Cormocephalus spp.
Sold under its hobby name. This guide covers the group or trade name this fella is sold as, so the ranges fit the whole group. Start in the middle and watch how your animal settles in.
Cormocephalus Centipedes: Advanced Care Guide
Keeper Snapshot: A widespread genus, smaller and more varied than the giant Scolopendra, and many species lean arid. Care is per-species, but centipede rules hold: fast, a venomous bite, an escape artist. Never handle. Adults reach about 3-5 in.
Group: Industry StaplesDifficulty: Spice 4: AdvancedSetup: Terrestrial centipede, often arid-leaningHandling: No handling
Use This Guide Safely
- Confirm the exact animal. Match this guide to the species, locality, size, and life stage on your label. If the ID is uncertain, use the more conservative part of the range and ask before changing the setup.
- Change one thing at a time. Treat temperature and humidity as target zones, then watch posture, burrowing, drinking, feeding, and molt behavior before making another adjustment.
- Respect the handling boundary. If the guide says no handling, fast, defensive, or medically significant, plan transfers with catch cups, locked lids, and no bare hands. For serious bites, stings, or symptoms, seek emergency medical care.
Quick Snapshot
| Temperature | 72-85°F |
|---|---|
| Humidity | 45-60%, arid-leaning with a humid retreat |
| Setup Type | Terrestrial centipede, often arid-leaning |
| Substrate | Soil/sand mix with a humid retreat, depth varies |
| Feeding | Appropriate prey weekly |
| Care Difficulty | Spice 4: Advanced |
| Handling | No handling |
Humidity zones: Very Low under 30% - Low 30-60% - Low-Moderate 40-70% - Moderate 60-80% - Moderate-High 70-85% - High 80%+ - Very High 90%+
Enclosure Format / Size Class
- Secure, locked terrestrial setup with a humid retreat; depth and dryness tuned to the species
Warnings First
- Venomous bite, fast, escape artist. Never handle.
- Solitary housing only; never house centipedes together.
- Many species lean arid: look up the specific species before assuming tropical care.
- Lid must lock; bite/chew-resistant ventilation.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls is right for every Cormocephalus; skip it and damp setups turn moldy and draw mites.
Simple Care
- Substrate with a humid retreat; mostly dry-leaning for the typical species.
- Cross ventilation low on two opposite walls, at substrate level. Correct for every species in the genus.
- A shallow water dish packed with pebbles so small pedelings cannot drown; a locked lid.
- House singly; centipedes are cannibalistic.
- Tools and a catch cup; never touch with hands.
Advanced Keeper Notes
Enclosure & Microclimate
- A large, widespread genus (Australia, South Africa and beyond). Care varies a lot by species; many prefer arid setups with a humid retreat rather than a tropical moist box.
- Whatever the species, containment is identical to any centipede: a locked lid, tiny tough ventilation, and deep enough substrate to disappear into.
- Build cross ventilation at substrate level on every setup: fine-mesh vents low on two opposite walls, sized under the animal's head width.
- Tune from behavior and by hand, not a hygrometer. An animal that sits in the humid retreat wants more moisture; one that won't settle is usually too wet.
- Keep a shallow water dish packed with pebbles or coarse grit so the waterline sits below the rim, and mist under the retreat hide only, never the open surface.
Feeding, Growth & Maintenance
- Appropriate prey weekly; remove if it's molting or uninterested.
- Smaller and generally less imposing than the giant Scolopendra, but no less fast and no less of an escape risk. Solitary, no-contact, tools-only.
- Molting: a centipede stops eating and seals into its burrow, staying soft and vulnerable for days. Leave it alone, keep prey out, and don't dig to check.
Possible Origin / Range
- Likely native range: Australia, South Africa and other warm regions: varied terrestrial habitats.
- Habitat translation: A terrestrial enclosure with a humid retreat (usually dry-leaning), a shallow water dish, and an escape-proof locked lid; moisture tuned to the species.
Advanced Keeper Details
- Adult size about 3-5 in (varies). The big variable is moisture: tune it to the specific species, not to a generic centipede default.
- Less common in the trade than Scolopendra; ID can be loose. When in doubt, lean drier with a humid retreat and adjust from behavior.
- Standard centipede rules: venomous bite, blistering speed, escape genius. Locked, solitary, no-contact.