They Live

This giant millipede - terrible, terrible invertebrate creature, living among us. It comes out at night because of the ventilation system in the room where you sleep, easily overcomes the steep walls and sticks to you, preventing wake up thanks to a special substance in the saliva. Do you ever wake up in a state of heavier than usual, with heavy head, barely recovering? It is the consequences ...
roman-yerokhin





Yes, something like that, that's in my submission think those who picture photo "insect" unpleasant. All this is undeserved, "for the eyes." In the life of a creature is harmless, and simply call it the "millipede" or "millipede".
Millipede not an insect and invertebrate. The species are many, the widest spread around the world and they are very useful for the local flora. Millipede does not pose any serious danger in general, biting can not, in principle, but still capable of the shortage of protein in the diet you try the taste of that of course isolated cases. And naturally, he eats and processes shustrenko leaf, humus. In general, the kind of orderly and created fertile soil. In the case of threat to life and millipede can fend for themselves because of special glands and their secretions, because of which the millipede almost nobody in the animal world does not dare to eat. More precisely, as they say, no one dares to do, but there is evidence of frogs in our latitudes, is not squeamish centipedes. However, our millipede mostly small and not all types of chemical protection. So of course neosnaschёnnyh burst. But the giant African eats one and only lemurs - lovers to catch large millipede and crawl them for wool, obmazyvaya himself emissions of odorous liquid. Lemurs and get drunk with her baldeyut. Well invented.



Poisonous gland located at the millipede on the sides of each segment. When the millipede takes a defensive stance curled paws clasping himself, which by themselves as the sharp peaks, the glands and the holes are directed upwards, towards the enemy. Grab someone such mouth or liznёt and ... sorry. Or even at a distance from the pungent smell will change his mind contact.

Here the larger fragment, where the holes are clearly visible glands. Like a needle punctured a middle position.



Protective fluid in some species of millipede is not simple. On human skin, it comes down for the day, and from clothes do not properly clean. The liquid smells like iodine (and, in principle, is what he is), but some of the ingredients - a compound of chlorine and hydrogen cyanide. The latter is notable in that it can cause heart failure. But it is just a horror story. Hydrogen cyanide is also in normal tobacco, for example. Secret millipede really dangerous for invertebrates and very irritable for human mucous, so get into the mouth or eyes should not. Yes, and it is difficult to imagine how it gets there, the glands begin to secrete a secret only when the millipede squeeze. He, by the way, hard. Therefore, even the breeder for the entire period of ownership millipede could not face his defensive reaction. Toxic millipede - a sort of myth. But in any case, should not be confused with a centipede millipede - often confused, though it looks much different, but to their liking and the dangers it the exact opposite of millipede.



Millipede creation actually quite mileyshee and very unusual. If our band millipede is very small, adults largest species do not exceed a few centimeters (in the forest they are sometimes several hundred per square meter of land), this individual is from the photos - the largest millipede on Earth, the African black millipede, he's millipede gigas or Latin Archispirostreptus gigas. Its size can reach 30-35 centimeters! It's like on the palm of your hand up to the elbow.



From bad: millipede typically accompany friends parasites - ticks. All sold large individuals - absolutely savages (caught in nature), and almost certainly have to imagine a flock of mites. It argued that it symbionts, they are out there and protect the millipede without them quickly die. Ticks these quite quickly, they are easy to spot, but hard to get rid of. Many breeders and live centipede with tongs. They say that this type of mite is not interested in humans and domestic friends less, this is only kivsyachy some kind. Evidence to find Mr. turns out, and personally I am very cautious and dismissive attitude to anyone and are parasitic bloodsucking creature.



When I acquired my, I advance on the phone asked if they ticks, and received a negative response. Bringing millipede home and examined immediately noticed these creatures, as later wrote the breeder. He pretended to be surprised and said the same legend about the symbionts. It is worth noting that in addition to the network about the millipede basic information on the content of what is written is very small, no details at all. Wikipedia a couple of words that in Russian, which is English.

Keep livestock ticks in my plans are not included, this is out of the ordinary, so I decided to get rid of parasites. Carrying the soil was thrown out immediately, but in themselves millipede could not manage to catch the mites, as they quickly run away to the legs and in the forest they do not get too big a chance to damage the very centipede. I had invented a simple way - under a stream of water. Millipede with waves rolled in a hard pancake, which simplifies the situation and I washed him all the parasites, and only the last fussed almost an hour, still can not give. After purification procedure millipede all four began to live happily ever after and weight.

