The numbers
Enclosure
30 × 30 × 30 cm
Diet
Crickets, roaches, feeder insects · Every 5–10 days
Temperature
24–28°C
Humidity
70–85%
Identity
Order / Family
Scolopendromorpha
IUCN / CITES
Not evaluated; no CITES listing
Difficulty
Advanced (experts only)
Commonality
Very common; classic hobby giant centipede
Adult size
15–20 cm
Lifespan
5–10 yrs
Growth rate
Fast
Activity & niche
Nocturnal terrestrial predator
Temperament
Highly defensive and fast
Venom / defense
Venomous, painful bite – experts only, no handling
Price (THB)
150–600 (local, common)
Enclosure and conditions
Temperature
24–28°C
Humidity
70–85%
Min. enclosure
30x30x30 cm, very secure lid
Substrate
8–10 cm moist coco/peat for burrowing
Hides / decor / water
Cork/bark hide, water dish
Diet
Staple food
Crickets, roaches, feeder insects
Feeding frequency
Every 5–10 days
Supplements
None; gut-load prey
Behaviour and handling
Handling
None – experts only; medically significant venom
Communal
No – solitary (only ssp. mutilans is sometimes kept communally)
Defense / stress signs
Flight, coiling, striking, raised terminal legs
Reproduction
Reproduction
Female guards egg clutch and hatchlings (maternal care)
Common health problems
Common health issues
SignsMolt failure if too dry, mites, dehydration
Red flags / quarantine
SignsMites, sluggishness; quarantine imports
Good to know
- Bites are extremely painful but human deaths are essentially unrecorded.
Others in this group
Giant African MillipedeArchispirostreptus gigasThai/Vietnamese Giant Centipede (Yellow-leg / Cherry)Scolopendra dehaaniVietnam Giant MillipedeVietnam Giant millipedeAmazonian Giant CentipedeScolopendra giganteaTanzanian Red-headed / Tiger CentipedeScolopendra morsitansBumblebee MillipedeAnadenobolus monilicornisVietnamese Rainbow MillipedeTonkinbolus dollfusiRusty / Scarlet Asian MillipedeTrigoniulus corallinus