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Vietnamese Centipede

Orange-legged Jungle Centipede
Asian Forest Centipede Family: Scolopendridae

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Scolopendra subspinipes Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Russ Gurley

   The Vietnamese Centipede is a large, aggressive species with a nasty attitude and a serious bite!

   This is a beautiful centipede that is hardy and easy to keep. It makes a nice addition for experienced keepers, but is not recommended for a beginner.

   Scolopendra subspinipes is divided into five subspecies which are not restricted to the country of Vietnam, as its name in the hobby suggests. The Vietnamese Centipede is found throughout the world’s tropical and subtropical areas, especially in Southeast Asia.

For more Information on keeping centipedes see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Centipede

Description:
   The Vietnamese Centipede grows to 8” (20 cm). As adults, all the subspecies of S. subspinipes range in size from 4” (10 Cm) - like *Scolopendra s. japonica, up to 8” (20 cm) like Scolopendra s. subspinipes.
   All subspecies of S. subspinipes have 18 to 19 segments on their antennae with the first six smooth. There are three spines located on the prefemur of the terminal legs. They are quite variable in color, but most specimens are brown to reddish brown with yellow to yellow-orange legs.

Subspecies of Scolopendra subspinipes:

• Scolopendra s. de haani: Reddish brown with a red head and red legs. It is found in Southeast Asia.
• Scolopendra s. japonica: Brown with blue and white banded legs. It is the rarest subspecies in captive collections and in nature is found only in Japan.
• Scolopendra s. multidena: Found in China, Japan, and Java.
• Scolopendra s. mutilans: Has a black body, red first segment, and yellow legs. It is found in China and Japan.
• Scolopendra s. subspinipes: Brown to reddish-brown with an orange head and legs. Widespread throughout the tropics and is found in Africa, Asia, and even Hawaii.

Care and Feeding:
    Feed crickets and roaches once a week. Once a month feed a small pink mouse. For more information on feeding see, Centipede Care: Feeding

Environment:
   A large enclosure that offers plenty of floor space and a deep (4”+) substrate of damp sand and peat moss is ideal. This species will spend most of its time buried in the substrate with only the tips of the back legs or its antennae above ground. Also offer a few well-placed pieces of cork bark, bark, or a sturdy slate shelter to keep specimens settled. For more information on environment see, Centipede Care: Housing

Temperature and Humidity requirements:
   The ideal temperature range is 80° to 85° F and with a humidity of 80 to 85%.

Handling:
   We do not recommend handling any centipedes. Despite photos of “daredevils” (goof balls) handling large specimens, all Scolopendra are capable of delivering a very painful venomous “pinch”. Large specimens should be considered medically serious and some people with reactions to insect venom and those with small children should be very cautious when keeping large Scolopendra species.

Availability:
   Vietnamese Scorpions are imported in large numbers from Southeast Asia. They are commonly available from invertebrate and reptile dealers on-line.

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Author: Russ Gurley
Edited by Animal-World.