Whatever did not talk about the utility or harmlessness of the ticks, they do not cease to be parasites in the same period of molting when millipede become defenseless without his tough armor, mites may well do things. Check this desire was not such millipede may not be over the road, but 500 per child, and even more so when several of them - quite even money.
It is worth noting that a year of detention without any problems with mites millipede has been identified, they have experienced normal molting. So it is possible to dispel the myth that no ticks are killed millipede.

I have been asked questions: why I bought them? It's all simple. I have all of my living creatures are currently three main motives: observation, work and breeding. This is in addition to the motive for which all give birth pets, whether hamsters, spiders, cats, dogs and so on. Observation for work, it's my personal interest. I have devised a series of characters that I'm going to use something where their development and in the best case study requires the possession of little animals, it's easier. And interesting. Millipede one of these pets. Breeding and sale, is a side, if the content like. Still good when little animal lives, and the like at the same time pays for itself. While giant millipede - the most simple in the content being that I have ever had. But before their maturity to wait a few more years, it comes at them in 3-4 years. A live millipede Gigas ten years - not bad for a "nasekomyshey", right?



Content millipede simple. They have enough of a plastic food container (preferably a flat container for clothes, they more). The height of the millipede is not important, and important area of ​​the bottom. The length and width selected in view of: the length of at least two individuals. Ie If the length of the specimen is 20 centimeters, the length and width of the container should be 40cm. But if something is less - is not critical and does not matter, according to the observations. The lid must be closed well, it is desirable for some zaschёlochki, that it was simply impossible to lift. Millipede can easily stand vertically on the wall almost their entire length. But it is in the case of food containers.

I have plans to make a normal beautiful terrarium with koryazhkoy, plants, brook - beautiful in itself, and millipede would simply be part of the ecosystem. For terrariums situation dimensions may be too different, there is already at the discretion of the breeder. It can approach almost any average aquarium. High altitude is only a plus, because like centipedes crawl on koryazhkam. Yes they are, and foulbrood to gnaw like them.

A millipede can love more.



This is followed by scenes of sexual content. Kivsyachya Kama Sutra.



Millipede gigas fearful. If you disturb him on the ground, or open the lid of the house, he began to take defensive posture - fold into a pancake. Millipede do not like sunlight and spend most of the time in the dug in the substrate moves. There occasionally drags and food. I do not know, do stocks or not, is not visible. If you dig the tunnels is not possible if the symbolic layer of soil, the millipede good living on the surface - on a substrate, moss, leaves (or below). But for the sake of hiding their timid nature it is still desirable.

Millipede gigas calm and sluggish creature. Walk slowly. But the same breeders Achatina snails are well aware of how seemingly nimble snails can not get away smartly, is only a short time to turn away. The amazing ability. With millipede same.

Millipede gigas fed naturally falling leaves and perfectly at home eating fruits (and I clean them), cucumbers, zucchini, potatoes. If the fruit with a rotten, then it's even better because they taste better. We need to give and something vegetable protein, oatmeal. You can offer and gamarusa. For normal moulting millipede should be able at any time to replenish the calcium in the body, this substrate is slightly mixed with ground eggshell powder, and it can also be added in small amounts to the fruit.

Millipede millipede is not the only gigas, which contain breeders. It is the largest, the most unpretentious, but not the most beautiful in color. There are smaller but more colorful species from different parts of the globe.



But most often you can find one of the most uninteresting of color and size: olive millipede.



For some reason olive millipede often be found on sale and novice breeders. In comparison, the millipede Gigas has many advantages, but it is much more difficult to buy. At that time, when I was looking for her, over the Internet can be found only one vendor millipede Gigas in Moscow, did not have any choice, this turns out to be a rarity, and it was a decent ad "buy millipede Gigas, who is?" .

So, what can summarize. Millipede insect funny, adult Gigas is quite possible to scare any visitor, even though the animal is absolutely harmless. Niskolechko I did not regret the purchase. For a year the life of kids have grown markedly. Until a few years and reach sexual maturity age. Millipede Gigas is perhaps one of the most spectacular harmless exotic creatures are not demanding in the content, as opposed to any biting spiders, scorpions, and a lot of someone else. Gigas in terms of its foreign conditional "horrible" second only centipede Scutigera coleoptrata - giant Venus Flytrap. Harmless despite being predatory in nature, but looked very frightening.

The end of the working day. Bell rings. Caller:
- Hello, this laundry?
Millipede back tired and unhappy:
- It Kivsyachechnaya!