Yellow-Spotted Millipede

Common Name: Yellow-Spotted Millipede

 

Also known as: Almond-Scented Millipede or Cyanide Millipede

 

Latin name: Harpaphe haydeniana

 
Distribution:

 

The Yellow-Spotted Millipede is commonly found in the moist forests along the Pacific coast of North America, ranging from California to British Columbia and all the way up to Alaska.

 

Size:

 

On average, the Yellow-Spotted Millipede will grow to an adult length of 4-5 cm. Compared to other species of millipedes available, these are quite small and as such make an ideal exotic pet for those lacking space.

           
Life span:

 

Yellow-Spotted Millipedes will usually live for 2-3 years. However, due to the fact that there has been relatively little research into  millipedes, its is often difficult to successfully age them, especially when they have been wild caught, as such you may find this particular species can live much longer and may even reach ages of 7+ years.

 

General appearance:

The Yellow-Spotted Millipede is often considered a very beautiful species due to their striking warning colouration. They have a smooth black body which is distinctively marked along the sides with patches of yellow. Females and males are almost identical, except for their number of legs. Female Yellow-Spotted millipedes have 31 pairs of legs, while males only have 30 pairs. This difference is due to one pair of legs on the 7th segment of the males body, being modified to form the gonopods which is used for sperm transfer.

           
Enclosure:

 

With most millipedes you will require an enclosure which is as wide and twice as long your pet millipede. So in order to provide adequate space for your Yellow-Spotted Millipede you will need a tank roughly 4 x 6 inches. As this is such a small container, you may struggle to decorate it and make it visually appealing. If this is the case you may wish to consider using a slightly larger faunarium which will provide an excellent sized home for your pet millipede.

Temperature:

Yellow-Spotted Millipedes originate from a Mediterranean climate and as such will most likely need an external heat source to keep them happy. You should aim to provide a daytime temperature of between 72-80F and allowing a slight drop of no more than 10F at night, keeping them between 65-70F.

 

Humidity:

Humidity is an important aspect to keeping pet millipedes as they desiccate quickly if conditions are too dry. Yellow-Spotted Millipedes will need to be kept as humidity’s of around 75-80% which can be easily maintained by lightly misting their vivarium and substrate a few times a week.

 

Heat/Light:

 

The best way to heat your heat your Yellow-Spotted Millipede's enclosure is through the use of a heatmat. This can either be placed under 1/4 of their vivarium which will provide a heat source from below, or along the back on their enclosure to radiate heat from the side. Both methods will allow a temperature gradient so your Yellow-Spotted Millipede can choose its own preferred temperature. Yellow-Spotted Millipedes do shy away from light, but if wanted you can use a light bulb to heat their enclosure. We recommend either a red, blue or night glo bulb as this will be invisible to your exotic pet, however a low wattage incandescent bulb can also be used.

 

Substrate:

As Yellow-Spotted Millipedes enjoy burrowing, you will need to provide a decent layer of substrate or they will become stressed. We recommend using between 4-6 inches of sterilised peat moss or potting soil and mixing this with pieces of rotten wood, ideally from a hardwood tree such as oak. It can also be useful to add a few oak leaves into the substrate mix as these will provide an additional calcium source needed to maintain your millipede’s exoskeleton. As mentioned previously it is vitally important that the substrate is kept damp, but not wet.

                       
Environment:

Although they do not require any decor in their cage, you can add pieces of bark and moss to increase the available hiding places for your Yellow-Spotted Millipede. Small houseplants can also provide a more naturalistic look and help maintain humidity, or fake vivarium/aquarium plants can be used to add variety if you don’t have green thumbs.

 

Diet:

Yellow-Spotted Millipedes feed on a variety of fruit, vegetables and leaf litter. Millipedes are very similar to earthworms in this respect as they efficiently clear the forest floors feeding on decaying leaves and turning them into rich organic compost. Oak leaves seem to be their favourite and are usually easy to obtain in various states of decay. Another top food for your Yellow-spotted Millipede is freshly over-ripe soft fruits such as tomatoes, plums, bananas, melons and pumpkins, although you can experiment to find out which fruits your particular Yellow-Spotted Millipede enjoys most. You should also occasionally provide over-ripe vegetables like mushrooms and lettuce to add variety.