AKA: Orthoporus ornatus, Giant gold millipede
Experience: Beginner
Adult Size: up to 6"
Life Expectancy: 7-10years.
Temperature: 70F-78F. When using artificial heat it is best to provide heat from above and not below to mimic nature's source of heat. All Millipedes burrow to get out of the hot surface and find a cooler spot below.
Humidity: Daily misting to every other day.
Natural Origins: West Texas, Arizona
Enclosure Set-Up: Many people use plastic shoe tubs from your local supermarket with added ventilation holes on the sides above the substrate to provide adequate airflow to help the enclosure have a good air supply. some also put in a screen mesh on the lid but be wary as this can cause your substrate to dry out quicker meaning they'll need to mist more than normal. Substrate should be as deep as your millipede is long. adding leaf litter to the top of the substrate emulates their natural habitat of the forest floor. many people use dry Cured Magnolias but there is a list of safe leaves to use for your pedes. Cured Magnolia seed pods are good for enrichment and take a while to break down providing a long-term food source.
Substrate: Their substrate needs to be as deep as they are long. It can consist of Topsoil with no additives/Fertilizers, cypress mulch, peat moss, and hydrated hardwood pellets. For a more realistic biome in their enclosure I first place 2-"4" of the mixture of flake soil or fermented wood pellets mixed with a few scoops of peat and organic top soil. On top of the flake soil I add an additional 1"-3" of a excavator clay/ desert sand mix to allow them to burrow as they would in thier natural habitat.
Diet: Generalist and opportunistic detritivores eating decaying plant material, as well as higher-quality foods, such as fallen fruits, seeds, mushrooms, vegatables, and dead invertebrates, feeding opportunistically on whichever is most available at the soil surface. Opportunistic feeding does not preclude food preferences. Higher quality food increases the developmental rate, growth, and reproduction, so the choice of habitat is not solely influenced by the quantity of food resources.
Temperament: Very Dociles pets, though if threatened they can secrete a very mild toxic substance. So it is best to wash hands before and after handling. Though the ooze poses little to no threat to humans it can be irritating to a few and leave stains on one's fingers.
Cohabitating: Texas Golds do well with Chocolate Deserts as they are often found living together in the wild. when adding Isopods the safest bet is Dwarf species such as Dwarf whites as they pose a lesser threat to your pede in molt, and to any millipede babies you may produce. Springtails are great for your millipedes as they help break down any mold that may produce from older scraps your pedes may have not finished in time.
Sexing: On the 7th segment on the millipede, males will appear to have a shorter pair of legs or lack of legs completely and in place have their reproductive organs, gonopods. Females will have no gap in their legs
Extra Info. :