Ghana Speckled Leg Millipedes (Telodeinopus aoutii)
Telodeinopus aoutii are one of the African giants in the family Spirostreptidae and are commonly called Ghana Speckled millipedes, Giant Olive millipedes and Long Legged millipedes. This species can vary from a dark olive to a coppery brown colour and has long white and brown striped legs which are used to grip onto branches and logs when climbing. These are naturally found in tree savannah in West Africa where there are rainy and dry periods, so it is important to provide these with a similar habitat in captivity. We consider these detritivores to be the 'dustbins' of the millipede world as they will eat anything and have ravenous appetites! Younger millipedes grow very quickly and tend to be more surface active than other species. We recommend T. aoutii as a good beginner giant species as it is fairly hardy and forgiving and is a rewarding species to keep. Once adult, females commonly produce lots of offspring if conditions are desirable, so this is something to consider if you plan to keep both male and female together. These are social like other millipedes, so it is preferred to keep a pair or more together.
Adult size: males up to 15cm, females up to 18cm
Lifespan: 5 years
Status: captive bred
Place of Origin: Ghana, Togo
Temperature: 22-28˚C
Humidity: 70-90%
Diet: Hardwood leaf litter (oak, beech, hazel etc), rotten hardwood, organic compost/ topsoil, flake soil, sphagnum moss, lichen, mushrooms, variety of fruit and vegetables (favourites include cucumber, squash, apple, and pear), sepia/ calcium supplement, protein source (fish flakes, dry mealworms, shrimp pellets, dead insects like crickets, roaches etc)
The EntoScapes Way
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- We keep T. aoutii in a 60X40X60cm tank which is a converted aquarium with mesh covering any escape points. A large plastic storage box with a gasket lid and added cross ventilation works well. We keep these at temps of 20-22C and humidity of 80%, but if you do use a heat mat, place it on the SIDE of the enclosure ABOVE the substrate level, to avoid cooking the substrate.
- We suggest keeping the substrate damp (not soaking!) by misting when the top layer of substrate is dry, and provide plenty of cork bark or natural bark pieces, leaf litter, moss, rotting wood chunks and hardwood branches with lichen. These millipedes are arobreal and will spend a lot of time above ground, so provide lots of climbing opportunities!
- You want to house any millipede with a substrate that is at least the same length as the largest millipede in depth, and twice the millipedes length in floor space. We always try and double this just to make sure every millipede has plenty of space, as they do spend a lot of time underground! Remember that is just for substrate, and you will need an extra 15cm minimum for above ground decoration.
- When it comes to substrate, make sure you use a high-quality substrate that is full of white rotting hardwood and leaf litter as the food component, and organic topsoil, mushroom compost and moss. We recommend using our Premium Millipede Edible Substrate or something with similar high quality ingredients. The substrate should never have to be fully replenished, and we simply spot clean and provide more food component substrate, rotting wood and leaf litter when needed which is around every month but will depend on how big your colony is
- Supplement their diet with a good quality protein source like shrimp pellets or dried mealworms for optimal health. Like all millipedes, protein is more important than calcium so provide a source once a week. Like many invertebrates one of their favourites is cucumber which we provide in slices and replace once completely eaten. Many breeders suggest providing fresh fruit/ veg and protein once every 2-3 weeks, but we find that millipedes will readily take these food sources in small amounts once a week. Remeber this is just for supplemental food items; decaying leaf litter and wood must be available at all times!
- Although millipedes prefer dark, damp conditions, it is important to maintain a regular 12-hour light cycle by placing the tank near a light source, such as another tank with an LED light, but never in direct sunlight as this will heat your tank to deadly temperatures. You can place a heat mat on the side of the tank, never the bottom, if your home is kept on the cool side.
- We often see our millipedes out during the day walking on cork bark, lichen branches and exploring their tank, so it is important to make the tank enriching and stimulating for your millipedes. The happier your millipedes are, the more rewarding they become as pet invertebrates!
