Hi everyone, here's my Scolopendra subspinipes story.
Just got 4 of them (4-6 inches) from Alex. This is my first time keeping so many of these giants. Boy, these guys are fast with bad attitudes. Out of foolishness, I tried to house 4 of them in one huge container which had 5 hiding places for them. The reason I did this was because I had kept the smaller common ones(adults) I found around my house together with no problems. They seem to get along well nesting in the same nest. But the giant ones I got really dislike each other. The moment I placed the last one into the big container, it scrambled under the same bark which another one had entered causing the first one to tunnel out the other end. And then a small havoc started. 2 of them, which are roughly the same size, kept running round the edges of the container and everytime their feelers touched they immediately turned and run the other way. Of course they would meet again and repeat the same thing. Immediately I knew I had made a mistake to house them together and I straight away prepared 4 separate smaller housing for them.
And I thought, how in the world do I transfer them? Luckily I had a 1.5L mineral water bottle with the bottom cut out. With a long brush and this "pede-handler", I had no problem moving them to the smaller tanks. But something went wrong as I lifted the bark where the smallest pede was under. It ran under another bark which the biggest and most ferocious one were hiding. When I lifted the bark, I found the big one had attack the small one and trying to eat it.
I immediately tried to pry them apart with a brush end and a ruler. But the big pede was one crazy pede... it first attacked the brush handle and then continue to try to eat the smaller pede, oblivious with my attempt to move its head away from the small pede. It held onto the smaller pede with almost all its legs as tight as it could.
Without pinchers to hold onto both of them, I knew I couldn't separate them with 2 stick-like tools. As soon as I managed to move the big pede's head away, it just swung round at another angle and attacked again. The next best thing? I rushed to fill a container with water and dropped them in! For a moment the big pede was still trying to eat the small pede fully under water. I was like...? Luckily, within 2 seconds the big pede released its bite from the small pede and try to climb out. BUT one third of its hind legs still refused to let go of the smaller pede. It was determined as hell to cart away its dinner! But alas, after some final struggle with my brush and ruler, I managed to free the small pede. I know the whole event probably didn't last long but it certainly felt like eternity during the struggle.
While still able to move, the smaller pede looked visibly injured and sure enough the next day it died.
Ok, one new lesson learned.
Here's the containers for the rest of the 3 healthy pedes. Once in, each one of them immediately went into their new home. They're just about slightly longer than half the length of the container. Dropped one adult cricket and one adult male Dubia in each of the container and never saw them again.
I realized this is the best set up. Although it looks a bit roomy in there, the pede seems quite calm and happy inside, grooming itself and happily eating inside.
And it allows me to see it with a torch. The other 2 dug outs is too tight and narrow, which I will change once I get some nice round hollow barks.
Yeah, I gave the best housing to the vicious one...
