outnumber the guys 10 to 1!

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## 4theSNAKElady

As far as toxicity goes, the only thing you really have to worry about is this stuff they secrete when frightened....it looks and smells just like iodine, and basically all ya gotta do is just wash your hands. With experience, I have found that most millipedes stop doing this when they get used to frequent gentle handling.

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## tigerlily

I believe millipedes are completely harmless, and feed mostly on decaying plant material in the wild.  Whereas centipedes do have some venom involved and eat bugs.  If the legs are lateral to the body, then it's a centipede.  You can see the legs on the millipede are located directly under the body.  :Very Happy:

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## 4theSNAKElady

Right on tigerlily!!! I beleive as well, that they are completely harmless. I don't feed mine decaying stuff, but I'm sure they would eat it. Funny too, how some of them acquire tastes for certain things such as tomatoes and corn....i had one (Minion) that loooved chick peas!!! Strange thing is, i love chick peas too :Wink:

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## Melicious

That's actually kind of cute.  Centipedes?  Nuhuh.  That?  Cute.

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## tigerlily

Funny thing is, my son's school had the zoo doing presentations for Earth day yesterday.  He told me this morning about the little bugs that lived on them.  How weird.  I hate when my 6 year old shows me up.   :Embarassed:   :I'm slow:

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## recycling goddess

oh how cool... i'm gonna check this out and see if i can find one for her. my 7 yr old is soooo into bugs!

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## 4theSNAKElady

rec g, look no further than your local Petco or reptile show. You can get one for about 10-$15. If you don't mind shopping at your local Petco, one can be apec. ordered for you if they don't have any in stock. Setup for these guys is quite simple, a tank,tub,or critter keeper will do. A small(shoebox size) tub i have found works the best, with just small holes drilled. They like it moist, so that's why I think the tub works best. I use forest bed or peat for the substrate, with a half log or two(to chew on) and a small cave hide to curl up in. For food, all kinds of leafy greens are accepted,baby ears of corn, squash,peas,tomatoes,chick peas,and broccoli are good choices.(RAW) One thing to keep in mind though, unlike our snakey friends, they like it cool. So, if your herp room is on the toasty side, your little many legged friend won't be very comfortable.

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## recycling goddess

i live in canada... we don't have petco LOL 

but i will look around  :Smile:

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## 4theSNAKElady

Oooops! sorry about that!!! forgot to look at ur locale.....anyway, good luck with finding one, you won't be dissappointed with the wow factor on these critters...kids love em'!

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## recycling goddess

cooool. i'm going to talk to the reptile queen at my local petstore tomorrow.

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## JLC

> ...it has been reported however, of them being kept for nine years....


 :Surprised:  Holy Schmoly!  That's a LONG time for a _bug_!! (Even if it is a _big_ bug! LOL)

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## Kara

Oooooh!!!!!!!!!!!  SWEET PEDE!!!!!!!!!!!    :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:  

They are *so* easy to breed, too, if you ever get the notion...and do extremely well in planted vivariums!  I used to have a big colony of them, prior to moving North...fantastic bugs & just so much fun!

And they luuuuuurve cucumbers, to boot. You know, which is a sign of eternal coolness.   Or something along those lines. 

Fab pics - thanks for posting them!!!!  

K~

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## Schlyne

> Holy Schmoly!  That's a LONG time for a _bug_!! (Even if it is a _big_ bug! LOL)


Nah....mexican red knee tarnatulas have been known to go 30+  :Smile: 

Nice pede.  I had pedes for a while, but I just wasn't as interested in them.

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## 4theSNAKElady

yes, schlyne, tarantulas do live a very long time, but i wouldn't consider them bugs....more like arachnids....some people class them together into one category of 'bugs' when "loosely" speaking of things with more than 4 legs, but me, I cinsider them to be totally different, as i have a chilean RH, and I just love her! she is a great spider.

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## Blu Mongoose

Yes, we now have Phillip!! I guess you know this is all your fault!  :Razz:  Kelly saw your great pics of your kid and LO & BEHOLD, the next time we went for pet supplies there was Phillip. Funny I never noticed him being there before!!! The LAST THING I thought she would want. :Surprised:   She loves him!! :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:

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## recycling goddess

congrats on your new... baby!!!

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## Smulkin

Sweet lookin fella there!

Do they dine mainly on the veggies or take an occasional  :Cricket: ?

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## Angel deMarco

wow! those are some awsome photographs. I'm curious, do those mites that live on them find them or do they grow on them somehow? just curious how that works because it would be wierd thinking that those guys are all over looking for a host.

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## 4theSNAKElady

No. They never take crickets ...strictly vegan (lol i love sayin that word!!) .As far as how they acquire the commensal mites, I'm not exactly sure. Blu, congrats!...and hey, I didn't make you do nuthin'.. :Razz:  ..heh heh...aren't they great though??!!!!   I'm sure you will enjoy having Phillip. PS-try giving him a chick pea and see what happens  :Wink:

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## Blu Mongoose

What is there he doesn't like!!?? Never saw anything so small spend so much time eating!! :Surprised:   He is just fascinating to watch.It blew me away when Kelly asked for him!!I did learn however not to set him on clothes, lil bugger was hard to remove. Had to let him walk off.   Your pics of Onyx are dynamite!!! :Dancin' Banana:

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## 4theSNAKElady

Thanks Blu......you should post pics of Phillip!!!! Oh, and by the way...R U sure he is a he???? :Giggle:  the girls do out number the guys 10 to 1.....

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## JLC

> Thanks Blu......you should post pics of Phillip!!!! Oh, and by the way...R U sure he is a he???? the girls do out number the guys 10 to 1.....


That begs the questions: Is there a way to tell males from females?  Any visual differences?

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## 4theSNAKElady

Actually JLC, there is a way.....when you compare them side by side, the feamle is noticably different than the male. The six years I worked at the pet store,as well as numerous reptile shows, I was only able to come across one male.....unfortunately he passed away  :Sad: . Howeever, the sure way to tell is to count back seven segments starting at the head...at the seventh segment, there will be a continuous pair of legs like the other segments for a female. On the male, there is an empty gap and no legs, but instead a folded pair of (cyphopods?? gynopods??) I forgot what they were called. It is most noticeable when the male is viewed from the side of if you can get him to stretch out when holding him and turn him over on his back for a quick peek. I actually caught him and my female gettin' it on once, but unfortunately lost him.... :Sad:  so was unable to have any baby millies.Still llokin for a new man for Onyx though......

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## JLC

That is very cool to know!  It's weird....because these things still give me the willies...big time.  And yet...the more I read here, the more fascinating they become......

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## recycling goddess

that's how the addiction gets you judy. i started just reading up on snakes... now i have 5... decided to learn about tarantulas... now i have 10...

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## JLC

> that's how the addiction gets you judy. i started just reading up on snakes... now i have 5... decided to learn about tarantulas... now i have 10...


LOL...I guess I should stop reading about them then!   :Wink:   :Razz:   Most likely though....it'll get added to my ever-increasing list of "someday" pets.

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## recycling goddess

see i don't have a list like that... i have the 'i want it now' list... and it always seems to be empty  :Surprised:

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## 4theSNAKElady

yeah, because look at your already have list!!!!!!!

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## recycling goddess

i know i know *hangs head*






*peaks out* and grins!!!

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## Blu Mongoose

He is a she but Kelly likes the name Phillip. We are up to 23 assorted friends here and would love to have more. :Very Happy:   But everyone must have the best of care, that involves so much time. :Sad:   No wonder I feel so old.

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